Want to forgo an agent? Plan to do more work

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - After three years in their 3,000-square-foot home, Judy and Roger Aitkenhead wanted to downsize.

The retired couple said they spent too much time maintaining the mostly unused house. They also needed a cheaper mortgage payment to free up cash for travel.

Using a real estate agent, the Aitkenheads listed their Macomb Township, Mich., home in June 2007 for $324,000. After six months, the house had 17 showings but no offers as buyers snapped up similar homes for lower prices. When the contract ran out, the Aitkenheads chose a more adventurous route: for sale by owner, or FSBO.

Forgoing the agent allowed them to take $24,000 off the asking price when they relisted the home in May. The house _ a four-bedroom, three-bathroom, two-story colonial _ sold four weeks later for $299,000. The buyer closed on the deal in July.

More homeowners are opting to sell homes on their own as the market is flooded with houses, prices fall and competition increases from cheap foreclosed properties.

Selling without a real estate agent has obvious advantages, such as saving the typical 6 percent commission and having more control over the process.

But going solo can be time-consuming and complicated. Sellers must research the market, advertise and show the home, negotiate with buyers and learn the legal and financial details behind real estate deals.

"Today, you can't inflate your price by $12,000 to pay commission," said Steve Mallires, owner of the Detroit affiliate of www.homesbyowner.com, a Web site that offers a variety of services for those too intimidated to go through the process alone. "The typical customer is someone who likes to be involved in the process and who doesn't mind doing a little bit of work."

Homesbyowner.com publishes a listings magazine and runs FSBO home ads on half a dozen Web sites.

The company started out as a purely FSBO advertising site but has added real estate services such as an attorney to write contracts and a title company that closes deals.

"Most sale-by-owners just stick a hardware sign out front," he said. "Our company offers multimedia exposure plus back-end services to close without charging commission."

The company holds seminars on how to sell homes without a real estate agent. It also offers a la carte services for a variety of prices, with packages between $395 and $995. Services range from magazine and Internet listings to assistance from a real estate attorney.

The Aitkenheads opted for the deluxe package, which costs $995. They also paid normal closing fees on title work and transfer fees.

Judy Aitkenhead, 64, who heard about homesbyowner.com through a magazine she found at her local grocery store, attended a seminar and followed the instructions.

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"We did everything they said," Judy Aitkenhead said. "We put as many pictures on the Internet as we could. We followed everything they asked to a T."

Roger Aitkenhead, 58, a retired wildlife photographer, shot dozens of pictures of the house. Then the couple went on homesbyowner.com and posted an ad, which the site already pre-designed. The Aitkenheads listed all the specifics on the house and posted photos.

"We looked at the other people's ads to see what they said, how they arranged their pictures," Judy Aitkenhead said. "We previewed it, critiqued it, and published it. Then we waited for people to call."

Within days, they received queries. Some asked if they could lease the house, and finally a buyer showed up.

The two parties agreed on a price and filled out forms provided by homesbyowner.com. An attorney wrote a purchase agreement.

"It was very easy," Judy Aitkenhead said.

The parties agreed on a date for an inspection and 30 days to find a loan and close.

The deal covered the balance of the mortgage, but not money they invested in a new deck and new landscaping in their yard.

The couple then bought a mint-condition foreclosed condo for $200,000 about a mile from the home they sold.

"We wanted to buy a bank repo condo," she said. "We're thrilled with it."

Homesbyowner.com stresses the importance of pricing a home competitively.

"To have success you have to price it right," Judy Aitkenhead said, adding that she and her husband watched a lot of shows that showed them how to stage their home.

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For others, selling solo hasn't been so easy. Kelly Whaley of New Boston, Mich., is selling his condo on his own after listing it unsuccessfully with an agent for six months.

When his Realtor contract expired in March of this year, he put an ad on Craigslist. In September, he changed the listing, offering a lease or a purchase of the 1,600-square-foot condo, which is listed for $151,800. Whaley hasn't gotten any bites, but he's optimistic.

"I have some confidence," Whaley said. "I think people have to get through the inventory and get the extra money required now to buy."

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

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HOW TO SELL A HOME ON YOUR OWN

_ Do your best to clean and organize your home before putting a for sale sign on your yard. You have many competitors.

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_ Make sure your disclosures are factual. A buyer can sue if you aren't revealing all the details.

_ Advertise and market your home aggressively. You can advertise via your local newspaper, e-mail, free listing sites, brochures and word of mouth.

_ Study and research the selling process, including the required forms as early as possible. Know the housing laws and the market condition in your area.

_ Consult your lawyer and financial adviser to guide you on the legal and financial aspects of the transaction.

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© 2008, Detroit Free Press.