For sale by owner homes are very a very attractive deal for buyers who are on a tight budget and want to save some money. However an FSBO transaction can present many complications for the buyer and hence it becomes imperative that the buyer employ a real estate professional who understands the nuances and handles them well. Here is a brief overview on how I, as your real estate agent in Columbus and Central Ohio, can help you with a FSBO purchase in the local area.

Detecting overpricing in FSBO transactions

Contrary to popular belief, FSBO homes in Columbus and Central Ohio are often overpriced. If you as a buyer are not represented by a real estate agent specializing in the local market, you will end up paying much more that the home and its location justifies. A real estate agent specializing in Columbus and Central Ohio will be able to detect overpricing quickly as he is in touch with local market conditions and average prices prevailing in different neighborhoods.

Price Negotiations

In case of FSBO homes the sellers’ main aim is to save money on real estate agent’s costs and so they don’t employ one. These sellers also never show any flexibility about the price. If you have a seasoned real estate professional specializing in the Columbus and Central Ohio market such as myself by your side when you set out to buy an FSBO home in Greater Columbus area, I will help conduct price negotiations and land you with some savings.

Assisting in finding property details and document work

A buyer should employ a real estate agent specializing in Columbus and its surrounding communities so that he can know about all property details including precise information on area of the house, property boundaries and any blips in the property and home. These may not be revealed by the seller accurately either out of ignorance or intentionally.

The seller and buyer may not know about all the documents that need to be prepared and signed to complete the sales transaction. By employing a real estate professional the buyer actually ensures that all FSBO home purchase paperwork is done accurately and correctly.

This will save the buyer from legal issues and law suits later on. It also saves the time of the buyer and the seller. Most agents are willing to work with the buyer at low flat rates decided in advance or for a low commission of 3% which can be structured into the mortgage. This compensation motivates them to do the best research and negotiation for the buyer. Remember, my commission is paid by the seller.

Don’t let yourself be one of the many sellers that come to me upside down on their mortgage, wanting to sell, and unable to because they didn’t use a real estate professional to represent them when buying a FSBO. Let’s face it, the only person the seller of a FSBO is representing and looking to save a buck for is HIMSELF, NOT YOU THE BUYER! Don’t fall into the trap of paying too much because you didn’t have a professional doing the necessary homework.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Columbus and Central Ohio real estate. For complete information about the local real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate in the Buckeye State at www.scarletnrayhomes.com.  Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 614-668-4400 or email me at jandrews@columbus.rr.com.

I’m the “Doctor who loves to make House Calls!”