For Sale By Owner vs a Realtor

Many people are making the choice to sell their homes themselves. While it is said that this method of home sales can save an owner money in commission fees, it should be noted that usually the money saved in commission is spent in other areas. Typically an agent's commission for a home sale is approximately 5-7%. However what many people do not realize is that it will cost them at least that to see that their home closes properly. There are many costs that the average home owner does not know about that are covered in the sales process by a realtor.

The sale of a home is a major undertaking. It is kind of like taking on a second full time job. The marketing of a home itself can be a costly and time consuming process. A realtor has a great selection of advantages when it comes to marketing a home. Usually they will have a previously established web presence. This is vital in ensuring that your home receives proper coverage and exposure. The first time that many prospective buyers see your home will be on the internet, not only on the realtor's site but on the local MLS as well. This is one aspect that is difficult to attain when selling a home yourself. Realtors also have the advantage of being able to take out full page color ads in the local newspapers to showcase their listings.

The main area where a realtor's experience comes into play is during the contact negotiations and execution. Agent's are trained in the proper execution of contracts and all aspects of closing a home. This part of the selling procedure can be extremely confusing and expensive. There are numerous lawyer's and notary costs that can easily inflate a sellers cost beyond the small saving on commission. Also, take into account the fact that a large percentage of people who attempt to sell their homes on their own, eventually end up listing with an agent when their home does not draw the necessary attention to sell in a timely manner. Add to this the fact that homes sold with an agent typically close for over 20 thousand dollars more than homes sold by owners and suddenly an agent becomes a fairly attractive concept. Remember, it is likely that a professional agent will be able to dedicate more time to the sale of your home than you. After all, you have to work yourself, and for an agent, selling your house is the work.

Posted by Nick Stepchinski on December 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM

About Nick Stepchinski
Nick Stepchinski is affliated with Stepchinski LLP Realtors, which is located in Texas City, TX. For further assistance please use the contact information located on the right.

As of 05/25/12 the Nick Stepchinski RePage is ranked at 4,494 with 400 points.

Local Information for Texas City, TX

Latitude: 29.399983 -- Longitude: -94.933851

ZIP Codes for Texas City, Texas	77590 77591 77592
Area Code for Texas City, Texas	409
Time zone for Texas City, Texas	CST

Other Area Cities: Friendswood, TX Texas City, TX La Marque, TX

Enter our Photo Sweepstakes and Win $200 for your Texas City photos!

To see random photos for other cities Click Here.

Submit your photos of Texas City and become eligible to win $200. Click Here for details.

Texas City is a city in Galveston County in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 41,521 (though the 2005 census estimate placed the population at 44,274). Founded in the late 19th century by Frank Davison, who became its first grocer and postmaster, this explosion-prone city (bordered on the east by numerous port facilities and petrochemical refineries) suffered from the Texas City disaster on April 16, 1947, generally regarded as the worst industrial accident in U.S. history, an ammonium nitrate explosion which killed over 1300 people. It recovered quite well from the accident (several refineries are located in Texas City) and has at times referred to itself as "The Town that would not die". -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Texas 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Texas City	Texas	United States
Population	41,521	20,851,820	281,421,906
Median age	35.5	32.3	35.3
Median age for Male	34.1	31.3	34
Median age for Female	36.7	33.4	36.5
Households	15,479	7,393,354	105,480,101
Household population	40,599	20,290,711	273,643,273
Average household size	2.62	2.74	2.59
Families	10,967	5,247,794	71,787,347
Average family size	3.13	3.28	3.14
Housing units	16,715	8,157,575	115,904,641
Occupied units	15,479	7,393,354	105,480,101
Vacant units	1,236	764,221	10,424,540

Visit US Census

Enter our Photo Sweepstakes and Win $200 for your Texas City photos!

For Sale By Owner vs a Realtor

Local Information for Texas City, TX

Latitude: 29.399983 -- Longitude: -94.933851

The Leader Spanish Real Estate

ATF Forex Trading

Lingerie & Perfumes

Wedding Singer

QROPS