ForSaleByOwner.com recently announced that it’s the most visited real estate Web site, in terms of unique visitors. In February 591,000 unique visitors checked out the site according to comScore Inc. These days home buyers and sellers look to save as much as they can and one way to save is to reduce or not pay a broker commission, which can be as high as 6 or 7 percent or more. On a $300,000 home sale, a 6 percent commission is $18,000. Every year the number of home buyers using the Internet to search for homes grows. More than 84 percent of home buyers ran Web searches for homes in 2007, up from 80 percent in 2006. In 1997 only 2 percent of buyers used the Web. ForSaleByOwner.com offers services to help owners sell their homes without agent help. These services include online listings and property pricing reports and other real estate guidance. If you decide to sell your home yourself make sure you do your research first. Talk to others who have done it and read about how to do it. Just as a home may be your biggest investment in your lifetime, it can also be the biggest sale you ever make.

April 4, 2008