The Benefits of Buying a For Sale By Owner Home (FSBO)

Save money

Many buyers are under the mistaken belief that the services of a Real Estate Broker/Agent are free to the buyer. In reality, the seller is forced to inflate his/her selling price to compensate for the commission. The commission is then passed on to you (the buyer) in the form of a higher price. Hence the old adage rings true, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."

More convenient

Dealing directly with the seller can often be much less frustrating and less confusing. Would you rather learn about a house from someone who has lived there, or from someone who has most likely never seen the house before? Furthermore, once you decide upon a house, you and the seller can negotiate directly on the price, rather than going back and forth through a middleman which can often take weeks and possibly lose you the deal.

Self interest

The only two parties who should be of concern in a real estate transaction are the buyer and seller. Many of the complications involved in a transaction are in relation to the interest of the middleman. These interests can often be in conflict with those of the deserving parties. The middleman has an interest in getting you a house as quickly as possible. His commission is comparable whether OR NOT you get the RIGHT house at the right price. When you shop on the open market, you retain the ultimate control. IT'S EASY! The number one real estate MYTH propagated by agents is that it is complicated and difficult. On the contrary, the most complicated and difficult part of a real estate transaction is handled by a title or escrow company, not a real estate agent/broker. When presented with a proper sales contract the title company will handle the transfer of title to the property and all coordination with the lender.

Saves you time

You deal directly with the homeowner rather than through a third party. Communication is more direct, faster, and to the point. You will get more accomplished in a shorter length of time which means YOU CAN BE IN YOUR NEW HOME SOONER!

Legal issues

There are currently over 11,000 FSBO properties on the market in Texas today. Thousands of FSBO transactions take place every month nationwide without any legal difficulties. A real estate agent/broker cannot offer you any legal advice or protection unless they are a practicing attorney. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, you can always consult an attorney. Consulting an attorney will cost far less than the 6% real estate agent fees if you were to use an agent.

Easy to do

Some people think that purchasing real estate from anyone other than a real estate agent or broker is difficult. This myth is very far from the truth. Purchasing a FSBO is simple. Two groups of people are talking directly about their needs and concerns, with no "middle man" who is very disinterested because they are looking to make a lot of money for making sure a sale happens.