like many others i need out. i give up. i do not even know where or how to sell a house,it would only good to someone who likes farming. it has 5 ac. 3 bedroom 200+log home, out buildings, pasture, fruit trees,grapes and it still needs alot of work.land around here is not affordable to us,we paid over120,000.00 and have put over 10,000.oo into it.i do not want an agent costs to much and what happens if you sell but cant find another house? i do know i need out and quick.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), August 22, 2000

Answers

If you don't want to list with a broker then your alternative is to sell it yourself. There a book titled Sold by Owner! Secrets of Selling Your House without a Broker's Fee by Maurice Dubois. I assume there are others on FSBO (For Sale by Owner) as well. Check with your local library.

I twice tried to do this for about six months each time. Listed with a broker and sold within two weeks.

If it were to sell and you couldn't find a place before the move-out date, your alternative is to rent somewhere. I know the government has eased up on the period you have to make another purchase before some tax laws apply, but don't know what they are.

I really recommend going with a good broker.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 22, 2000.

If you want out fast the agent is the best way to go .Other wise advertise in your local paper , put up ads in the post office ,any tourist sites , any papers like a freetrader or bargin news ? A big sign in front of the house .

Where will you move to ?There's a farm by us 4 bedroom old farm house nice barn , river frontage , big barn on 70 a .We were thinking of moving and they would take 55,000 with a good down payment even owner finance .

Downside it need a roof and repair of some water damage .Old electrical and needs new leachfields .We figured to hire it out would be about 12,000 .

We have good schools , taxes aren't to bad ,lots of churches , natives aren't to bad either .We don't have a traffic light in town ! 25 min to nearest big town and major shopping which includes Walmart ,kmart,bjs,sears,jc penny , ames,and so on.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 22, 2000.

Renee, we did it ourselves. We were in a large city and had access to good advertising, but it is still do-able in rural areas. One thing is to tell EVERYONE, get the word out everywhere, and be available as much as possible so folks can see the property. We had given up on a certain couple, thought they were lookie-lou types and they bought the place after viewing it for the 3rd time. Any fair sized library will have books that walk you through the process and tell you what to do, legally. Do call the local mortgage companies and find out what they require and get their forms. They will help you all along the way. Also ask them about title companies, appraisers, lawyers who will draw up contracts for you. Don't get overcome. It is just a matter of going through the steps. If we could do it, anyone can. Good luck!

-- Melina Bush (goatgal1@juno.com), August 22, 2000.

Sold a house myself, and it took 4 months. The first buyers backed out, or it would have been sooner. Hire a lawyer to write up the sales contract and provide the deed. The total cost for our lawyer was under $200.

I would not finance someone else, or "owner finance" as it is called, since I am not willing to take on the credit risk for someone else. I would advise against that, just because I am conservative, and if I want out, I want out TOTALLY, including worrying about the yahoos making payments (or not) to me and whether they are damaging the property in the meantime. If I wanted out that bad, I'd opt to take the money and run.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 22, 2000.

== i do not want an agent costs to much and what happens if you sell but cant find another house? ==

You can write into the contract that you want X amount of days until you move out. With a broker, I believe it's 45 days, but it can be changed. Be careful ~ if you push the buyer too much, they could back out. Don't look to make a killing ~ pricing your house way over the market will keep it for sale for a l-o-n-g time. It may be worth it to have an appraisal.

Clean up the outside of the property. The same inside. Slap some paint on where needed. The 'curb impression' (first impression) makes a big difference.

The advantage of having a broker is your house will be multi-listed. ALL agents will have your house. Sometimes it's worth letting them have their 7% or whatever percentage they get in your area.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), August 23, 2000.

Whether you list or sell yourself, as Rogo noted, curb appeal is very important. Be sure to keep bushes and hedges trimmed. Cut the grass often. Make the out buildings look attractive also. Inside try to de-clutter it as much as possible, even if means renting a storage locker. Keep it clean at all times. Get someone else's opinion of whether or not it has a dog or cat smell. You are probably so use to it you no longer notice. I have seen some advice to where you are just bringing fresh bread or cookies out of the oven at the lookers arrive to give it a homey feeling. Prior to their arrive turn open all drapes and turn on all the lights to try to make it look as sunny as possible. Work through a knowledgeable attorney. Good luck.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 23, 2000.

Renee,

First I would say if you need answers, ask questions. I am a real estate broker in Ohio, if I remember other posts you are in another state. But the answers to questions will usually be similar from one state to another.

It is O.K. to sell your property yourself if you have the capabilities needed. You indicate that you want to save the agent's fee. The fact that you want to save it does not make it go away. You see any buyer who seeks to do business with a "FSBO" (for sale by owner) also wants to save that commission and often more than that. Study your market, and try to find out what is selling and what is not; and for what price. The other posts about clean up, and curb appeal are right on target.

Seek the advice of a local lawyer, and ask how much it would cost to have a contract prepared, and to close the transaction. He will also be able to explain things like how taxes are prorated and who pays which costs at closing. This will be money well spent.

Often property does not sell quickly. There are several reasons for this and the number one reason is that the property is overpriced, next is all cash needed, and other reasons include defects that cannot be easily corrected like water problems.

Finally let me say this if you have an emotional attachment to the property you may expect to have problems selling your property. Work on detaching from the property, and try to view it as a financial asset only. This may be very difficult.

As for getting the property sold fast and not having a place to go. You might consider asking the new buyer to rent back to you for 60-90 days while you relocate. There is also the possibility that your new buyer may have to sell property to get the deal done.

As for taxes if this is your personal residence, and you have lived there for two out of the last five years there is no capital gains tax on this transaction (check with your tax consultant to be sure this applies to this transaction).

If I can help send me an e-mail: edcopp@yahoo.com or write to me: ED COPP REALTY, POB 281, MCARTHUR, OH 45651

-- ED COPP (edcopp@yahoo.com), August 23, 2000.

Renee, I had a friend who moved often, selling her house quickly each time. She said: have a pot of coffee on, a bowl of apples on a table, a vase of fresh flowers somewhere and bread baking in the oven. The atmosphere of "home" is irristable. That's in addition to all the other good info, of course. I'm sorry your home can't be just that for you. Maybe you should buy the farm near Patty. She'd make a great neighbor!!

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), August 25, 2000.

Make that "irresistible". When will I remember to proof-read?

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), August 25, 2000.

I ran into my real estate broker at the Post Office and asked her about your situation. Her only really new comments was she has seen houses sit and sit on the market. When they received a fresh coat of indoor paint and new carpeting, they went quickly. Paint and carpeting should be in the medium price range and in neutral colors. Yes, it is sinking in more bucks, but it can be repaid with a faster sale for more money since the buyers know they don't have to do them themselves.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 25, 2000.

thanks for all your ideas...i talked to an agent {3} and had them come over. the first one i thought i would need to give cpr to after the goose ran around the corner! he still has not called back. the 2 nd and 3 rd brought up alot of point i did not think of: we have no furnace it broke when we moved in so out it went{put in a realy nice woodstove} hot water is supplied by an other furance that was a freebe,we have basement its a root celler and our attice and roof are well over 100+yrs. old, it was a handyman special and still is. the market around here is new new everything, but down zoning is going into effect oct. 1 and that may help us out, if your land does not have zoning for new lots chances are you wont get one{yes!}. we are looking to leave maryland and head north to pa,after alot of thought and money issues we will need to stay awhile longer and make good w/ what we have. we are making lists of what we can do to 1. make life good for us and 2. make the house more marketable in a few years.3. solve a few problems that i would not feel right selling ourhouse to anyone w/ out telling them about. so for now we have called in a few chips and are planning on getting some much needed help to make our house work for us. i feel pretty good about this choice, i just could not sell to anyone w/ the problems we are having and feel good w/ myself. so its time to get out the paper and draw a plan and work on our house. thanks again

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), August 27, 2000.

Well good luck in your repairs . Always remember it takes twice as much time and money as you think to get it done . Sometimes it has been even more than that for us ! When your ready I'd still like a neighbor in N.Y.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 27, 2000.

Renee,

I was on vacation. What happened with the cop friend in your house? Did you look into other neighbors to see if they were having problems too? Sorry, it was getting as interesting as Survior.

If houses are going for as much as you say, maybe you can find someone who wants your property to build homes on. Maybe your neighbor wouldn't mind not having all the animals and be good. Then you can go in good concious and not have to deal with the fixing. I know developers are waiting for my grandmother's double lot in a city. Sound goulish, doesn't it?

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), August 27, 2000.

Haven't had time to read previous answers, but I will offer that a GOOD broker, one who is working for YOU, is usually a very good idea. Have sold one house ourselves, but it was a seller's market, and we made a fine profit, BUT I did take a real estate course before we did it. Old, worn hint: When you have someone coming to look at the house, pop a loaf of bread in the oven. Use frozen dough if you must, but the aroma makes the very best impression. Also, buy and display all new towels. You'll use them anyway, and they also add to the subliminal ambience of the house. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 28, 2000.