For Sale By Owner Safety

Showing your home yourself is quite different than having a Realtor do it for you. FSBO's can be a really rewarding experience, however there are not the usual screening processes built into the selling situation that there typically are when dealing with an agent. These processes are designed to screen out those individuals that do not have a genuine interest in purchasing the home. Or those who have more sinister motives. It is unfortunate that there are those who prey on FSBO homes, but this is something that can be easily prevented by a bit of planning and forethought.

There are some definite principles that you should operate on when selling your home yourself. One of the best things to adhere to is to never show the house without an appointment. This is a great way to separate those who just want a "look inside" with those who are genuinely interested in buying. The next things to remember are basic personal and family safety concerns. Don't show your home alone. Always be sure that there are at least 2 adults in the home. Also, don't allow the showing to "split up." Interested buyers should be respectful of your home and your rules for showing it. If viewers start making insistences or excuses to break up the viewing group then you may have something to be concerned about.

During a show of your own home you must remain vigilant of what your guests are doing and the way that they reply to your questions. Also, be mindful of the information that you give them. Telling someone that you will not be at home during a certain period is a bad start. Also beware of questions that seem to be trying to assess the level of security or the comings and goings of your family. Essentially there are two necessary steps that you can observe to ensure a high quality of viewers; ask for an appointment and require a pre-qualification or approval letter from their mortgage lender. This will ensure that you are dealing with interested buyers.

Ken Hamric is a representative of www.homesbyowner.com. Homes By Owner is an intuitive site that allows you to advertise your FSBO home in over 900 metro areas of the U.S. and Canada. Come and check out the largest network of FSBO experts in North America.