Resources for Sellers

Never fear: There is help out there for home sellers at each step of the way.

GETTING YOUR HOME READY TO SELL

General Resources

Preparing your home for sale: Both Ehow.com and Audrie.com have helpful articles.

Mold information: See the EPA Web site.

Making repairs yourself: Try Ask the Builder.

Home warranties: See the
Web site Home Warranty of America or the
Web site.Mutual Warranty

Disclosure laws and information: Agents and real estate attorneys should have these laws at their fingertips. But you should check your state's disclosure laws for yourself, too. Your state most likely has a Web site describing the legal process. To see real estate disclosure forms, look at
Rental Agreements.com

Angie's list: To find help with cleaning, repairs, remodeling, staging, or even selecting a real estate agent, one good place to start is Angie’s list. There is a small fee to join, but once you do you have access to a list of professionals recommended and rated by other consumers in your city:

Advice on difficult cleaning tasks: Try
Heloise Household Helpline.

Staging: To find a professional, check the Staged Homes site.

FINDING, CHOOSING, AND WORKING WITH YOUR AGENT

General Resources

BankRate has some articles on interviewing agents, negotiating commissions, and FSBO tips.

USAA, a large insurance and financial-services company, is an educational foundation, with a form for interviewing real estate agents.

Ehow.com has several introductory articles on selling your home.

Several sites have information on FSBOs and other alternative business models:

FSBOZone.com


ForSaleByOwner.com


Assist2sell.com


Help-U-Sell.com


Audrie.com

SETTING THE PRICE OF YOUR HOME
General Resources

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is a U.S. Government site dedicated to helping consumers in all aspects of home ownership.

The Appraisal Institute is an international membership association for real estate professionals, which contains information for consumers.

The Appraisal Foundation is a not-for-profit educational organization authorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standards and appraiser qualifications.

The National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers is an association of professional real estate appraisers, which also contains information for consumers.

American Society of Appraisers is an international society of professional valuers that appraises real estate and other disciplines such as gems and jewelry, businesses, and more.

AppraiserUSA.com offers a directory where you can locate appraisers in any state.

Appraisers dot com is a national real estate appraiser referral service.

Real Estate Professionals

National Association of Realtors

NEGOTIATING

General Resources

You can buy the appropriate forms for your area from the online company U.S. Forms. Local libraries and office supply stores often have forms you need as well. Be sure they apply to your state.


These two federally-maintained Web sites offer helpful consumer information, including sample forms showing line-by-line the information in a contract:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development
www.hud.gov

The Federal Citizen Information Center


Real Estate Professionals

Real estate agents: Experienced agents have the paperwork needed for every part of the transaction in your locale. If you want to save some money, find an agent who will agree to take on just negotiating and closing for a fee.

Real estate attorneys: A real estate attorney can help with negotiating offers and contracts. An attorney will also know which forms you need to use in your community.

In addition, check with a real estate attorney to make sure there aren’t other forms needed to conform with local laws.

HELP WITH CLOSING

General Resources

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development site has information for home sellers, including some on settlement costs. The buyer’s site has a sample form showing what a hypothetical seller and buyer pay at closing.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency site has a complete guide to radon, including testing and mitigation.

The Internal Revenue Service has an online library of publications. See , "Selling Your Home " IRS Publication 523, a 32-page booklet that can be read online, printed, or ordered by mail. It contains helpful tax and record-keeping information

The American Land Title Association Web site has a consumer section with information on title insurance, an explanation of the closing process, and an explanation of the HUD-1 settlement form.

Real Estate Professionals

A candid home inspector offers a very straightforward explanation of his profession.