SELLERS

By using BrewCityFSBO.com and cutting out realtors, property owners can save thousands of dollars of your equity. Here are easy steps to prepare you for selling your property for sale by owner.

Determine Price
There are a several ways to determine your asking price.

• Look at your property tax bill for the estimated fair market value. This is the value the city has determined your property is worth. If the city assessment is more than a couple years old this number may not be accurate. Caution: The assessed value is not the fair market value.
• Explore recent property sales in your area. All of the township assessors in Milwaukee County provide on-line data bases of property information at their respective web sites. Look for houses similar in square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, etc.
• Explore the web.
• Hire a property appraiser. An appraiser will estimate the value of your property. A fee of approximately $250 – $300 may be charged for this service. We have listed Milwaukee area appraisers on our seller resources page.

Take Pictures
Up to 7 pictures are include in our standard package. You’ll want to include outdoor and indoor photos with your listing.

Yard Sign Placement
Part of our package is to provide you with a yard sign. Determine the best location for your sign by looking for a spot that can be easily seen from the road as cars drive by. Indicate this location on the worksheet.

Prepare Your Home
It has been proven that well maintained, clean and clutter free homes sell faster and for more money. Reducing the amount of clutter can make the rooms appear larger. Cleaning and organizing (including the garage and yard) will make for a good first impression. Cutting the lawn, trimming the hedges, and painting touch-ups will make the home look fresh and new. These are all items that require little time and effort and can greatly affect the sale of your home. Try to look at it from the buyers perspective; what will they see when they walk in the front door?

Show Your Home
Showing your home can include both individual appointments and open houses. Be sure to answer all questions honestly. On the day of the appointment make sure your home is clean and presentable.

Print Offer to Purchase Forms
Offer to purchase forms are available for you to print out to present to perspective buyers, should they need one.

Accept or Counter Offer Forms
Once you receive an offer to purchase from the buyer you have two options; accept the offer to purchase or counter the offer. If you counter the offer due to price, terms, etc. a counter offer form is required.

When you accept an offer you may want to collect earnest money (deposit). This shows the buyers interest and deters them from backing out of the offer. The deposit can be any amount you agree upon, but typically ranges between $500 - $3000. The money can be held by the seller or in escrow. An escrow account can be opened through title companies, attorneys, banks, or an escrow service. There is a list of Milwaukee area companies on our seller resources page.

In the offer the buyer may have included some contingencies. Contingencies are items such as home inspections, termite, well and septic, financing, appraisals and others.

Closing
The closing of your property may be held at a title company, the buyers mortgage company or an attorney’s office.

• Arrange a real estate attorney
  You may want to choose a real estate attorney to represent you in the sale and closing of your property.
• Arrange a title company
  You will need to select a title company to provide title insurance to your buyer and represent you at the time of closing. If you can find your existing policy, check with that title company first. When a title company holds your current policy, many of them will give you a discount if you order your new policy from them. The reason being is they will only have to search and read recordsfrom the date of the existing policy forward. Your title company may also be able to provide you with specific details about your property that you can share with buyers, i.e. square footage, year built, number of owners, etc.