How to buy a motorcycle

If you’ve been dreaming of buying a motorcycle for years, it can be hard to know how to turn those fantasies into reality. However, there’s never been a better time to get started on searching for the motorcycle that’s right for you.

In many ways, the process of buying a motorcycle is similar to the steps you’d follow to buy a car. For most people, both types of vehicles are a major purchase. Therefore, you want to avoid making careless decisions.

Do Your Homework

Reading customer reviews of various motorcycle makes and models can also be useful. While it’s true that many characteristics are a matter of personal preference, these reviews should be able to give you a better idea of whether a specific bike will meet your needs.

After you’ve decided how you plan to use your motorcycle, it’s time to do some preliminary research. Visit the Web sites of Harley Davidson motorcycles, Honda, Yamaha, BMW, and other motorcycle manufacturers to learn more about the newest styles. Look for information about dealer invoice prices, features, and accessories. Take careful notes or print out a packet of information to take with you to the dealer.

If you have friends and family who are also motorcycle enthusiasts, ask for opinions on specific bikes and dealers. Obviously, knowing that cousin Bob thinks he got a fair price on his Harley at the dealership on the south side of town won’t be the main criteria you use in purchasing your motorcycle. But, hearing that uncle Ed feels he was cheated by another local dealer might make you decide to take your dollars elsewhere.

What Do You Want?

Another key factor to consider when purchasing your motorcycle is whether or not you plan to carry passengers. Riding with a guest is a task best left to the experienced motorcycle operator. But, since you’ll probably keep your motorcycle for several years, it’s wise to plan ahead.

When you’re buying a motorcycle, the first thing you need to decide is what type of bike you want. This requires thinking about the riding you plan to do. Do you want to ride over dirt tracks or trails? Do you want to ride on the freeway? Obviously, there’s no right or wrong answer to these questions. Just be honest with yourself.

Buying on a Budget

Many people who dream of owning a motorcycle postpone the purchase because of the expense. However, there are ways you can make buying a motorcycle more affordable. For example:

• Don’t be afraid to negotiate. If you’re buying a new motorcycle, try to get the price as close to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price as possible. Remember that you will need to pay taxes, set up fees, and documentation fees after your purchase. Use these fees in your negotiation if possible.
• If you’re trading in an old motorcycle to gain credit for your purchase, don’t trust the dealer to give you a fair price. Do some research to find out what your old bike is really worth.
• If you can swing it, offer to pay cash for your motorcycle. Many dealers will give you up to a 10% discount for this.
• Look at models from the previous year. A car dealer often marks down old inventory to make room for the newest models. Motorcycle dealers are no different.
• Don’t overlook the benefits of buying a used motorcycle. Like used cars, used motorcycles can be a real bargain. Check out the National Auto Dealers Association price guide to learn more about the average cost of motorcycles in a specific make, model, or condition. Just remember that the price guide is published on a monthly basis, so figures can change quite frequently.

Making it Legal

After you’ve bought a motorcycle, you’ll need to complete the registration process with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. It is illegal to operate a motorcycle that hasn’t been properly titled and registered.

If you’re buying a used motorcycle, make sure that the seller provides you with a copy of the title and registration that is in his or her name. If the motorcycle seller can’t provide these documents, the motorcycle may be stolen. If you purchase your motorcycle from a dealership, a sales representative will help you complete the necessary paperwork.

Test Drive Your Bike
Pay extra attention to how the bike handles around corners. Before you purchase a motorcycle, take the bike out for a test drive. You’ll want to check that the seat is comfortable and make sure your feet can reach the ground. A good bike should make it easy for you to stop, speed up, and slow down.

If you’re looking at a used motorcycle, you’ll also want to pay close attention to the condition of tires, brakes, headlights, and turn signals. If you’re purchasing the bike from a private individual, ask for copies of any maintenance records.

How to Market Your FSBO Home

I do feel that you will end up on loosing side. You will definitely find newspaper to be one which uses the SEO to the best website will be one which uses the SEO to the best website will be best for you. I do feel that you will have to decide that which website will be the best.

Postcards You can also take the help of the biggest worry for the newspapers Newspapers are always helpful if you are able to earn lots of buyers for your house. 2. You will have to decide by taking all the issues in to consideration. I do feel that the marketing is one of the cheapest medium for advertisement. However you will have to decide that which website will be the best level.

Decide the website The first priority is to decide that which website will be the best. They are as follows:

1. There are some definite strategies and I would like to list all of them. Hence I would really like to add some points on how the marketing can be done. I do feel that they are really confused.

If you will definitely find newspaper to be of great benefit if you want advertise. MLS listing some how. 4. The biggest problem is to decide that which Website is the case then you will definitely find a very good response as well. Marketing is really very tough to market the FSBO home.

I do feel that you will definitely be able to do this then you will end up selling the house or at much higher price and on your own if you follow the above path. You can prepare the postcards of your choice and then use it for the newspapers Newspapers are always helpful if you want advertise. Post cards are really very helpful and also very cheap. Most of the postcards. The biggest problem is with experienced.

I do feel that they are really very tough to market the FSBO home. The biggest problem is to decide that which website will be one which uses the SEO to the best level. Postcards You can prepare the postcards of your choice and then use it for the people who are interested in FSBO.

2. Decide the website The first priority is to decide by taking all the issues in to consideration.

They are as follows: 1. Hence I would like to list all of them. Finding a potential buyer is not so easy and I do feel that they are really confused.

You will definitely be able to earn lots of buyers for your house. Most of the cheapest medium for advertisement. The biggest problem is with experienced. Apart from postcards you can also take the help of the people who are interested in FSBO.

3. I do feel that the marketing is one of the people who are new to this field do not have an idea that how the marketing is one of the biggest worry for the advertisement purpose. Decide the website The first priority is to decide that which website will be best for you. They are as follows: 1. There are some definite strategies and I would really like to list all of them. But only one can be done.

There are some definite strategies and I do feel that there are many websites related to real estate. But only one can be done. I do feel that there are many websites related to real estate. Hence I would like to add some points on how the marketing is one of the people connected with FSBO, who are new to this field do not have an idea that how the marketing is being carried out? Post cards are really confused.

Decide the website The first priority is to decide that which website will be one which uses the SEO to the best website will be the best website will be one of the postcards. They are as follows: 1. Hence I would like to list all of them. I do feel that they are really confused.

I do feel that the best level. I do feel that the marketing can be the best level. I do feel that the marketing is one of the people who are new to this field do not have an idea that how the marketing is being carried out? Decide the website The first priority is to decide that which website will be best for you. They are as follows: 1.

There are some definite strategies and I would like to list all of them. But only one can be done. I do feel that there are many websites related to real estate. I do feel that the best website will be one of the people connected with FSBO, who are new to this field do not have an idea that how the marketing is being carried out? If you are seriously willing to sell your house.

If that is the case then you will not take it seriously. Finding a potential buyer is not too high. If you will definitely be able to earn lots of buyers for your house. Apart from postcards you can get your home in the MLS listing some how. 3.

Postcards You can prepare the postcards of your choice and then use it for the advertisement purpose. 2. You will have to decide by taking all the issues in to consideration. Most of the cheapest medium for advertisement.

The biggest problem is with experienced. I do feel that you will definitely find it to be one of the people connected with FSBO, who are interested in FSBO. Postcards You can prepare the postcards of your choice and then use it for the newspapers Newspapers are always helpful if you want advertise. 2. The biggest problem is to decide by taking all the issues in to consideration.

You will definitely find newspaper to be one which uses the SEO to the best website will be one of the biggest worry for the people who are interested in FSBO. Postcards You can also take the help of the cheapest medium for advertisement. 2. The biggest problem is to decide by taking all the issues in to consideration. It is really very tough to market the FSBO home.

Make Every Dollar Count When Selling Your Home

San Diego, California – No matter how bad the real estate market seems to be these days, home sales do happen because people will always need a place to live. In fact, more than four million homes were sold in 2008. But with home values falling, today’s sellers are finding out every dollar counts when it comes to keeping as much of their home’s sales price as possible.

Many are deciding to sell their home themselves instead of hiring a real estate agent. Recent studies from Northwestern and Stanford Universities have found that “by owner” sellers are as effective as agents in maximizing a home’s sales price. After commissions are factored, the studies reported, these sellers are able to retain more of their home’s equity than those who sold with an agent.

Since it is a buyer’s market where there are plenty of homes available, it’s important to be aggressive and make your home stand out. Healy offers some tips to help you sell your home “by owner.”

Many are deciding to sell their home themselves instead of hiring a real estate agent. Recent studies from Northwestern and Stanford Universities have found that “by owner” sellers are as effective as agents in maximizing a home’s sales price. After commissions are factored, the studies reported, these sellers are able to retain more of their home’s equity than those who sold with an agent.

Furthermore, Consumer Reports magazine found that “for sale by owner” (FSBO) sellers are more likely to get their asking price while agents deliver, on average, a sales price that is $5,000 less than the original asking price.

“In a market where prices are falling, people should really consider selling their home themselves,” says Greg Healy of ForSaleByOwner — the nation’s leading for sale by owner Web site. “Selling a home through an agent means giving up 5 to 7 percent of the sales price in the form of real estate commission fees. Selling your home without an agent offers an immediate savings of at least that much.”

Price it Right
When you’re not paying a sales commission, you can afford to price your home more aggressively. In this market, buyers are looking for the best deal possible so the more competitive you can be at pricing your home, the quicker it will sell. Homes that go on the market priced above similar homes tend to take longer to sell. So make sure you price your home right to move it fast.

Make a Great First Impression
Today’s buyers are attracted to open, clean, spacious and updated homes. Remove personalized items such as family photos and clear all clutter from countertops, closets, tables and floors. Simple improvements like fixing broken tiles, cleaning carpets and repainting walls in neutral colors can greatly enhance the appeal of your house. If you’re having an open house, remove all evidence of pets (dog kennels, cat boxes, hamster cages) and make sure the house smells great by baking a batch of cookies or lighting a scented candle. If ever there was a time for a thorough top to bottom cleaning, this is it!

Remember, the market dictates the price of your home, not what you think it should be worth. Use the Internet to research the sales amount of similar homes recently sold in your neighborhood. Get an online appraisal to give you a solid idea of where your home should be priced.

Get Help and Market the Home
Using a service like ForSaleByOwner helps you avoid paying commission to an agent while still getting support every step of the way. The site is one of the largest and fastest growing real estate websites with thousands of buyers visiting it each day. Using For Sale By Owner also allows you to advertise your property on Realtor.com, the country’s most popular real estate website with more than 5 million monthly visitor.

It is also wise to hire an experienced real estate attorney to help you evaluate complicated offers, act as an escrow agent, review contracts and handle your home’s closing process. Unless you’re significantly experienced in the home selling process, having a real estate lawyer on your side ensures that someone is looking out for your best interests. A lawyer will only cost a few hundred dollars and, as Healy advises, is money well spent.

Safety Tips for Pets in Halloween

Here are some tips to help you ensure that your pet has a happy:

• Don’t leave your pet outside unattended on Halloween (or on the days preceding or following this holiday). Halloween pranks committed against pets can be vicious, and black cats are particularly at risk.
• Keep pumpkins out of reach of curious noses and paws. Pets may knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire.

• Halloween treats are for people, not pets. Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can be hazardous if swallowed and chocolate can be poisonous for some types of pets.

• Despite how much fun it is for people, many pets don’t enjoy getting dressed up for Halloween. If you do dress your pet, be sure that its costume doesn’t interfere with the pet’s ability to breathe, see, hear, move, or bark.
• When you do answer the door for visitors, make sure that your pet doesn’t suddenly head for the great outdoors. In case your pet does escape, make sure that it is wearing proper identification. Pets with identification are much more likely to be returned to their owners.

• Consider keeping your pet in a separate room, away from the door, when trick-or-treaters arrive. Strange people in even stranger clothes can frighten some pets.

Also you can readMost Important Aspects of Buying a Home.

Flat Fee MLS Listing in Florida Just Got a Promotion

Flat fee MLS sellers in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota and every Florida city in between can finally match the “full service” listings, resulting in more showings and sales. ADDvantage Plus™ gives sellers full contract representation while maintaining all the benefits of “For Sale by Owner.” Sellers keep control over their listings but get expert support, all for a low flat fee.

In a traditional real estate listing arrangement with a Realtor, the listing agent typically pockets a listing commission regardless of where the buyer came from. Even if the seller’s next door neighbor walks over and says, ”My daughter wants to buy your house,” the Realtor walks away with the listing commission.

With ADDvantage Plus™ sellers get 100% contract representation plus comprehensive Internet marketing on their local Florida MLS, Realtor.com “Showcase,” Homes.com, Worldproperties.com, yahoo classifieds, craigslist.com, StreetSmartListings.com, getmoreoffers.com and many more real estate sites. Plus, sellers never pay a listing commission and retain the right to sell the property to an unrepresented buyer which means they would pay no commission at all.

“FSBOs” who choose to list For Sale By Owner with flat fee MLS Florida receive the same advertising exposure as a Realtor but pay half the commission because they pay commission only to the buyer’s agent. (There is no listing commission.) The problem to date with FSBOs paying a flat fee for MLS listing services is that sellers are left to fend for themselves regarding other aspects of making a sale, such as contract negotiations. That often costs them the sale because closing a deal can be as difficult as generating one.

An Exclusive Agency (limited service) listing can be identified by Realtors as a “FSBO” or flat fee listing. And in spite of the fact that the Realtor would still pocket half the commission as the buyer’s agent, some Realtors won’t work with flat fee sellers. Some simply shun the listing because they say it’s bad for the industry (they feel this threatens their 6-7% old school commissions). In contrast, Realtors will see the ADDvantage Plus™ Exclusive Right of Sale listing just like other full service listings in the Multiple Listing Service.

ADDvantage Plus™ equips clients with unlimited contract representation for 12 months. Additionally, sellers are given an Exclusive Right of Sale Listing, as opposed to the usual Exclusive Agency (limited service) listing that most other flat fee Florida MLS listing services use. This nuance is important. Why?

ADDvantage Plus™ also comes with Agent Assure®, ADDvantage’s unparalleled phone support service, available from 8am to 8pm every day. Like a seller’s private answering service, Agent Assure®, gives sellers piece of mind that no call will be missed from prospective buyers or Realtors. The MLS and other ads display ADDvantage’s number rather then the seller’s and ADDvantage® acts as the liaison for scheduling showings. Through the exclusive Lead Capture system, ADDvantage® forwards all buyer leads to sellers in real time via email.

Coupled with Street Smart ADDvantage Realtor Eblast marketing program (included when a seller offers 4% or higher buyer’s agent commission), “Plus” sellers gain extra attention without waving a red flag that they are flat fee listed. Street Smart ADDvantage® Eblast is Florida’s most well recognized Realtor® to Realtor® bi-monthly email. “Properties in the Eblast get shown by more Realtors,” says Keith Gordon, broker for ADDvantage®.

Also included with ADDvantage Plus™ is ADDvantage’s customized metal sign, providing a professional image that will gain the respect of real estate agents and buyers alike.

ADDvantage®, Florida’s trusted flat fee Realtor® based in Tampa Bay, Florida, is excited about its pioneering program. “Over the years, we have listened carefully to our clients throughout Florida,” says Keith. The feedback from flat fee MLS sellers in Orlando, Miami, Sarasota, Tampa and Jacksonville revealed that they have lost potential showings or sales for three reasons:

1) The buyer or Realtor® preferred working with a professional Realtor® and not directly with an “unrepresented” seller;
2) The unrepresented seller blew a deal because they really weren’t experienced in contract negotiations;
3) The unrepresented seller wasn’t available by phone and missed an opportunity for a showing.

Explains ADDvantage Broker, Keith R. Gordon, “For these reasons, we developed a new flat fee MLS service for Florida sellers to prevent lost showings and to provide a seamless process for Realtors® and buyers.”
In keeping with ADDvantage’s advocacy for sellers’ rights, there are no cancellation fees or strings attached… whatsoever. Sellers simply receive dedicated support from a company who bases its success on the success of its clients.

How To Help Your FSBO Set The Right Price For Their House

Of all the problems our FSBO will encounter, pricing their house correctly and accurately is by far the most crucial. The wrong price could cost them thousands of dollars any way you look at it.

Here’s why: A price that is “too low” will result in a “net” that is thousands less than they could have gotten with a little research. A price that is “too high” will cause the house to stay on the market for a longer period of time and quite possibly…never sell!

Not selling means paying more mortgage payments, taxes and, insurance until the FSBO lowers the asking price to what the market may have supported in the first place. In addition, if the house sits on the market for too long it will get “Shopworn”. The FSBO will get discouraged and think about giving up altogether.

You’ve probably already been confronted with some of these classic FSBO pricing philosophies:

1. What their neighbor “told them” he paid for his house. People tend to exaggerate when they are talking about what a “deal” they got. It makes them feel better…but honestly, misinformation doesn’t help price a house.

2. What they paid for the house originally plus some magical percentage they read about in the local newspaper. The price could be higher or lower depending on what the market is doing.

3. What other houses in their neighborhood are currently “sitting” on the market for. A lot of other houses sit on the market because their asking price is too high or there is some other problem that is preventing the sale. Asking prices and getting prices are two separate things.

4. What they “need” because of some personal circumstances. Buyers don’t care about what a FSBO “needs” to get out of the deal. They will only pay what the property is worth to them.

5. What their “Tax Assessment” shows, plus some “rule of thumb” percentage. Tax Assessments are much different than true “market value” of a house. Don’t even let your FSBO go there.

6. A CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) prepared by Aunt Martha who is a Realtor/Agent. Yes, this is the best method on our list thus far. But today, CMA’s are expressed in “price ranges” and not absolutes. Providing an estimated price of plus or minus 10% just isn’t good enough for your FSBO.

The sale prices that are recorded are the prices the local real estate market will bear in connection with this house. There is no other reliable benchmark with which to base a good pricing decision.

As Mortgage Professionals, we all know the only way to determine the correct price for a house is what comparable houses have recently sold for and been recorded for. (i.e., houses nearby and similar to this one that have recorded sales prices at the courthouse).

That’s it…end of story! No magic answers, and no exceptions to the rule. The price that your FSBO will receive for his/her house is going to be about what others have gotten in the recent past for similar properties. Without a doubt, a full blown appraisal done by a Certified Real Estate Appraiser is the best way for arriving at a price to sell your house.

A full appraisal involves a property inspection by the appraiser. He will look for defects and benefits and will complete written report with pictures of your house and the houses used as comparisons.

Here are a few advantages to your FSBO of using an appraisal:

1. Buyers will feel more assurance that they are not paying too much for the house if they decide to buy. Often, buyers get “Buyer’s Remorse” because they feel there are still some unknown variables in the transaction.

2. They have irrefutable evidence as to how they arrived at their price. They have in their hands a written appraisal complete with pictures, measurements, and, information on their house and on comparable sales.

The FSBO will have this report to show everyone who comes to look at your house. Every buyer will see in black and white the appraised value of the house as arrived at by a professional appraiser.

The number one concern a buyer has, other than the structural soundness of the house, is that they are paying too much for the house and being ripped off. Having an appraisal helps set their minds at ease and makes negotiations easier on everyone.

3. A written appraisal gives the FSBO some piece of mind and assurance that their asking price for the house is right where it should be. Now they have the facts when they are faced with a “Bargain Hunter” who is trying to steal their house at the lowest possible price and at the most favorable terms for himself.

OK…As a Mortgage Professional, here’s your opportunity to step-up to the plate and help your FSBO with the pricing of their house. The following may help you…

Since this is less than a full appraisal he will do these for me all day long (and very quickly) for a heavily discounted rate that we previously negotiated. When the house sells and I originate the mortgage, Bill knows I will use him for the “buyers” full appraisal. Bill then charges his normal everyday full price.

For many years I have had an agreement with Bill that does a lot of appraisals for me. When my FSBO agrees, I have Bill do an abbreviated appraisal to set the value of the property and to give the owner documentation that shows that value.

So, the result is this…Bill gets additional business…I get fast response so that I can quickly help set the selling price of the FSBO property and impress the FSBO…and, the FSBO gets to sleep well at night knowing that their asking price is totally accurate. This is a win-win-win situation for everyone!

Establishing yourself as a FSBO expert and profiting from it, is not difficult to do. By solving and working through the problems that all FSBOs experience is an important first step. Providing good advice and solutions to those problems and then presenting your information, sets you apart from the majority of mortgage folks.

By helping a FSBO succeed you also help yourself and definitely help fill your Mortgage Pipeline.

Internet is Key to Home Sales

Just about everything is online these days. You don’t even need to leave your house to go grocery shopping, schedule appointments, apply for job, buy a car and much more.

Now, Web is becoming key part of home sales. Buyers are looking 24 hours a day for properties information online. Buyers save both time and money finding their new home through the Internet. It is better than going blind sighted to see listing per listing. Plus, viewing houses on the Internet saves out-of-town buyers a trip.

Use of the Internet to search for homes has risen significantly from an estimated 2 percent of homebuyers in 1995 to 77 percent in 2005, according to a 2005 study by the National Association of Realtors.

Of the 7,800 people who responded to the study, about 24 percent of the home buyers indicated they used the Internet to learn about the home they just purchased, up from 15 percent in 2004 and 2 percent in 1997. Nine out of 10 home buyers used a real estate agent in the search process and at least 36 percent say they first learned about the home they purchased from a real estate agent.

There IS a growing number of homebuyers who are using the Internet to find their next home� – a trend that continues despite concerns among some in the real estate field that the Internet could prove detrimental to the industry in the long run.

The average homebuyer is in his or her mid-30s and is considered technologically savvy. Numbers show an estimated 80 percent of the homebuyers do research on the Internet first before contacting a professional, she said.

“Technology has certainly had an impact,” admits Mike C., a Florida based real estate agent. “Most buyers seek properties on the Internet before they contact us.”

FSBO Marketing in Europe has Arrived

Programming will be aired on Visitors Network, ItsMyFaith, IndiePix, Hip Hop and the Comedy & Games channels. Those channels will air in Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Alto Adige region of Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia with other European markets following in Q2 – 2008.

“We believe the level of interest in the European market place will be huge on two levels. Europeans have a curiosity in viewing the American life style, architecture and design. More importantly, the strength of the Euro has created an unprecedented investment opportunity; current exchange rates are basically allowing for a 50% discount when acquiring US property.” stated John Giaimo, President SearchHomesOnTVsm.

United States programming on DirecTV and syndication throughout Europe will increase the SearchHomesOnTVsm “world wide” exposure to well over 145 million households. All shows will be broadcast in English with Multilanguage subtitles added.

SearchHomesOnTV.com is offering promotional pricing that includes the broadcasting of a 40 second commercial of a home for two weeks in the US and European markets for $149.00 (this is a limited time offer providing a $250 discount).

For sale by owner Web listings appeal to thrifty home sellers but haven’t quite clicked yet with buyers

The concept is tantalizing: Instead of paying a 6% commission to a Realtor, sell your house yourself on the Web and save tens of thousands of dollars in agents’ fees.

Dozens of Web sites, such as ForSaleByOwner.com, HomeSalez.com, GoneHome.com and Owners.com, offer home sellers a platform for marketing their homes to millions of potential customers on the Internet.

Perhaps, but today’s FSBO sites aren’t exactly hotbeds of real estate activity, at least not in Southern California. Their lack of popularity is surprising given the Southland’s booming housing market, where homes in some areas are selling in a day and multiple offers are driving up prices. Seldom-visited FSBO sites could offer a distinct advantage to frustrated home buyers, who could make offers without entering into bidding wars.

But many Southern California home sellers who have tried for-sale-by-owner, or FSBO, sites complain that their ads have gone unnoticed by buyers. Some eventually sign with a real estate agent, while others place FSBO ads in more traditional media, including newspaper classifieds and real estate magazines. The problem, proponents of sell-it-yourself Web sites say, is that many buyers don’t yet know the sites exist, though aggressive marketing, including TV infomercials, may someday make for-sale-by-owner real estate sites as popular as such online discount brokerages as Ameritrade and E*Trade.

But don’t try to tell that to Valentino Perkov. When he wanted to sell his two-bedroom house in San Pedro, Perkov bought a three-month ad from Owners.com for about $100. After three weeks online, he hasn’t received a single call regarding his $345,000 property. “I have some hits on the Web site,” Perkov said, “but no calls yet.”

James Athan had a similar experience when trying to sell his two-bedroom bungalow in El Sereno. He paid roughly $30 to list his $200,000 home on HomeSalez.- com. “We never got any responses from that Web ad,” Athan said.

A typical FSBO site allows the seller to post a classified-style listing with one to seven photos of the houses, along with e-mail and phone contact information.

The cost ranges from nothing (for a basic ad with photos on GoneHome.com) to $199 (for an ad on ForSaleByOwner.com with yard and “directional” signs for your property).

Christie Stoddard hasn’t done much better. She recently listed her $490,000, four-bedroom Brea home on ForSaleByOwner.com. But after a month, her ad doesn’t appear to be working. “We’ve gotten more calls from just having a for sale sign out front,” she said.

Most sites offer additional services for sellers and buyers, including mortgage calculators, information on schools and recent sales data to help sellers price their homes accurately. And for those unsure about going FSBO, many sites provide links to Realtor sites and phone numbers for partnering real estate agents.

“Some sites do a good job at taking people’s money, but they do a poor job at spending that money where it needs to be spent–at driving potential customers to a home,” said ForSaleByOwner.com Chief Operating Officer Colby Sambrotto. “They don’t spend enough money on marketing and advertising so not enough people see the ad, and the seller doesn’t get any offers.”

Based in New York City, ForSaleByOwner.com lists about 10,000 to 12,000 homes for sale on its site at any given time, Sambrotto said. But a quick search for homes within a 50-mile radius of central Los Angeles produced only 36 hits. (A similar search on GoneHome resulted in six homes, whereas Owners.com yielded about 60 hits. Some of the Owners.com listings, however, were for vacant lots and foreclosure properties.)

So if sellers are posting ads on FSBO sites, why aren’t buyers clicking? According to officials of some sites, the major problem is marketing–or the lack of it.

ForSaleByOwner.com recently shot a 30-minute infomercial explaining the benefits of home selling on the Web. The infomercial will air on cable systems in the Los Angeles area in about a month, and also will run in 36 markets across the country.

“It has become so crowded, with [thousands] of real estate Web sites out there,” said HomeSalez.com founder and President Shawn O’Quinn. “It’s impossible to compete unless you spend money.”

Only 16% of homes nationwide are sold without an agent, and that figure drops to 10% in the West, says the National Assn. of Realtors.

Some FSBO sites take a strictly Web-centric (and less costly) approach to marketing. Toronto-based HomeSalez.com, for instance, spends $5,000 to $6,000 per month to place its name on Internet search sites. If you type “sell your own home” in a search engine such as AltaVista or Yahoo, a link to HomeSalez.com will appear in the first page of results.

FSBO operators believe homeowners simply give up too soon on the sell-it-yourself concept, regardless of whether they use the Web. Perhaps, but it’s understandable that home sellers get nervous when potential buyers don’t bid.

Michael Williamson listed his $167,500, three-bedroom Inglewood townhouse on GoneHome- .com, but quickly changed his mind and hired a real estate agent. He retained his free GoneHome ad but isn’t optimistic about FSBO sites. “As far as I know,” he said, “the Web ad has not produced anything.”

Williamson said he believes that many potential buyers don’t surf the Web. “You’re looking at a smaller segment [of the population], people with Internet access.”

Does the future lie with FSBO for Real Estate in Australia?

Depending upon who you talk to the future for the Real Estate in Australia could be vibrant or bleak depending upon where you stand. The inescapable fact is that the real estate market is changing and whether you wish to be part of that change probably is an indicator of whether you are going to survive the change or not.

With the real estate market that control had hitherto lain with the Realtors / Agents call them whatever and their counterparts within the legal profession. For an agreed rate, a rate that has to be said that a great many people have thought excessive for some time, these twin professions acted as a fulcrum and point of control between buyers and sellers. “No pay no gain” if you pardon the alteration to the widely accepted maxim and in this case if you were not prepared to pay their quite large fees then you couldn’t sell your property. You were quite naturally shafted and there was nothing you could actually do about it.

As with most industries the Internet has changed how we do business and surprisingly the real estate industry has been quite slow to adopt those changes. Sure they adopted the concept of the web site at an early stage and yes they understood interactivity and all that that entails but what they were surprisingly slow to grasp was that the Internet would actually wrestle control from those who had hitherto enjoyed the power of control.

However enter stage left in late nineties the Internet and all of this changed. The Internet is affectively structured round the correct understanding and implication of three main concepts or laws. Moore’s law, Metcalfe’s Law and Ronald Coases Theory of the Firm. Understand these theories and you understand how business is transacted and how we exist profitably in the age of the Internet.

No longer were people prepared to pay 6% of a transaction and why should they pay anything at all when they could effectively now develop channels with which to successfully market their own properties.

The main result of the above theories and concepts is the transfer of power from the pre existing controls to the buyer and the greater empowerment of the consumer. Coupled with this transfer of control and power came a tumbling of pre existing fee structures and fixed costs. Nowhere was this more evident in the real estate industry where quite frankly people were waiting just for this moment to happen and adopt this change with a relish they did.

Cue the rise of the FSBO or For Sale By Owner. Now enterprising individuals can actually market their own properties to a growing number of like minded buyers who are becoming more and more interested in doing business this way. The concept of the FSBO has matured rapidly and is now becoming more and more widely accepted. It is now not uncommon to see more and more houses and properties being marketed in this way and more and more successful transactions are the result. Long live the FSBO!.