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Even though you’ve decided to sell your home on your own, you don’t have to do all the work yourself. Nor should you. There are some professionals you should bring in to help you: An attorney, a lender, and a property appraiser. These individuals will save you time. And because you're not using a real estate agent, they'll save you lots of money as well.

Attorney
An attorney is the most important resource you'll use as you sell your own home. He or she is the Swiss Army knife of real estate services and is the number one reason you don't need a real estate agent. They will review your sales contract and help you with all the required forms, and they're your best defense against being caught in any legally sticky situation. Attorney fees for a real estate transaction are usually between $350 and $500, a bargain for FSBO sellers.

Contracts and Forms Your attorney will review the sales contract to make sure it's been drawn up correctly and doesn't contain any errors or ambiguities. Remember, you shouldn't sign a sales contract until it's been reviewed by your attorney.

Your attorney will also prepare the documents that you as the seller must provide to the buyer. For example, you're required to make certain disclosures about your property. Your attorney will have a standard, bar-approved Property Disclosure statement as well as other forms and contracts you'll use in the sale of your property.

(Copies of these Real Estate Forms are available on DwellWell.com, but forms downloaded from our site should be used for informational purposes only between you and the buyer and should not be signed by you or the buyer until your attorney has had a chance to review them.)

Escrow Holder When a buyer makes an offer on your home, they will do so with a deposit, or eanest money. This money is to be held in escrow until the closing. Your attorney can act as the escrow holder of the buyer's deposit if the buyer agrees. However, it's perfectly acceptable to place the deposit with an independent escrow company.

Title Your attorney will examine the title search (which is typically ordered and paid for by the buyer), and if necessary will help you clear up any issues related to the title of your property.

The Closing Finally, your attorney will attend the closing with you, making sure you understand all of the documents that you must sign and looking out for your interest as the sale is finalized.

To find the right local real estate attorney, visit our Seller Services page. (Note: Business listings on DwellWell.com do not represent endorsements by DwellWell.com; please ask for references.)

Lender or Mortgage Banker
As buyers begin to show interest in your home, you’ll need to sort through those who can get approved for a loan and those who can’t. You don’t want to be tied up in a contract with a buyer who in the end will have trouble financing the purchase. A lender can pre-qualify buyers for you.

First, find a lender through your attorney. Real estate attorneys work with lenders every day and can refer you to the ones they feel can best work with your potential buyers. You can also find local lenders on our Seller Services page.

Meet with or call the lender and explain you would like to send buyers to them in order to be pre-qualified. The lender will appreciate the opportunity for business and will charge you nothing.

In return, the lender can help you come up with the financial specifics – financing options, down payment, interest rate, monthly payment – to include in your brochure and online listing information. As with the price in your classified ad, this information will help you attract serious buyers.

Property Appraiser
If you're not sure how much you should ask for your property, the most qualified individual in the industry to tell you what it's worth is an appraiser. Their findings are certified, giving you solid proof that your asking price is fair.

Appraisers are trained to assess the value and condition of the home, the value of the land it sits on, and to find comparables - similar properties in your area that have sold recently. Comparables give an indication of the fair market value of your home.

One thing to keep in mind is that appraisers follow strict guidelines when valuating your home. Often, these guidelines are not flexible enough to handle quick changes that can occur in the market. For instance, if in the last six-month period your market has experienced significant changes in housing prices, either rising or falling, and the appraiser uses a comparable that is older than six months, it won't accurately reflect the current fair market value. The only reason an appraiser would use such a comparable is that there are very few for your property.

This is rare, and it's usually safe to say that what you get back from the appraiser is a good starting point to determine what you should expect to get for your home.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the number one reason houses don't sell is that they're priced too high. Pricing your home too high can cost you time. And since time is money, an appraisal fee - typically between $200 and $400 dollars - is a sound investment.

You can find local real estate appraisers on our Seller Services page.

Summary
An attorney, a lender and an appraiser are the professionals that will help keep the sale of your home on track. The attorney is a must-have, and the lender and appraiser come highly recommended.

Next: Getting Your Home Ready

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