Although most homeowners eventually decide to use a real estate agent to sell their home, many of them often try to sell the property themselves, usually with mixed results.

However, if you’re the type of person who welcomes the challenges of any task as big as marketing your home as efficiently and effectively as possible, then here are just a few of the items you’ll need:

1. “For Sale” sign (preferably with directional arrow)

2. Sample / blank purchase agreements

3. Detailed flyers from a home lender illustrating the best home loans available to prospective buyers

4. Copy of the plateau map for your street or subdivision

5. Home Warranty sign

6. Lead-based paint disclosure forms

7. “True Cost Forms" for prospective buyers. These forms are customized to highlight income tax savings information and future appreciation

8. A customized laser- printed feature sheet on your property

9. “Open House” signs

10. A list of all homes in the area currently for sale

11. A list of all homes in the area recently sold

12. A list of all homes in the area recently for sale but that expired unsold

13. Home inspection request forms

14. Well & septic forms

15. Property survey request forms

16. Terms sign

17. Home warranty information and application forms

18. Pest inspection request forms

19. List of assessed values of homes on your street

When sue and I started our real estate investment company 20 years ago, we wanted to create a model that provided consistent results. One of the tools we found to be very helpful is the following list of steps to find and nurture a stable of contractors. We hope you too will find it useful.

1. Get at least three written estimates.

2. Get references and call to check on the work. If possible, go by and visit earlier jobs.

3. Check with the local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau for complaints.

4. Be sure that the contract states exactly what is to be done and how change orders will be handled.

5. Make as small a down payment as possible so you won't lose a lot if the contractor fails to complete the job.

6. Be sure that the contractor has the necessary permits, licenses, and insurance.

7. Be sure that the contract states when the work will be completed and what recourse you have if it isn't. Also remember that in many instances you can cancel a contract within three business days of signing it.

8. Ask if the contractor's workers will do the entire job or whether subcontractors will do parts.

9. Get the contractor to indemnify you if work does not meet local building codes or regulations.

10. Be sure that the contract specifies the contractor will clean up after the job and be responsible for any damage.

11. Guarantee that materials used meet your specifications.

And last but certainly not least

12. Don't make the final payment until you're satisfied with the work.

HOW TO ENSURE CARBON MONOXIDE HOME SAFETY

DANGER

The need for heat from fireplaces or furnaces can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in your home. The following information will help you keep your family safe from the dangers of carbon monoxide.

INSPECTION

Ensure that the exhaust gases vent properly from the central home heating unit. When the furnace is on, check for good airflow, indicated by heat ripples or whites haze emitting from the attached flue. Other sources to check are: water heaters, clothes dryers, ranges, stoves, gas space heaters, and wood stoves.

DETECTION

WHAT IS IT?

Carbon monoxide is gas that is odorless, colorless, poisonous, and produced by the combustion of organic materials such as fuels, wood, or other substances, which contains carbon. While very high gas levels produce comas and death, the following are the symptoms lower gas levels produce.

Services:

Most cities have Environmental Services Divisions that offer indoor air quality testing for the presence of carbon monoxide. This is usually a free service.

1. A real estate transaction is complicated. In most cases, buying or selling a home requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page government-mandated settlement statements. A knowledgeable guide through this complexity can help you avoid delays or costly mistakes.

2. Selling or buying a home is time consuming. Even in a strong market, homes in our area stay on the market for an average of 120 days. And it usually takes another 60 days or so for the transaction to close after an offer is accepted.

3. Real estate has its own language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with someone who speaks that language.

4. REALTORS© have done it before. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. And even if you’ve done it before, laws and regulations change. That’s why having an expert on your side is critical.

5. REALTORS© provide objectivity. Since a home often symbolizes family, rest, and security, not just four walls and roof, home selling or buying is often a very emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you keep focused on both the business and emotional issues most important to you.

REALTORS© are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS©, a trade organization of more than 1 million members nationwide. REALTORS© subscribe to a stringent code of ethics that helps guarantee the highest level of service and integrity.