In a Buyer's Market, FSBO Has the Advantage

A better For-Sale-By-Owner company, Private Sale Partners, explains

(New York) June 30, 2009—With the current decline in home values, many would-be home sellers have come to believe that selling their home is just too risky and have been waiting for the market to bounce back. But with buyers coming back to the market to take advantage of lower values and government tax incentives, selling on your own (or what's commonly referred to as "For Sale by Owner" or "FSBO") offers seller's advantages not available to those choosing to work with an agent, according to Private Sale Partners, a new For-Sale-By-Owner company.

"There is a common belief among home sellers that real estate agents have access to tools and resources not available to the mere mortal," says Jerry O'Rourk, CEO of Private Sale Partners. "The perception that brokers have some kind of magic wand that enables them to sell homes quickly and for the best price is being debunked everyday. The 2008 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey shows it takes the same amount of time or less for people to sell their homes on their own. On average, a typical home sold with a broker was on the market for eight weeks in 2008. Compare that timeframe to a FSBO transaction, and you'll find those homes were on the market for an average of only six weeks."

Says O'Rourk, "Selling a home may seem like an intimidating process, but it really boils down to following some simple steps that anyone can do: getting the home ready and priced right to sell, marketing the home to attract buyers and closing the deal. Sellers need reliable information on comparable homes that have recently sold in their neighborhood in order to price their homes competitively. Marketing is as simple as presenting your home in the best light possible, to as many people as possible, using as many means as possible, at the best price buyers are willing to pay. All that information is available to homeowners selling on their own—they just need to know how to get it."

O'Rourk explains that despite all the bad news about the housing market, this is a great time to sell your own home:

• By saving the commission, sellers can turn the present 'buyer's market' to their advantage: First-time home buyer tax credits, low mortgage rates and a significant decrease in home prices have created an influx of buyers hungry for good deals. By saving the commission, FSBO sellers can use some or all of the savings to price their home more competitively than others in the area.
• Trade up for a bigger home, or down for a lower payment: In today's market, the seller that's willing to price his or her home competitively in order to sell quickly will be able to take full advantage of low prices and record-low mortgage rates as a buyer. Sellers looking for more space can take heart that though they may take 'a hit' on the sell side, they're likely to benefit from the drop in home prices when they become buyers themselves.
• Stand out from the pack. When nearly every street has a "For Sale" sign, it's all the more important that your sign stand out from the crowd. A professional-looking, well-designed FSBO sign will create that curiosity-seeking 'buzz' that's critical to catching the eyes of drivers passing by, and spark their buying interest.

About Private Sale Partners, Inc.

Private Sale Partners, a FSBO company, was founded in 2006, and operates in all 50 states. Private Sale Partners' Partnered Sale home selling system provides homeowners with all the support and convenience they need to successfully sell their home. The patent-pending home selling system includes features not offered by any other 'For Sale By Owner' method including the Four-Part Commission-Free home selling system; an unprecedented Double Guarantee; a Home Sales Hotline for both sellers and buyers (800 230-6685); interactive property listings with an automated home visit scheduler accessible online or through the Home Sales Hotline; buyer pre-registration and blocking of real estate agent calls. For more information, please visit www.privatesalepartners.com.

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Contact:
Anne Steinberg or Sarah Permutt
Kitchen Public Relations
212-687-8999
Email Anne Steinberg or Sarah Permutt

First Impressions Key in Selling Home

Tips from Private Sale Partners

(New York) May 12, 2009—If your home is on the market or is about to be, a few quick, inexpensive fix-ups and organizational tips can improve the visual appeal to buyers considerably as well as increase the value of the home and put more money in your pocket at closing. Spending a few dollars on just a couple of new things this spring can end up saving you thousands in the long run, according to experts at Private Sale Partners, a For Sale By Owner company.

"First impressions are extremely important when it comes to selling a home," says Kathy Mohr, vice president of operations for Private Sale Partners and a professional home stager. "Home sellers don't necessarily need to invest tons of money to update their homes. Instead, they can focus on some low-cost, no-cost ways to win over potential buyers the second they step over the 'welcome' mat."

Here are a few low-cost or no-cost tips provided by Private Sale Partners' Mohr:

Clean and de-clutter—If a home is dirty or cluttered, buyers tend to be distracted by your "stuff" and have trouble envisioning the space as their own. Make your home as organized and as clean as possible. Don't neglect the closets, and be sure to check all the nooks and crannies. If you have too much stuff to put away neatly, consider having a garage sale, making a donation to your favorite charity, or even renting a storage unit.

Sniff Test—Believe it or not, most homeowners are immune to the smells in their own home. However, any sort of odor, especially if it's from a pet or cigarettes, is a huge turn-off. The best way to determine what odors are taking hold of your home is to ask for the brutally honest opinion of a friend or family member not living in the house. If your home doesn't pass the sniff test, make sure you get to the root of the problem. Have upholstery that harbors pet odors thoroughly cleaned. Give the cat's litter box corner a good airing out, and remove or dry clean draperies to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. Keep smells away while your home is on the market. Have your dog stay at a friend's house while you are showing your home, change the cat litter before every visit and do NOT smoke inside your home.

Paint—A fresh coat of neutral paint is a quick and inexpensive way to make key rooms look more appealing, larger and cleaner. Dirty walls make buyers wonder about the rest of the dirt they can't see in the home. A fresh, neutral color will enable buyers to picture themselves and their furnishings in the home. If you can't paint the whole house, focus on the rooms that are most important to buyers like the living room, kitchen and master bedroom. And don't forget the foyer for that critical first impression.

Bathrooms—Clean, uncluttered and relatively up-to-date bathrooms are crucial to most buyers. If you don't have the extra cash to renovate an outdated bathroom, simple new accessories like bathmats, toothbrush holders, shower curtains and towels can make a major difference in your bathroom's appearance. Be sure to keep your counters tidy by stowing hair and grooming products under the sink or in a pretty box or basket. And by all means, keep the tub, sink, and toilet pristine.

Room functionality—It is important when trying to sell a home that each room has one function so buyers don't spend a lot of time wondering how they would use the room. If you're using your spare room as both a guest room and a home office, see if you can get by with a laptop while you're listing the house, "pre-pack" your office supplies and files, clear the desk, and make the room strictly an inviting oasis for a guest.

Accentuate the room's assets—Many homeowners hide or forget to play up a room's best feature. Highlighting a large window with simple new window treatments or cleaning up an unused fireplace and adding a lively print on the mantel can change the entire tone of a room. If you're lucky enough to have built-in shelves, show them off by scaling back to a few well-chosen books and accessories and pack up the rest.

Out with the old in with the new—It's always beneficial to replace old, outdated furnishings with new pieces. If new furnishings aren't in the budget, see if you can borrow some from your stylish friends. But if you're considering buying new for your next house, wise timing can really pay off. Nearly any new furnishings you buy before the move can easily pay for themselves in the form of a better price for your home. So go ahead: replace Grandma's battered, hand-me-down rocker with that new, ultra-comfy club chair and watch buyers take notice. The added bonus is that you've eliminated the hassle of moving old furniture you were eventually going to replace anyway.

Count the emotional cost—Selling your home can be a delicate emotional balancing act that can cost you money if you tip the scale one way or the other. When you put your home on the market, the best way to think of your home is as a gift you'd like to present to someone you don't know well. It's important to emotionally detach to the extent that you'll be free to remove your personal "stamp" so buyers will be free to imagine themselves in the home. At the same time, stay emotionally connected enough to present the house as a warm, inviting home for a lucky buyer. The most expensive move sellers make is to lose interest in presenting an attractive home to buyers.

Hire a home stager—One of the best ways to determine your home's best selling points, as well as what needs to be done to make it market-ready, is to consult a professional stager. Many stagers specialize in redesign—using the seller's existing furnishings to make the home look its best. Following the advice of a stager can mean thousands of dollars' difference in the sales price of a home.

About Private Sale Partners, Inc.

Private Sale Partners, a FSBO company, was founded in 2006, and operates in all 50 states. Private Sale Partners' Partnered Sale home selling system provides homeowners with all the support and convenience they need to successfully sell their home. The patent-pending home selling system includes features not offered by any other 'For Sale By Owner' method including the Four-Part Commission-Free home selling system; an unprecedented Double Guarantee; a Home Sales Hotline for both sellers and buyers (800 230-6685); interactive property listings with an automated home visit scheduler accessible online or through the Home Sales Hotline; buyer pre-registration and blocking of real estate agent calls. For more information, please visit www.privatesalepartners.com.

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Contact:
Anne Steinberg or Sarah Permutt
Kitchen Public Relations
212-687-8999
Email Anne Steinberg or Sarah Permutt

Private Sale Partners Helps Home Sellers and Buyers Save Money

Partnered Sale home selling system bridges gap between selling on your own and using a real estate agent

(New York) May 1, 2009 — Private Sale Partners has introduced a new commission-free Partnered Sale home selling system, available at www.privatesalepartners.com. Homeowners can now get all the support and expertise they need to successfully sell their own home and avoid paying any commissions.

"For too long home sellers have had few options — going it alone For Sale by Owner (FSBO) or relying on a traditional real estate agent and paying a broker commission," said Jerry O'Rourk, CEO of Private Sale Partners. "We offer a better way, by combining the best tools necessary to get the job done, plus educational and live telephone support. While FSBO often simply means putting a 'For Sale' sign in your yard, we offer the Partnered Sale, assisting you every step of the way from preparing and staging your home, to the scheduling of home visit appointments. We even provide financing support for the buyer."

Key features of the Private Sale Partners Home Selling Program:

• Four-Part Commission-Free Home Selling System — Private Sale Partners gives home sellers step-by-step instructions on what to do and when to do it as they prepare their home for sale, market it, and close the deal. Tips include setting an asking price, organizing an Open House, finding legal forms by state, and more.
• 24-Hour Home Visit Scheduling — The Private Sale Partners' Home Sales Hotline is available to register potential buyers and schedule home visit appointments at the seller's convenience with Private Sale Partners' toll-free number. Home sellers can create their own personalized Home Visit Scheduler to let buyers know when their home is available for visits while never having to disclose their phone number publicly or receive unsolicited calls.
• Home Sale and Related Discounts — Private Sale Partners provides over $1,900 worth of discounts with nationally recognized companies like The Home Depot, Penske Trucks, 1-800-Pack-Rat, Chem-Dry and others. Sellers also receive discounts that can be passed along to potential buyers to help them with financing and other home buying expenses.
• Live Customer Support Hotline — Private Sale Partners' Customer Service is staffed seven days a week to take calls and inquiries about home listings.
• Double Guarantee — All of Private Sale Partners' listing plans carry a Double Guarantee. First is the guaranteed Risk-Free, 30-Day Trial, where sellers can return the PSP System for any reason within 30 days and receive a complete refund. The second guarantee is the Anytime Transfer Advantage which allows Sellers to receive a full refund when they transfer their listing and sell their home with one of Private Sale Partners' network of partner real estate companies — Coldwell Banker®, CENTURY 21®, ERA®, and Sotheby's International Realty®.

Private Sale Partners currently offers three listing plans ranging from about $250 to about $500. Each plan offers the Four-Part Commission-Free Home Selling System, the PSP website listing as well as a home listing on many of the most popular real estate websites such as Google Base, Zillow, ByOwnerMLS, Oodle, Vast, Walmart Classified, PropBot and others, where millions of potential buyers search for homes to buy.

"Selling a home, even in the best of times, can be a daunting task," said O'Rourk. "Due to the state of today's real estate market, people are finding it even more difficult. Private Sale Partners gives home sellers the power to rescue equity by saving the cost of commissions."

Nationwide, there has been a significant increase in the FSBO sector — in 2005 about 12 percent of all homes sold in America were sold by homeowners without a real estate agent. In 2007 that number rose to 20 percent. In addition to the current housing crisis, the Internet has played a large role in growing the FSBO market. Recent statistics show that 85 percent of people looking to buy a home today search online before considering contacting an agent. But Private Sale Partners' research reveals about two-thirds of the FSBO market eventually give up and switch to a traditional real estate broker. According to O'Rourk, "Our Partnered Sale gives any seller a new, innovative home selling system and the essential support and services needed for selling their own home in this challenging market."

About Private Sale Partners, Inc.

Private Sale Partners, a FSBO company, was founded in 2006, and operates in all 50 states. Private Sale Partners' Partnered Sale home selling system provides homeowners with all the support and convenience they need to successfully sell their home. The patent-pending home selling system includes features not offered by any other 'For Sale By Owner' method including the Four-Part Commission-Free home selling system; an unprecedented Double Guarantee; a Home Sales Hotline for both sellers and buyers (800 230-6685); interactive property listings with an automated home visit scheduler accessible online or through the Home Sales Hotline; buyer pre-registration and blocking of real estate agent calls. For more information, please visit www.privatesalepartners.com.

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Contact:
Anne Steinberg or Sarah Permutt
Kitchen Public Relations
212-687-8999
Email Anne Steinberg or Sarah Permutt