General Info for Buyers

Be sure to read our FAQ for Buyers, as it explains many basic issues and will allow you to make better use of the information below.

Since you will most likely want to tour the home(s) that interest you, you may either look at our Open House Calendar or you may contact the seller directly if they do not have an open house scheduled in the near future. Please read our Tips for Attending an Open House Productively for ideas to help you get the most out of visiting the homes that you like.

Familiarize yourself with the formalities of negotiation and entering into a contract by reading our Basics of Negotiation and Contract page. Unless you choose to have professional legal assistance in this stage, the process is entirely up to you and the seller, so know what to expect.

Also, familiarize yourself with the basic steps involved in the official closing by reading our Intro to Closing page. Even though the closing is usually handled by a lawyer, it is helpful to know what your lawyer is doing.

When navigating the internet for FSBO websites or information, be aware that many of those out there which claim to be FSBO websites are scams or otherwise not genuine FSBO websites. They attempt to take advantage of the positive FSBO name to lure in visitors. Read our FSBO Scam Websites page for more information as well as warning signs to look for and a list of such websites. Also, please feel free to submit any URL that you feel may be a FSBO scam and we will review it and add it to our list if appropriate.

If you plan on hiring a moving company to help you move, please visit MovingScam.com It contains helpful information regarding known moving scams and identifies warning signs to look for when hiring a moving company as well as a list of moving companies known to have engages in such activities, organized by region.