Hello Bob,

Have just read your question about "For Sale by Owner". first I want you to know that I am a licensed real estate broker in Arizona.
when one buys a home from a seller who is trying to sell themselves you risk buying without full disclosure of the conditions of a home. Not becasue the seller could be devious but because realtors have a long list of disclosures that we require all sellers who list their homes to give to the buyer. There is a 5-6 page seller disclosure statement that you may review and protest if you think there are adverse conditions.
We also include a due diligence clause in all of our contracts that allows the buyer to get any type of inspection they may want including roof, structure,plumbing, termite,geological and etc.
The time limits that are set in the realtors contract are closely adhered to and there are many protection clauses in our contracts to allow you to cancel the contract if the seller does not perform as agreed.
There are legal paragraphs that are included in our contracts to protect both buyers and sellers.
when working with realtors, we coordinate all aspects of the transaction including escrow, title, inspections, disclosures,
legal forms, and all other avenues to protect both buyer and seller.
Sellers normally do not have access to this knowledge because they do not belong to real estate boards or the state department of real estate which demands that we are trained in all aspects of working with buyers and sellers.
The normal "advantage" that you will hear over and over is that
buyers can get a home fro a "For Sale by Owner", however we can let the facts speak for themselves. There are dozens of For Sale by Owners who price their home just as high as the realtors do with rest of homes in their neighborhood.
These are the most important items that you should always have when purchasing a home particularly for a first time home buyer.
If you choose a good realtor that is honest they will always let you know if the home is in a good location or not, a for sale by owner is not going to do this.
The realtor will help you choose a mortgage company who is reputable and can get the best financial assistance for you.
There are other disadvantages of buying from a "For Sale by Owner" but these are the main ones.
You can certainly tap into a whole array of information about these facts to verify them particulary on the internet.
I hope this has been helpful to you.
If you have any further needs or interest in our area, please contact me.
My area includes all of the Phoenix metro valley which is:
Mesa,Scottsdale,Chandler,Phoenix,
Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Goodyear,Buckeye and all of the famous Sun cities by Del Webb as well as many other adult communities.

Elizabeth Crai
Associate Broker
Homesmart Real Estate
602-300-7883 cell
623-572-5083 Home office

Hello again, Bob

Just a clarification. My last name is Craig, not Crai.also in the paragraph taling about the advantage you will hear when buying from a "For Sale by Owner". A buyer can buy a home cheaper from a "For Sale by Owner" but typically the seller prices their home just as high as the realtors do with rest of homes in the subdivision! It is extremely important for buyers to know what the homes are really selling for and realtors have the current sales. Sometimes "For sale by owners" have part of this info, sometimes they do not.