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Selling your home yourself is a great way to save yourself thousands of dollars in fees to a realty. The best part is, any one can do it. However, to save those thousands of dollars, you'll have to earn it.

The days where you could advertise a property, post a sign and start fielding offers are gone. Now sellers are caught with longer market times and in many markets dropping home values. Houses are still being sold, but it is a different market. A savvy seller needs to change their attitude and way of selling in this buyer's market.

Even more than in a seller's market, you need to be constantly on top of the dynamics of your local market. You need to actively see what is on the market, and take notes so you'll remember each house. This is a market in which only a few minor differences can mean the difference of a relatively quick sale at a good price, or a long, fruitless effort. Know what is selling, and for how long they were on the market.

That means you can't just get some comparable prices from Realtor or off the Internet. You have to go out and see what other houses are selling for. How much are they being offered for? How long have they been on the market. Haunt the open houses and grab property information sheets from information boxes.

Homes that sell quickly will fall into two distinct categories - those properties that are in great shape and offer something special compared to other, similar houses, or average or poor quality offerings that are sold at a deep discount. Properties in the middle - those at average or high market prices but have nothing special to differentiate them from the others on the market, will be doomed to languish long months unsold.

This is something that a smart seller will understand and react to. Do you need a quick sale? Then you either need to discount deeply, or do something to put some sizzle when the buyer walks on the lot. You need to be honest with yourself about your needs and your property's attributes. The natural thing is to be proud of your home. To get the most money out of it, though, you need to honestly know not only the good things about it, but be brutally honest on how it compares to other homes like it.

If you want top dollar, before you might have simply asked top dollar and within a few months the market would catch up with you. Not any more. You will have to work to get top dollar. You start that the house is in fine shape, landscaping is attractive, repairs are scrupulously done, the interior pleasing

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