Are you ready to sell your house yourself and keep the commission you would otherwise give to a realtor? Well, you're in good company. In today's hot real estate market, more and more home sellers are opting to "go at it alone." As the "sell your house yourself" trend expands, so do the range of tools that sellers have to help them through the home selling process. From books to web sites, Internet discussion groups to adult education courses, sellers who chose to sell their homes without a realtor's assistance are finding that they really are not alone.

Of course, it helps if you have previous experience buying and selling a home. The terminology and the steps involved in the home selling process are unique. But even a novice can survive the home selling process if he or she approaches this task in an orderly and planned manner.

When you decide to sell your house yourself, the first thing you should do is research your market. A visit to the local tax appraiser's office will give you the recent sales figures you need on recent comparable home sales in your neighborhood. Or, simply log on to your computer because in many counties, this information is available online. Regardless of who handles selling your home, you'll have a better chance of selling it quickly if you set a reasonable and fair asking price right from the start. Any realtor will tell you that your best selling opportunities occur within the first 3 weeks of listing your home, so don't be greedy.

In addition to county records, there are plenty of web sites that will provide you with an estimate of your home's fair market value such as this one located at www.homegain.com/home_prices/index?entryid=4518. The nice thing about these types of sites is that they offer so much additional information about the home selling process. It doesn't really matter which method you choose to research your home's fair market value; just make sure you do it.

Once you've made the decision to sell your house yourself, and you've determined the right asking price, get ready to act quickly. In some markets, even homes that are offered FSBO sell fast. Stick to your checklist and when you have time to breathe, think about all the things you might do with the money you're saving by not using a realtor!