Today, virtually all available real estate is listed online, both on individual realtor/broker sites as well as on independent websites. And the vast majority of buyers prefer to search home/property listings online, since there is much more detail (including pictures and often video tours) than a newspaper or magazine listing. Some recommended sites are zillow.com, forsalebyowner.com, owners.com.

Buyers who prefer to search for homes without a realtor can complete a buying transaction on their own with the help of YardleyforSalebyOwner.com (a program offered by Yardley Abstract Company).

Step 1: Find A Home
Use one of the popular websites (click here) to Review Homes/Properties Online that meet your needs and desires. You can choose to look exclusively with only “For Sale By Owner” listings, or include properties that have a listing real estate agent. Once you find a home/property that you would like to purchase:

Step 2: Mortgage Pre-Approval
At the time of the presentation of your offer to the seller, you should produce a mortage pre-approval letter confirming your ability to secure the mortgage loan. A mortgage pre-approval letter can be obtained under the Mortgage Financing section of this site or from a lender of your choice.

Step 3: Prepare Agreement of Sale/Offer
After you have identified a property, the staff attorney at Yardley Abstract Company will assist you in preparing an Agreement of Sale which will include provisions for mortgage, home inspection and other contingencies.

Step 4: Presenting the Offer to the Seller
After you have reviewed and signed the proposed Agreement of Sale, Yardley Abstract Company will present the offer to the seller. The Agreement of Sale will be modified to reflect any modifications that are agreed upon between you and the seller.

Step 5: Finalizing the Agreement
Once an agreement is reached, the final contract will be signed by both parties. Yardley Abstract Company will hold the deposit monies (required for the contract to be considered legally enforceable) in an insured Escrow Account until the closing or termination of the Agreement of Sale.

Step 6: Title Closing
After the buyer has obtained a mortgage and completed any required inspections, Yardley Abstract Company will conduct the title closing which includes the Title Search and the issuance of a Title Insurance Policy. The cost of the title search and insurance is regulated by the PA Dept of Insurance and is based on the price of the real estate and the date of the last title closing.

Step 7: Settlement
Yardley Abstract (serving as the title agent) will coordinate all the steps involved in Preparing for and Completing your Real Estate Transaction, including:

• Preparing the settlement (HUD) sheet and advising the borrower of the closing costs.
• Preparing the deed and other documents of conveyance.
• Obtaining the funds and closing documents from the mortgage lender.
• Disbursing all payoffs for mortgages, taxes and other liens being paid at closing.
• After closing, preparing the final lender and owner's policy.

It’s that simple! Through the YardleyForSalebyOwner.com Program, Yardley Abstract can handle your entire real estate transaction at no additional cost to you. Our compensation is derived solely from the sale of title insurance which is required by the mortgage lender for any real estate transaction involving a mortgage.