How to Sell Your Home in 5 Days »

Bill Effros has helped thousands of homeowners use his five-day plan to sell their houses. He is a computer consultant and president of Personal Computer Services, and lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The proof is in the testimonials that have arrived by the thousands: "This is a really great book. It's simple. It's straightforward. We read it. We ran our ad. We got over 100 telephone calls. We sold our home."—John Henke, Boise, ID. "Our real estate broker was green with envy. In 5 days we got 24 bids higher than the highest bid she got us in 11 1/2 years. You're our hero!"—Elizabeth & Tim Hunter, South Berwick, ME. "I had a business opportunity I couldn't take advantage of unless I sold my home immediately. I saw your book in a bookstore and sold my home the next weekend. Thanks!"—Doug Walker, Salt Lake City, UT. "Thanks to your system I sold my home in 5 days at $1.26 million. You saved me $78,000 in real estate commission!"—V., Potomac, MD.

Now in its third edition and timed perfectly to address a challenging real estate market, How to Sell Your Home in 5 Days turns the conventional on its head to present an innovative, practical, and foolproof alternative that makes the market work for you, the seller. Based on the one basic truth of free enterprise—that your home is worth exactly what the highest bidder will pay for it— this step-by-step plan shows exactly how to price your home attractively; make a timetable; write an effective ad; use buyer psychology, price points, and magic numbers to get the best price; and conduct round-robin bidding. It includes new information on the Internet—including a supporting website, www.5-day.com—the most recent testimonials, and updates to every phase of the process, from whether or not to renovate a kitchen before selling to the ins and outs of transferring ownership. Homes sold through the five-day plan sell for an average of 5% more than through conventional sales, plus, the seller doesn't have to pay a broker's fee—making this book among the best deals of the century.

The Short Introduction
Mission Statement     3
The Short Introduction     5
The Lengthy Introduction
The Introduction to the Lengthy Introduction     9
A True Story     10
Auctions, eBay, and the Internet     11
Another True Story     13
Like Seeing a Rainbow     14
The Most Efficient Way to Sell a Home     15
Yet Another True Story     16
Try It     17
The First Testimonial     18
The Best Investment You Ever Made     19
The 5-Day Method
It Always Works     23
The 5-Day Method-Day by Day     25
Sounds Too Good
A Better Way to Sell Your Home     29
It's Not a Trick     31
Faster     33
More Profitable     35
No Risk
No Contract/No Risk     39
Traditional Broker Contract Risk     41
Auctioneer Contract Risk     43
Run the 5-Day Sale First!     45
Selling Methods
Free-Market Basics     49
Negotiated Prices     51
Outcry Auctions     53
Dutch Auctions     55
Silent Auctions     57
Round-Robin Bidding: The 5-Day Method     59
The Internet
5-Day.com     63
The 5-Day Forum     65
Brokers, Agents, and Consultants
Let's Talk About Brokers     69
Do You Need a Broker?     71
A Conflict of Interest     73
What Are Brokers Worth?     75
Settlement Agents     77
Buyers
The {dollar}100 Dollar Bill Analogy     80
The Buyer Pool     81
Three Real Buyers     83
End-Buyers     85
Professional Buyers     87
Tear Downs     89
Mortgage Buyers     91
Cash Buyers     93
No Need to "Qualify"     95
Put It in Writing
You're So Organized!     99
Quick Description     101
Detailed Description     103
Directions     105
Write the Rules     107
Full Disclosure     109
Are You Ready?
Uh-Oh Time     112
Are You Really Ready?     113
Religious Matters     115
Times to Avoid     117
Lead Time     119
Furnished or Empty?     121
What to Fix
How to Save Even More Money     125
Have Your Home Inspected by a Pro     127
Inspect it Yourself     129
When in Doubt, Don't Fix It     131
The Fix-It Rule of Thumb     133
Pricing
Pricing Your House     137
Magic Numbers     139
You Can't Start Too Low     141
The Ad
Use My Ad as a Model     145
Where to Place Advertising     147
What Your Ad Should Say     149
What Your Ad Should Not Look Like     151
What It Should Look Like     153
How to Place Classified Ads     155
Calls and E-Mail
Keep a Log     159
Fielding "Buyer Calls"     161
Don't Go It Alone     163
The Rule of 25     165
Don't "Protect the Broker"     167
Final Preparation
Ready     171
Set     173
Go!     175
The Show
Showtime!     179
Greeters     181
Keep This Book Available     185
Pace Yourself     187
Managing Meanies, Soreheads, and Weasels     189
Signs: Pros and Cons     193
The Broker Challenge     195
Remove Distractions     197
Getting Initial Bids
Select a Closer      201
Explain the Bidding     203
Don't Tap Dance     205
The Round-Robin
Not Like Cold Calling     209
The Longest Ten Minutes     211
Transferring Ownership
Hand Off All Details     215
Going to Contract     217
The Settlement     219
Don't Cheat!
Don't Be a Weasel     222
Cheating Doesn't Pay     223
What To Do
What to Do If     227
...If No One Responds     229
...If No One Bids     231
...If Someone Wants to "Buy It Now"     233
...If the Bidder Disappears     235
...If Your Home Is an Oddball     237
...If You Change the Price     239
...If You Don't Think the High Bid Is High Enough     241
...If the Deal Falls Through     243
...If You Get Low Appraisals     245
Testing the Method
Testing, Testing     249
How to Sell a Car in 3 Days     251
How to Rent a House in 5 Days     253
Seller's Appendix
Biggest Changes from Previous Editions     257
Biggest Mistakes in Previous Edition     259
Pricing Worksheet     261
When "Bottom Feeders" Don't Bite      263
Sample Materials     265
Quick Description     267
Photos     269
Detailed Description     271
Telephone Log     273
Initial Bidding Sheet     275
Preparing for the Round-Robin Bidding Sheet     277
Round-Robin Bidding Sheet     279
Checklist     281
Frequently Asked Questions     285
Chain Sales     291
The Buyer's Section
If You Have Never Heard of a 5-Day Sale     295
How to Buy a Home in 5 Days     297
How to Bid     299
Your Bid Is Not Binding     303
Preemptive Bidding     305
Keep Your Own Bidders List     307
Testing Thresholds     309