Sell by owner
Terms of the board
Last updated September 2026. Plain language first — this isn't legal advice, and none of this replaces your own attorney.
1. What this is
The Sell By Owner board on listhomesforsale.com is an advertising venue. We publish property listings submitted by owners, check the submitter's identity, and pass buyer inquiries to sellers. We are not a real estate broker in this context, not a party to any transaction, and not anyone's agent. We don't negotiate, don't advise on price or terms, don't show homes, and don't represent buyers or sellers.
2. Flat fees only
Sellers pay one flat fee when they list: $149 (Basic), $249 (Featured), or $399 (Premium). The listing stays live for six months. $0 is due at closing. There is no commission, no percentage of the sale price, no per-buyer or per-inquiry fee, and no required upsell — ever.
Refunds: if your listing is rejected during review, your fee is refunded in full. Once your listing goes live, the fee is earned and non-refundable — the service (publishing, identity and deed checks, buyer introductions) has been delivered.
3. "Identity checked" — what it means and doesn't
Before a listing goes live, the submitter's government-issued ID is checked by hand during review and their name is cross-checked against the property's deed records — or authorizing documents for co-ops, which don't have deeds. This answers one question: is the lister who they say they are? It is not a property inspection, not a title search, not an appraisal, and not a guarantee of any kind. We never describe a listing as "verified safe," "guaranteed," or "certified," and you shouldn't rely on the identity check as a substitute for your own diligence.
4. Buyers: do your own diligence
Every buyer should independently verify anything that matters to the purchase: get a professional inspection, hire your own attorney, run a title search, and verify any pre-approval or financing directly with the lender. Treat every listing like any other for-sale-by-owner listing you'd find anywhere else.
5. Money never touches this site
We don't hold escrow, don't handle earnest money deposits, and don't process payments between buyers and sellers. In New York, earnest money is held by the parties' attorneys. Messages containing wiring or payment instructions are blocked by the site. Never wire money based on instructions received through this site's messaging — call a known number to confirm any transfer.
6. Fair housing
All listings are subject to the federal Fair Housing Act and New York State and City human rights laws. You may describe the property; you may not indicate any preference or limitation based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful occupation, or lawful source of income (including housing vouchers). Listings containing discriminatory language will be rejected or removed.
7. Listing content and conduct
- You must own the property (or be authorized to list it) and your identity must match the deed or authorizing documents.
- Photos and descriptions must be of the actual property. No bait-and-switch, no misleading information.
- Don't use the messaging system for spam, harassment, or anything unlawful.
- We may edit for clarity, reject, or remove any listing at our discretion.
8. Privacy
Seller email addresses and phone numbers are never displayed publicly. Buyer inquiries are relayed by email. ID checks happen during listing review; we don't retain copies of ID documents. Pre-approval letters uploaded by buyers are shared only with the seller of that listing after review. We don't sell personal information.
9. Limitation of liability
The board is provided "as is." To the fullest extent permitted by law, we aren't liable for the accuracy of listings, the conduct of buyers or sellers, or any loss arising from a transaction introduced through the site — including fraud. Our total liability for the listing service is limited to the fee you paid for it.
10. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York. Disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Queens County, New York.
11. Contact
Questions about these terms: realtoralom@gmail.com · (646) 339-3534.