is FSBO for you

Last week in a post titled selling your home online I railed against an article that appeared in the Arizona Daily Star, Selling home online can net a hefty gain. My vehemence was directed at the glaring oversimplification and fairy tale nature of the Star article, which, to put it lightly, made light of what's involved in trying to sell your home on your own.
But in the course of deriding that article, I may have given the impression that I thought selling your home online, and on your own, is not feasible. That wasn't my intention. Selling your home online, and on your own, is feasible, because of the information and tools that are available on the internet. 
It's right for some, and not for others.
Are you internet savvy, are willing to do your homework, are you a good negotiator, do you have the time and patience, do you understand the pitfalls, and are you willing to hire a real estate attorney if necessary. If so, you may be a good candidate for putting your home up for sale on your own.
And if you sell it, although you'll surely save some money on commissions, you may or may not come out ahead in the end. 
And in the end - coming out of the deal with more money, while staying out of court - is what the whole debate is about.
San Francisco, usually on the leading edge of new trends, is one of the most liberal and tech savvy cities in the country, so when the San Francisco Chronicle publishes an article on the pros and cons of selling your home on your own, I brace myself for the inevitable beating that we real estate agents are about to take. 
As expected, these two articles from SFGATE.com, the online version of the San Francisco Chronicle, while not particularly flattering to real estate agents, they do offer a more thoughtful big-picture view of the pros and cons of selling your home, that others would have you believe is a no-brainer.
For Sale By Owner: Are real estate agents really necessary?  and
For Sale By Owner: How agentless transactions can turn into royal nightmares