Our home was recently appraised for 650K. Zillow estimates the value at 521K. The estimate makes us one of the lowest priced homes in the subdivision. We have all upgrades in our home and it is the largest of the homes that were originally built in this subdivision. It was appraised at 750K before 2009. Our home has a basement. Neighbors do not have basement on one side and you appraised higher. Really? -- James E. - Fort Hunt

If you search the web for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll find countless complaints by upset property owners and leery property buyers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Franconia claim that Zillow's valuations have a margin of error of around 20%. Even if we assume the margin of error is only 10%, in Northern Virginia that means a "z-estimate" is only within $50,000 of the actual sales value. If the margin of error is an impressive 5% that means that a z-estimate is only within $25,000 of the asking price.

Yet Zillow still remains popular with some buyers and sellers. Real estate sellers and home purchasers should know that there is not a single community in Franconia where either a bank or tax collector uses Internet for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take "valuations" from any online site at arm’s length. Putting too much reliance into a website can cause a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.

Email one of our agents today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's worth. We promise that a website won't set the market value. Rather, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty expert will measure the complicated variables which make up your home's sales value.