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 research the Internet for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll find countless posts by upset property owners and leery real estate shoppers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in North Arlington claim that Zillow's estimates have a margin of error of approximately 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 value. If the margin of error is an astounding 5% that means that a z-estimate is only within $25,000 of the asking price.

Yet Zillow still remains popular with some people. Home sellers and home purchasers should understand that there is not a single neighborhood in North Arlington where either a mortgage lender or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our expert advice is to take estimates from any website with a grain of salt. Putting too much stock into a computer can cause a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.

Contact one of our local experts today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's market value. We promise that a website won't set the market value. Rather, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty real estate pro will account for the complicated variables which make up your home's sales value.