Zillow is a billion-dollar Internet marketer that provides computerized estimates that claim to figure the ideal price of each and every property in the United States. Zillow tries to achieve this this feat by using a complicated logarithm which crossreferences factors which affect real estate values, but here's a typical story I have heard from property sellers in Northern Virginia:

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 discover countless testimonials by angry homeowners and leery property buyers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Crystal_spring_knolls claim that Zillow's valuations 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 sales value. If the margin of error is an unlikley 5% that means that a z-estimate is only within $25,000 of the asking price.

Yet Zillow still remains popular with some real estate shoppers. Property owners and property purchasers should understand that there is not a single neighborhood in Crystal_spring_knolls where either a mortgage lender or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our expert advice is to take "valuations" from any online site at arm’s length. Putting too much reliance into a computer logarithm can cause a great deal of confusion.

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