Zillow is a popular website that "gives" computerized estimates which purport to calculate the market value of every property in the United States. Zillow tries to reach this goal this task by using a complicated algorithm that crossreferences factors which affect property values, but here's a typical story I have heard from home 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 research the web for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll discover countless testimonials by upset property owners and skeptical real estate purchasers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Sudley_farm claim that Zillow's valuations have a margin of error of about 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 improbable 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 real estate buyers should know that there is not a single community in Sudley_farm where either a mortgage lender or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take estimates from any website with a grain of salt. Putting too much stock into a computer logarithm can cause a lot of disappointment.

Reach out to us today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's value. We promise that a computer won't set the market value. Rather, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty real estate pro will take into account the complicated variables which make up your real estate's market value.