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 testimonials by upset homeowners and leery home shoppers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Rileyville say that Zillow's estimates 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 real estate buyers should understand that there is not a single neighborhood in Rileyville 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 at arm’s length. Putting too much reliance into a website can cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

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