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 Google the web for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll discover countless posts by upset property owners and skeptical home shoppers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Prince William County 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 unlikley 5% that means that a z-estimate is only within $25,000 of the asking price.

Yet Zillow (for now) remains popular with some people. Property owners and real estate shoppers should know that there is not a single community in Prince William County where either a mortgage lender or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take estimates from any online site with a grain of salt. Putting too much stock into a website can cause a lot of irration.

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 ideal price. Instead, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty real estate pro will measure the complicated variables which make up your home's value.