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 find countless posts by upset homeowners and skeptical property buyers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Mount Crawford say 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 buyers and sellers. Home sellers and home shoppers should know that there is not a single neighborhood in Mount Crawford where either a bank or tax collector uses Internet for tax assessment or appraisals. Our expert advice is to take "valuations" from any online site with a grain of salt. Putting too much trust into a website can cause a lot of confusion.

Connect with Nesbitt Realty today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's value. We promise that a website won't set the ideal price. Rather, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty expert will account for the complicated variables which make up your property's market value.