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 Internet for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll find many complaints by angry property owners and skeptical real estate buyers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Orkney Springs say 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 impressive 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. Real estate sellers and real estate buyers should know that there is not a single community in Orkney Springs where either a bank or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take "valuations" from any online site at arm’s length. Putting too much reliance into a computer can cause a great deal of irration.

Contact one of our agents today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's market value. We promise that a computer won't set the sales value. Instead, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty Realtor will measure the complicated variables which make up your property's value.