Zillow is a popular Internet marketer that "gives" "z-estimates" that purport to calculate the ideal price of every home in the United States. Zillow tries to accomplish this feat by using a fancy algorithm that compares factors which alter property values, but here's a typical story I have heard from property 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 Google the Internet for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll discover countless posts by upset homeowners and skeptical home shoppers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Star Fort claim 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 ideal price. 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 buyers and sellers. Home sellers and property buyers should understand that there is not a single community in Star Fort where either a bank or tax collector uses Internet for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take "valuations" from any computer with a grain of salt. Putting too much stock into a computer can cause a great deal of disappointment.

Get in touch with Nesbitt Realty today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's worth. We promise that a computer won't set the ideal price. Rather, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty Realtor will measure the complicated variables which make up your real estate's sales value.