Thursday, June 26, 2008

Be Careful of Estimates

The Internet brings lots of helpful information at our fingertips. Unfortunately, not all of it is accurate. And it is difficult to know what is reliable information and what isn't.



Case in point, is the fair market value of real estate. A lot of what Realtors do is recommend prices for property, both to buyers and sellers. These profession opinions are based on going in and out of a lot of property and knowing what factors such as location, features and condition will play on market value.



You can also find suggested prices for property on the Internet, sometimes referred to as a zestiment. Watch out for these estimates, whether you are buying or selling real estate. These prices are determined strictly by manipulating data. No one visits the property or drives by.



Last year, I sold a home in Avon, NY for $129,900. This was after it was on the market for many months, with a lot of advertising, six open houses and probably 30 showings. While it was a very nice house with a great open floor plan, the house needed some updating and sprucing up. With the amount of exposure and the number of people that looked at it, there is no doubt in my mind that the market value for this home is $129,900.



Want to know what the zestimate is? $147,500!!! Don't believe me? Follow this link: See home details page The site even acknowledges that the house recently sold for $129,900 but they still estimate its value at $147,500.

No comments: