How To Estimate Any Home's Value
|
Consumers can get a free estimate of any home's value at a
handful of sites including Homegain.com, Domania.com and Zillow.com. Zillow's reports
include a history of the property and rooftop satellite
neighborhood photos. Zillow reports that its estimates "are
typically on target, falling within 10 percent of the actual
home-sale prices 62 percent of the time."
These sites calculate their estimates using computer programs
that examine property tax assessments and sales price
trends. These estimates are fairly accurate for condos and
town homes, but in markets where homes are unalike the
information could well be misleading (some have been known to be
off by as much as 200%!) And these sites don't serve all
areas: Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Mississippi, Indiana,
Wyoming and Utah don't make property records available. In
other states, the estimate may be based on pricing data that is
two to three months old, which may distort the home's true value
by a few percent.
An in-person appraisal by a realtor is the most accurate way, but
it will cost you $300 to $500. A realtor knows a lot about
what does or doesn't add value to your home.
(Next Gem: How To Guard Against Home Disasters)
|
|