It is actually quite often that people I run into have been completely misguided about their home values.  With the incredible technology and information online about real estate and home searches, people often feel that real estate websites are getting to the point where they are extremely accurate and reliable.  In some large cities, evidently this is true.  In Charlottesville, there still seems to be a huge void between what these websites predict about our real estate values and local market, as compared to market reality.

Zillow and Trulia seem to be the two biggest offenders when it comes to this as they offer automated home valuations that people like to use to predict their home values from year to year.  Zillow’s Zestimates seem like they are based on enough data and information that they would at least be able to give you a reasonable range within which you could expect your home price to fall.  However, that does not often seem to be the case.

According to Zillow themselves, almost every market area in Central Virginia has an extremely low accuracy level- check out the charts below that they provide to set your expectations!

Their self-reported accuracy level is extremely low (almost all nearby counties are a 1 out of 4 star rating) and I can absolutely attest to that!

All that being said, please do not let automated estimates of value set your expectations about your own home or homes you may be interested in buying!  If you need pricing analysis and recommendations, please consult with a real estate professional- ideally me! – for guidance.