Zillow.com has been launched. . .Again

There has been an increasing trend in Real Estate and Residential Finance to give buyers and sellers easier access to real estate tools through technology. Some of these have been welcomed and some have been demonized. Zillow.com is another tool in this trend. Zillow.com is an internet based company that has developed, what they consider to be, an encompassing site that will lets you determine the market value for your home. There are several services similar, but Zillow.com has a few technological features to make it a big player in the national market.

Don't rush out to refi just yet. These values are based on public information obtained through county and state information. So in some cases, Zillow.com may be a little off. But, its a good place to start. Zillow.com is also full of great resources for both Buyers and Sellers. I consider it to be a pretty good, non-partisan, resource to learn more about every aspect of residential real estate. Everything from how to get pre-approved for a mortgage to how to negotiate with your selling agent.

A couple of neat features from Zillow.com. . .the "Make Me Move" listing. This is a place where you can list your house for sale. They say "everything has a price", well that is exactly what this feature is. "Make Me Move" the free and easy way to tell others the price you'd be willing to sell your home for, without actually putting it on the market. It's that magical number you just can't refuse. Once you set your Make Me Move price, potential buyers can contact you anonymously via e-mail. Then it's up to you whether or not to sell your home. Try it out! You can remove your Make Me Move price at any time. Thinking about selling soon? Use "Make Me Move" to start gathering interest from potential buyers.

Also, If you believe your value to be way off (according to Zillow.com) you can submit to them reasons to justify a re-value determination. Things like additions/improvements to the home, new schools or amenities in the immediate area, or comparable sale around you.

Again, I don't consider Zillow.com to be the final word in determining the value of your home. There are several sources that will be used to determine the offer price by buyers, realtors, or lenders. But Zillow.com is another good resource to educate yourself and help you achieve your real estate goals.

Look around Zillow.com and post your comments here