Are home valuation websites accurate?

Question: “A Realtor just told me my home is worth $850,000, but Zillow says $975,000 and…” Answer: Hold on…you must be a new subscriber to this newsletter! Otherwise, you’d have seen my regular rants (my son says too regular!) about how laughably inaccurate EVERY home valuation website is. Now, I’m not going to be like
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What’s a good website to find out the value of a home?

Question: “What’s a good website to find out the value of a home I’m interested in?” Answer: Sorry, there isn’t one. I even have my own website that will give you a home value, and it’s better than most. But honestly, I don’t recommend it. To illustrate how far off these sites are, here’s a
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How a Busy Street Affects San Diego Home Values

Question: “My wife and I want to buy a little house as an investment. We found one we both like, but it’s on a busy street. What do you think about buying a home on a busy street?” Answer: Two questions come to mind: 1) how does it impact rent, and 2) how does it
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Is Artificial Turf Better for Your San Diego Home?

Question: “Does replacing grass with artificial turf increase property value or not?” Answer: Great question. I used to say absolutely not. Now I’ll soften that and say probably not. But, with this water shortage, shouldn’t artificial turf make a home more desirable and slightly more valuable? As I’ve said before, people buy on emotion and
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The Crystal Ball Question & The Definition of Value

Question: “I know the market has recovered most of what it lost, but I still don’t think I can get what my home is worth. When do you think we’ll fully recover to 2006 prices?” Answer: First, a non-answer, then a comment… Non-Answer Your question of when will we retake the peak of the 2006
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How Much Value Does a Pool Add to a San Diego Home?

Backyardpool by Vic Brincat is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Question: “I’d really like to get a home with a pool in the backyard. How much more is that likely to cost?” Answer: Great question. There’s a lot of misinformation amongst the public and even agents on this topic. Some people say that a pool adds no value, while others even say it makes a
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Do Repairs Increase Home Value or Just Make It Sell Faster?

Question: “I’m not sure if this makes sense. An agent told me that remodeling and new paint and carpet don’t increase the value of my home, they just make it sell faster?” Answer: That’s nonsense. I’ve heard that many times and never understood the “logic.” All smart improvements should increase the value of your home,
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Calculating Value of Multi-Unit Properties Can Be Tricky

Question: “We have four units in Ocean Beach we want to sell. It’s a house plus a triplex in back. An agent calculated the value for us as four units, but shouldn’t the value be equal to the price of a house plus the price of a triplex added together?” Answer: I wish the answer
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Beware Cost-Benefit Guides When Improving Your San Diego Home

Question: “I’ll be selling in a couple of years and am looking at investing some money in my home now so I can get a higher price when I sell. Can you direct me to a cost versus benefit analysis list for various upgrades or repairs?” Answer: There are several such lists. Here’s one from
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Beware Of “Price Creep” When Selling Your San Diego Home

Question: “We listed our home for sale for $550,000 yesterday, but it’s not on the market yet. Now we’re thinking we should ask $580,000. Are we allowed to raise the price?” Answer: For all practical purposes, you are. I can’t imagine a broker telling you, “I don’t care. We have a contract and I’m going
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