Home Valuation

Why Knowing The Value Of Your Home Is Important-And Why A Zillow Zestimate Is Not An Accurate Tool.

If you’re using a Zillow Zestimate to get an accurate home valuation, you may get a skewed result, which could then affect your home’s listing price. While Zillow has historically provided relatively accurate estimates based on the year the home was built, the number of bedrooms, square footage, and other quantitative data, they’ve recently changed their algorithm. Even when Zillow was fairly accurate, it still provided only an estimate as opposed to a true valuation done by an appraiser or Comparative Market Analysis. Here’s how to get an accurate home valuation and why relying on Zillow or similar sites is usually a bad idea. Outstanding client service, experienced business practices, and ingenious marketing strategies are what make our team the most trusted team in the area.Outstanding client service, experienced business practices, and ingenious marketing strategies is what makes our team the most trusted team in the area.

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What is a Home Valuation?

A home valuation is just a fancy way of saying what the value of your home is. They are used during real estate transactions such as buy-sell or refinances to ensure homeowners or buyers are not overborrowing for a property. The home is used for collateral in a mortgage, and if the borrower defaults on his or her loan, the lender will sell the home to recoup the money lent to buy it. If the home was overvalued and they lent too much, they could lose money. The home valuation ensures they will be able to recoup costs should the mortgage not be paid in full.

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What is a Zillow Zestimate?

A Zillow Zestimate is an automated home valuation tool and is recommended as a starting point when determining the value of your home. It incorporates user-submitted and public data and takes into account home facts, location, and market conditions. Zestimates are done entirely online, and no representative of Zillow will visit your home to perform an appraisal. Banks and lenders do not use Zillow or similar services to estimate property and instead rely on the expertise of a licensed appraiser. A Zestimate can be off by nearly 5% nearly 40% of the time in some markets, which amounts to around $15,000 on a $300,000 home.

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What is the Main Difference Between a Zillow Zestimate and a Valuation Performed by an Agent?

The main difference between the two is that a Zillow Zestimate is simply an algorithm. You punch in data, and a value pops out. There is no actual human involved who views your home, compares it against others on the market, and produces a detailed report. When an agent conducts a valuation, they are actively involved in the process and create a valuation that is personalized and in-depth.

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It was a pleasure to work with Margaret Schrock for our Petaluma home purchase. She was a true professional from start to finish. She carefully explained and guided us through each step of the home buying process. We were fortu...
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R & J Merk

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D & C, Petaluma

Margaret worked with us over many, many years until we found the house we finally purchased. Throughout the process, Margaret was informative, supportive and a wealth of resources, especially in getting our old house ready to ...
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We were new to Petaluma and Margaret's knowledge of the local real estate market was invaluable to us. She was extremely responsive and knowledgeable throughout the entire process - from getting in to see houses as soon as the...
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David B.

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Kate B.

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Through a colleague's referral, we contacted Margaret for her help in purchasing our first home in Santa Rosa or Sebastopol area. It was the best call that we made. Not only does Margaret know the Sonoma County real estate mark...
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M. Gunn

Margaret was recommended to me by a friend. I had also contacted two other brokers before choosing Margaret. The key strategic decision was to determine the asking price. Margaret suggested a price that would encourage interest...
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D. & M. O'Brien

It was a pleasure working with Margaret Schrock! She explained the process step by step and answered all our questions quickly and clearly, always making sure what method of communication was best for that particular moment. Ou...
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Jeanne & Leon C.

Moving can be quite a challenge! But if you choose the perfect realtor the process becomes much easier. My husband and I have moved several times including from East Coast to West Coast and have considerable experience with the...
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Amy & Chris

Margaret Schrock was a fantastic agent for us. She is extremely knowledgeable about Petaluma and the real estate market there. Margaret spent a lot of time initially getting to know us and listening to our preferences and limit...
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Damien & Nicole B.

My family moved to Petaluma in 2015, and it would have been a lot more difficult if not for Margaret. She was a lot of fun to work with friendly and giving of her time, but also focused and aggressive with our house hunt. She b...
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Tess Z.

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Lori W.

I have known Margaret Schrock for years and my experience with her for this transaction was nothing less than excellent. The transaction involved contingencies on multiple properties both in and out of state. Margaret went abov...
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Jennifer & Mike E.

Having known Margaret for over a decade, we chose her our realtor because we know she is professional, efficient, and a great communicator. Now that our real estate transaction is complete, we recommend her absolutely. She was ...
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How is a Valuation Performed?

There are two accurate ways to perform home valuations: with a Comparative Market Analysis and an appraisal. ​​​​​​​Here is how the two differ:

Why is a Valuation Important?

Though getting a valuation in order to sell your home is the most common reason to get a home valuation, it’s not the only one. ​​​​​​​Here are some more situations when a home valuation may be necessary:

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