Best of all, Zillow.com is free, and does not require you to register, subscribe, login or enter any personal information. That's VERY cool. Zillow CEO Rich Barton sums up his philosophy like this: "We believe you shouldn't need a computer science degree or a real estate license to find out what a home is worth. That's why we created Zestimate values, providing free and instant valuations for millions of homes in America."

For the true information addicts, Zillow's estimated values are updated daily, so you can track the value of your investment. This gives both buyers and sellers an real-time view of the local housing market.

How Will Remodeling Affect Your House Value? The Zestimator tool allows you to play "What If?" scenarios, to estimate the impact of adding a room, finishing the basement, or remodeling the kitchen. Plug in your changes, and Zillow re-calculates the new value for your home based on local remodel and depreciation data.

There are many factors that Zillow may not be able to take into consideration when estimating the value of a home, so it's still a good idea to hire a professional appraiser to evaluate a property, if you're serious about buying or selling. But do try Zillow to get an estimate of the market value of your home, a neighbor's home, or a home in a neighborhood where you might be considering a purchase. It's also a great tool if you're curious about what a neighbor's house sold for.

Reprinted from: http://www.askbobrankin.com/house_values.html

BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin's website for more helpful articles and free tech support.

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