While homeowners are flocking to this new website to find out how much their house is worth, appraisers and the lending community advise caution. Zillow may not always yield the most reliable results. The buzz on this topic seems to indicate that the most accurate results are being returned for homes located in active urban metro markets weheras the least accurate results are being returned for homes located in less populated areas with less transaction activity.

Although Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) like Zillow.com use complex mathematical algorithms to predict home values, their results are ultimately only as good as the quality and quantity of current market data. As the old computer programmer adage goes, "garbage in = garbage out".

We wanted to take a glance at Zillow's results compared to actual residential appraisals we have performed in the past few months; so, we asked Eben Bryant to look into it. Now, this was no scientific study. We simply took a small sample of 12 appraisals we performed of single

Make It Easier for Your Market to Find You
Sometimes, the reason why a product or service fails is not because it is not relevant to its consumers, but because your market may not be aware you exist. If this is the case, you might as well close shop and do something else, or allow your business to be enhanced by marketing search engine tools.With the current lifestyle and habits of consumers, it is almost always fatal to not be able to be available to your market through the Internet. Almost anyone and everyone uses the Internet one way or another and more and more people go to

z on this topic seems to indicate that the most accurate results are being returned for homes located in active urban metro markets weheras the least accurate results are being returned for homes located in less populated areas with less transaction activity.

Although Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) like Zillow.com use complex mathematical algorithms to predict home values, their results are ultimately only as good as the quality and quantity of current market data. As the old computer programmer adage goes, "garbage in = garbage out".

We wanted to take a glance at Zillow's results compared to actual residential appraisals we have performed in the past few months; so, we asked Eben Bryant to look into it. Now, this was no scientific study. We simply took a small sample of 12 appraisals we performed of singl

Gifting to Grow Your Business - How Important Is It?
The year-end Holidays come and go and businesses get snowed under with year end gifts from their clients. In some ways, gifts at year end all seem to be lumped together in the client's mind. The new trend is to find year-round cost effective ways to thank your clients.Did you know that when companies are doing well they don't thank their customers? When things are slow, companies start to court their customers .... sometimes that's too late.You need to keep your name in front of your customer constantly. Gifting is one way t

reas with less transaction activity.

Although Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) like Zillow.com use complex mathematical algorithms to predict home values, their results are ultimately only as good as the quality and quantity of current market data. As the old computer programmer adage goes, "garbage in = garbage out".

We wanted to take a glance at Zillow's results compared to actual residential appraisals we have performed in the past few months; so, we asked Eben Bryant to look into it. Now, this was no scientific study. We simply took a small sample of 12 appraisals we performed of singl

Dynamic Digital Signage Screen Networks
Narrowcasting using digital screen networks can be a valuable method of distributing information quickly and efficiently throughout an organization. Narrowcasting in public places is a growing trend in advertising. The concept means delivering highly targeted and customized messages to audiences in public locations at scheduled times using digital signage systems: Plasma Monitors, LCD Monitors, and CRT Monitors, Projection Displays, Kiosks. In order to understand digital signage systems, we must know what goes by the name digital sign? A

ly as good as the quality and quantity of current market data. As the old computer programmer adage goes, "garbage in = garbage out".

We wanted to take a glance at Zillow's results compared to actual residential appraisals we have performed in the past few months; so, we asked Eben Bryant to look into it. Now, this was no scientific study. We simply took a small sample of 12 appraisals we performed of singl

Domain Name Goldmines: Expired Traffic Investing In The 21st Century
I get pretty frustrated when thinking back to the days of seven-figure domain name sales. However, I was only a little kid, but still, I spent hours on the computer playing Descent II with my friends. Oh yes, those hours could have been spent convincing my parents to help me buy domain names like cd.com, tv.com, local.com, interact.net, isp.net, and other incredibly valuable domains. Sadly, other people got to them first, making millions very fast.Some who fail say that the time to make money in domains is over. They are wrong indeed,

d to actual residential appraisals we have performed in the past few months; so, we asked Eben Bryant to look into it. Now, this was no scientific study. We simply took a small sample of 12 appraisals we performed of single-family homes and condos located in the East Bay just to get an inkling of Zillow's accuracy.

Appraised Values vs Zillow Zestimates
Zillow provides a data coverage and accuracy table. They rate the San Francisco-Oakland area as one of their top metro areas and give it a four-star rating for accuracy. They say that an historical test of their database showed that 76% of the time, their Zestimated value was within 10% of the selling price.

Based on our in-house sample, Zillow's results were within 10% of the selling price (or in this case, our appraised value) only 50% of the time. That is, the Zillow estimated values for 6 out of the 12 appraisals we compared were within 10% of our value opinions. Not exactly the 76% accuracy they report; but, actually not too bad. Again, remember too though that t