Comments on: In the Eyes of the Arizona Board of Appraisal, Zillow Stands Alone http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329 Phoenix Real Estate -- Anything and everything about it. Plus random musings... Now with Phoenix area MLS Listings Search! Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:37:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: J.R. Colorado http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-28778 J.R. Colorado Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:27:22 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-28778 Athol, I'm glad you said this: "Just pull what comps you want until it comes out what you want it to." Because the Internet is making it easier and easier for anyone to pull comps. I'm no expert, and I'm certainly no realtor, but it was easy as pie for me to pull comps myself from a Denver neighborhood or Denver zip code (here if you want to look http://www.cohomefinder.com/browse-ci-Denver-zip-codes.htm), and start drawing conclusions about values. Athol, I’m glad you said this:
“Just pull what comps you want until it comes out what you want it to.” Because the Internet is making it easier and easier for anyone to pull comps. I’m no expert, and I’m certainly no realtor, but it was easy as pie for me to pull comps myself from a Denver neighborhood or Denver zip code (here if you want to look http://www.cohomefinder.com/br.....-codes.htm), and start drawing conclusions about values.

]]> By: Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12976 Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:38:04 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12976 Joel - welcome, thanks for commenting! Interesting eval tool. I don't know the laws in Colorado, but if you were here, having the word "appraisal" in it could wind up getting you in a little trouble. Probably worth confirming it's OK in CO. Athol - as always, your commentary is spot on! Joel - welcome, thanks for commenting! Interesting eval tool. I don’t know the laws in Colorado, but if you were here, having the word “appraisal” in it could wind up getting you in a little trouble. Probably worth confirming it’s OK in CO.

Athol - as always, your commentary is spot on!

]]> By: Athol Kay http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12973 Athol Kay Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:16:25 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12973 Well lets be honest about CMA's here too. I often say a CMA stands for Could Mean Anything. It's all on the comps you pull. Honestly any agent with half a brain can make a CMA turn out +/- 15% on whatever fair market value is. Just pull what comps you want until it comes out what you want it to. For me the real CMA number is just a gut feeling after I do the math and see the house. It's about knowing the market and having a educated... well... guess. Well lets be honest about CMA’s here too. I often say a CMA stands for Could Mean Anything. It’s all on the comps you pull. Honestly any agent with half a brain can make a CMA turn out +/- 15% on whatever fair market value is. Just pull what comps you want until it comes out what you want it to.

For me the real CMA number is just a gut feeling after I do the math and see the house. It’s about knowing the market and having a educated… well… guess.

]]> By: Joel McDonald http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12971 Joel McDonald Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:53:59 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12971 Long time lurker, first time poster... This is a great thread. In our Colorado Market, we've struggled with the wildly random "zestimates". Often, they're surprisingly accurate, but when they're off, they can be off by as much as 15%. To further complicate things, it's hard to identify without a good bit of diligence whether they're 10% high or 10% low, and the instant home evaluation almost seems to create more work than just doing an old-fashioned CMA. Although we belive in Automation, it needs to be flexible enough to adapt to necessary changes and with Zillow -- so much of their algorithm is "behind the curtain" that it's hard to identify what changes need to be made. For this reason, we developed an evaluation tool to help our agents brainstorm interactively with clients about the value of their home. If you'd like to check it out, feel free. With a few exceptions, we feel that its principles can be applied in any market: http://www.automatedhomefinder.com/appraisal Long time lurker, first time poster…

This is a great thread. In our Colorado Market, we’ve struggled with the wildly random “zestimates”. Often, they’re surprisingly accurate, but when they’re off, they can be off by as much as 15%. To further complicate things, it’s hard to identify without a good bit of diligence whether they’re 10% high or 10% low, and the instant home evaluation almost seems to create more work than just doing an old-fashioned CMA.

Although we belive in Automation, it needs to be flexible enough to adapt to necessary changes and with Zillow — so much of their algorithm is “behind the curtain” that it’s hard to identify what changes need to be made. For this reason, we developed an evaluation tool to help our agents brainstorm interactively with clients about the value of their home.

If you’d like to check it out, feel free. With a few exceptions, we feel that its principles can be applied in any market:
http://www.automatedhomefinder.com/appraisal

]]> By: BIG scott http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12961 BIG scott Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:25:01 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12961 No problem Jay. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. I also did a blog post on our Wallhogs blog which may help to explain a bit more- http://www.wallhogs-media.com/blog/2007/04/13/wallhogs-the-bigger-better-way-to-advertise-and-market-your-business/ And, about you liking Zillow, that's great. I remember one of the agents that was helping me say how she did not like Zillow and that their numbers (zestimates) were incorrect and misleading. I, personally, have nothing against Zillow; it's a shame that Zillow is being punished but yet others, with similar services, aren't. No problem Jay. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I also did a blog post on our Wallhogs blog which may help to explain a bit more-

http://www.wallhogs-media.com/.....-business/

And, about you liking Zillow, that’s great. I remember one of the agents that was helping me say how she did not like Zillow and that their numbers (zestimates) were incorrect and misleading. I, personally, have nothing against Zillow; it’s a shame that Zillow is being punished but yet others, with similar services, aren’t.

]]> By: Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12958 Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:13:57 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12958 BIG Scott - No problem, I'd easily and readily confused... As for Zillow, be sure to see the latest post. I LIKE Zillow, and I want them to stay around -- whether their Zestimates are good, bad or indifferent. And a wallhog would indeed stand out. I need to put on my creative hat and ponder this a bit more..... Thanks for visiting! BIG Scott -

No problem, I’d easily and readily confused…

As for Zillow, be sure to see the latest post. I LIKE Zillow, and I want them to stay around — whether their Zestimates are good, bad or indifferent.

And a wallhog would indeed stand out. I need to put on my creative hat and ponder this a bit more…..

Thanks for visiting!

]]> By: BIG scott http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12957 BIG scott Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:53:06 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12957 Jay, first off, sorry if I confused you. I was saying that realtors would be happy to hear the news about zillow since zillow's numbers are always off from the numbers that realtors are trying to use (or at least they were when I was shopping for my home in vegas). With regards to the Wallhogs being used by realtors for marketing and advertising- it's creative, it's unique and it's also a novelty item for your clients to better remember you (and refer you) by. Certainly, a Wallhog on the wall with your professional information will stand out amongst the plain, ordinary business cards that will be all over the counter. Jay, first off, sorry if I confused you. I was saying that realtors would be happy to hear the news about zillow since zillow’s numbers are always off from the numbers that realtors are trying to use (or at least they were when I was shopping for my home in vegas).

With regards to the Wallhogs being used by realtors for marketing and advertising- it’s creative, it’s unique and it’s also a novelty item for your clients to better remember you (and refer you) by. Certainly, a Wallhog on the wall with your professional information will stand out amongst the plain, ordinary business cards that will be all over the counter.

]]> By: More on SB1291, Zillow, AZ Board of Appraisal and Big Brother at The Phoenix Real Estate Guy http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12955 More on SB1291, Zillow, AZ Board of Appraisal and Big Brother at The Phoenix Real Estate Guy Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:44:54 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12955 [...] mentioned here and there over the past few days has been amended — with some common sense for a change. Greg [...] [...] mentioned here and there over the past few days has been amended — with some common sense for a change. Greg [...]

]]> By: Athol Kay http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12951 Athol Kay Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:52:09 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12951 Agree Jay. It's nothing but a Black Ops Legislation attempt. Agree Jay. It’s nothing but a Black Ops Legislation attempt.

]]> By: Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12950 Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:27:20 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/in-the-eyes-of-the-arizona-board-of-appraisal-zillow-stands-alone/329#comment-12950 "Really that makes no sense at all though. How does a lesser qualification exempt you from the requirement of having a higher one?" Welcome to my nightmare. NONE of it makes any sense. About the only way one can make sense of it is if you step back and say, "Hmmm, *what if* someone got a bug up their ass and decided to outlaw Zillow, <strong>and Zillow only</strong>, from providing property valuation estimates? How would they go about outlawing Zillow?" This absurd action being taken by the AZBoA and the Arizona legislature appears to be attempting to do just that. It's mind-numbingly stupid. It's really (to me) beyond comprehension. If you try to interpret the legislation literally, it appears that it will also make it illegal for two neighbors to stand on their driveway and discuss the value of their homes. Or laugh at what the guy down the street is listed at. Of course that would be completely unenforceable, but that's the way it reads... “Really that makes no sense at all though. How does a lesser qualification exempt you from the requirement of having a higher one?”

Welcome to my nightmare. NONE of it makes any sense. About the only way one can make sense of it is if you step back and say, “Hmmm, *what if* someone got a bug up their ass and decided to outlaw Zillow, and Zillow only, from providing property valuation estimates? How would they go about outlawing Zillow?”

This absurd action being taken by the AZBoA and the Arizona legislature appears to be attempting to do just that. It’s mind-numbingly stupid. It’s really (to me) beyond comprehension.

If you try to interpret the legislation literally, it appears that it will also make it illegal for two neighbors to stand on their driveway and discuss the value of their homes. Or laugh at what the guy down the street is listed at. Of course that would be completely unenforceable, but that’s the way it reads…

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