The bottom fell out of the real estate market in some areas, notably parts of Florida where I happen to own property, but some places seem to be on the rebound. And it’s unlikely that real estate, in any market, will fail to increase in value over the long term. Still, many of us worry about what to do with homes, second homes, vacation cabins. There’s no definitive answer, but I do have a pretty cool idea of where to find a lot of information about any neighborhood, house, city or town. It’s called Zillo.
A beta site, that is one that isn’t completely tested and perfected, Zillo is becoming very popular. Zillo calls itself “your edge in real estate.” Here’s what it gives you, FREE:
- Zestimates – estimated values on 70,000,000 homes from a secret proprietary formula.
- For sale listings — post your home or buy one
- Most talked about homes – those with lots of inquiries
- Blogs
- Services for buyers, sellers, and professionals.
From what I saw, prices are pretty accurate – there’s an occasional anomaly, but mostly good info. You can see maps or lists of the properties you’re interested in. Just put in an address with zip code and wait for a response. I was able to look at street configurations, aerial maps and surface maps. I could zoom in or out, much like, say, Mapquest. There are price ranges calculated for specific neighborhoods. It’s possible to calculate a fairly accurate price estimate of your own place by entering some non-identifying info into the site. You’ll need Flash installed to play at this website.
Zillo is interesting. It might not solve all your problems, but it’ll give you something to do while the market continues to improve. Might even motivate you to pick up a property or two at bargain prices. I have this place in Mississippi, if you’re in the market….
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