So many new public records Internet sites are mixing the traditional form of the public records index with add-ons made possible by technology – and they’re really useful.
Search real property profiles at zillow.com, a free Internet site that is searchable by street address. Search results include a satellite map, home value, square footage, date of last sale and comparable homes. This database lists all homes in the counties covered, not just properties for sale.
Because of variabilities in geographical areas and the timing of the satellite photography, some placement of homes on the maps may not be exact. There’s no substitute for for getting on the ground, using your own eyes.
I saw this site profiled on Fox News the other day. You’re right, very useful. What I found most interesting was that the site would not only give you the value of the home at the address you enter but also the values of homes all around it. Very useful for getting the feel of a neighborhood as a whole.
I checked my home and found that the description was in error I have 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, not 3 and 1…It also valued my home at about $100K more that what I would expect the market value to be…a nice place to start but all data should be verified by another source…
“We tried to give Zillow a lot of leeway as it is a Beta site and is obviously evolving by the day. But there are definitely problems, the most obvious of which is that there is limited data available for much of the country or Zillow utilizes information which seems to bear a poor relationship to actual market value. At a later date, after giving Zillow a little more time to get its act together, we will look at metropolitan areas where Zillow itself rates its performance well and compare its “Zestimates” and home descriptions to listing prices and other information available on real estate websites and newspaper open house ads.” http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/2242006_Zillow_Review.asp
Nice resource, helpful even if it is incomplete so far.
Too bad it does not work for commercial and vacant property also.
It would also be nice if they included direct links to the applicable county tax assessors office or website.
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