Who hasn’t checked their home’s value online “just to see”? It’s quick, it’s tempting, and it’s fun to imagine your home’s worth ticking up like a stock price. But before you get too attached to that number, here’s the truth: those online estimates are rarely exact.

Why? Because they can’t see or feel what makes your home special.

Online valuations rely on public data like tax records, recent nearby sales, and sometimes even user-submitted information. But they can’t account for:

• Your home’s specific upgrades or remodels
• The exact location within your neighborhood
• The condition and appeal of your home compared to others
• What’s happening in the market right now (like buyer demand or interest rate shifts)

That’s why two nearly identical homes can have very different values—one might back to green space, another to a busy road; one may have a new roof, another original from 2005.

Even the sites themselves admit their “Zestimates” or “value tools” are a starting point, not an appraisal. The wider the price range shown, the less confident the system is.

Online assessments are great for curiosity, not decisions. If you’re refinancing, renovating, or planning to sell, you’ll want a human who can actually walk your home, review recent comparable sales, and factor in what the algorithms miss.

If you’d like a true market snapshot of your home’s value—based on today’s local data and your home’s unique features—reach out anytime. I’d be happy to prepare one for you (and no, it’s not a “Zestimate” 😉).