www.zillow.com is a remarkably good site that provides valuations and statistical data for free. Check it out.
My house info isn't correct. They list it as a 3 bedroom, 1 bath. It is actually a 4 bedroom, 3 bath. Still, they claim that 81% of the homes around me are worth less. By the time spring hits I think it will be appraised at around $230,000 - $240,000.
Heh, I got an increase of $145k in equity in the last year alone. The sad thing is, it in no way enables me to acquire more property. It helps, but not close to being an enabler.
ON THE CONTRARY...i too reside in the bay and having gone thru the process of real estate investing, it can enable you. its called leverage. you probably know that by being a homeowner but knowing how to use it can make you a savvy investor. if you would like to talk more or just have any ??, pm me. my wife is a realtor and i'm a loan specialist.
As a CPA, I'm conservative by nature. Being highly leveraged is something I won't even consider. High risk can definitely = high reward no doubt. You call it savvy, I call it something else. Thanks though! As a side note, our biggest client in the office here is unbelievably leveraged. They run Carl's Jr. franchises throughout four states in the west. They make bazillions of dollars. I just couldn't bring myself to run a business the way they do...perhaps I'm just not destined for a bazillion dollars?
I think once Viv graduates, we're ditching this expensive assed state... Either that or moving out to like Stockton/Modesto/Vacaville or something in the BFE where houses are actually afforable...
"54% of homes in the 55110 ZIP code have a value lower than this home." Let's hear it for my house being better than average!
It's outdated. Most homes in my neighborhood are 20-30k more than the value they're saying. I guess it's good for ballpark figures, but you really need a personal appraisal to get an accurate picture of your home's worth.
