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Ok, I’ll Stop – Honestly

You hate Zillow” was the opening of an e-mail (written in good fun) I received from a past client, a millennial and one of my favorite clients because she and her husband have spunk. I like spunk.

To wit: I don’t hate Zillow. I just dislike misinformation used to sell stuff. I’m trying to get consumers to value information in their daily lives but especially in real estate. I’m not famous so there is a pretty good chance no one listens to me. Instead, people listen to famous people or famous companies.

What the famous person said about the famous company:

“The heart of Zillow, home prices, is simple and available right on its homepage. Type in an address and almost instantly you can see how much a house is worth. Zillow is one of those websites that isso much fun to explore.”

Kim Komando writes for USA Today (famous person, famous company). I don’t want to pick on her. She’s probably a nice person. I’ll pick on her advice “almost instantly you can see how much a home is worth.

Look at the data of 5 recent homes purchased by clients of Homebuyer Asscociates. Me? Almost instantly you can find misinformation.

Asking Price     Zillow Worth   Homebuyer Assc. Client Purchase

$324,900          $321,000                      $302,500

$209,800          $205,577                      $197,000

$225,000          $235,000                      $204,000

$249,000          $254,000                      $240,000

$214,000          $209,500                      $193,000

Real estate agents might use the Zillow Worth to suggest a buyer pay more than clients of Homebuyer Associates. Maybe spending money you shouldn’t spend is ok because “it’s so much fun.”

I’m reminded of Sun Tzu who made his point speaking about generals, not real estate agents:

The agent who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his client and do good service for his client, is the jewel of the kingdom.

At Homebuyer Associates we don’t covet fame. Our goal is to work for our clients. Most often that means we have to tell Zillow, famous writers and real estate agents who make noise that even though we are quiet, the data supports Homebuyer Associates’ approach to buying a home.

Coffee? A little honest discussion might allow you to plan for your next home purchase.  We’ll work to be the jewel of your kingdom.

Thanks for reading,
Michael D. Holloway

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Homebuyer Associates
1835 N. Riverwalk Way
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414-254-4129
info@homebuyerassociates.com