Everyone’s a Zillow stalker now. Then I talk to Julie from California who wants to know if the $300 in her Cash App is real or a scam. Plus, what makes your house a burglar’s target and the missing Jeffery Epstein footage. Don’t miss it!
Real estate secrets hiding in plain sight
ChatGPT
Most people hop on real estate sites just to see their dream house or check local sales prices. That’s cute, but if you know where to click, these sites cough up more secrets than your drunk aunt at Thanksgiving.
🏠 Homes.com, The Mortgage Peep Show
This one is crazy. Search an address, scroll down far enough on the page, and sometimes you’ll see the current mortgage details: how much the owner borrowed, what they still owe and their interest rate.
Yep, you can find out if your neighbor snagged a sweet 2.75% or is sweating it out at 7%. Not every property shows this, but when it does, it’s like finding the golden ticket.
📊 Redfin, The Price Detective
Scroll past the listing fluff and head to Public Facts and Price Insights. You’ll see the home’s entire sales history, property tax changes and exactly when price drops happened.
There’s also a “Time on Redfin” number. If that dream house has been sitting for 112 days, guess what? The seller’s probably ready to deal.
🏡 Zillow, The Quiet Gossip Queen
Everyone knows Zillow for the “Zestimate,” but that’s just the appetizer. Click Price/Tax History, and you’ll see what the seller paid, when they bought and how their taxes have climbed over the years.
Flip on the “Foreclosures” or “Make Me Move” filters, and you’ll uncover homes that aren’t officially on the market but could be yours if the price is right.
🗺 Realtor.com, The Neighborhood Spy
Click the Neighborhood tab, and it’s like you’re strolling the block with X-ray vision. You get commute times, school ratings, crime stats and what the neighbors paid for their houses.
Peek at the Property History, too. Sometimes it shows if a home was yanked off the market before. That’s insider info you can use to your advantage.
When you’re buying, selling or just being nosy (no judgment), the boring tabs are where the gold is. And yes, it’s all legal. It’s just hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone savvy like you to click.
🎲 Speaking of… When it comes to board games about buying real estate, Hasbro really has the Monopoly.
Zillow stalking: The new national pastime
ChatGPT
Confession time: I Zillow people. All the time.
Someone casually mentions they just bought a house in Aspen? I’m on it. I’m already hunched over my keyboard like a Nancy Drew reboot.
🏡 Zillow bans hidden listings: Into real estate? You need to know that Zillow now blacklists home listings that agents publicly market (think “For Sale” signs or Instagram posts) without first putting them on a local MLS database. It’s the real estate equivalent of “pics or it didn’t happen.” Compass, a major brokerage, is suing, calling the move anti-competitive.
This Zillow update makes home shopping easier
© Phairin Theekawong | Dreamstime.com
This was a rough year for Zillow. The company wanted to flip homes to make big cash, so its algorithm bought up properties like hotcakes — but the whole affair flopped.
On Nov. 2, Zillow reported a third-quarter net loss of $328 million. On the bright side, that means many of its homes are selling for low prices. Tap or click here for Kim’s guide to home shopping.
Virtual makeover: Easy way to redecorate your rooms online
For many of us, remote work has become the new norm. A year into the pandemic and we are getting used to balancing our home and work lives.
Tax season is here and you may have questions about how to file this year. Who is eligible for a work-from-home tax deduction? Can you claim home office expenses on your return? Tap or click here for answers to these questions and more.
Confession time: I Zillow people — July 12th, Hour 2
Everyone’s a Zillow stalker now. Then I talk to Julie from California who wants to know if the $300 in her Cash App is real or a scam. Plus, what makes your house a burglar’s target and the missing Jeffery Epstein footage. Don’t miss it!
🏠 Zillow’s new rule: If a home is advertised anywhere online, it now has to be listed on Zillow, too, or they’ll blacklist it. Why? Some brokerages have been posting homes on their own sites first to give their clients early access. Harsh. Long story short: If you’re selling, now you know, thanks to me.
The Zillow problem
Most people think Zillow’s Zestimate is the best way to value a home. The truth is, it’s not.
How to get the highest Zestimate
Looking to maximize your home’s value on Zillow? Getting the highest estimate isn’t just about luck; it’s about knowing how to play the game.
Get photos of your home off Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com
Are there pictures of your house online? Here’s why that’s a real danger and how you can remove them from listing sites.
How to get photos of your home off Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com
You sold your house, but why are pics of it still up on listing sites? In this one-minute podcast, I’ll tell you why this is a privacy no-go.
Secrets to getting the highest Zestimate on your home
Did you know your home is on Zillow — even if it’s NOT for sale? Here’s what you need to do, in 60 seconds.