Housevalues Inc. (SOLD)

All Comments on SOLD

  • commenter
    The
    Anti-Markete
    r
    Oct 07 05:30 PM
    My Website
    Zillow Aims to Disrupt Lending Market With Its Mortgage Marketplace [view article]
    Whenever someone claims they're going to disrupt a market as part of their marketing message, I'm suspicious. Disruptive innovation is not a marketing buzzphrase, and it's only relevant to internal business and marketing strategy, and possibly to major investors.

    Zillow, in fact, is not even remotely disruptive. To start with, they'd have to have accurate and reliable information in their system. And you can't automate comparables, especially when there is high market volatility or a transitional market (e.g. in-fill housing that is twice as expensive as neighboring homes). It also doesn't account for major changes, such as adding a second story, a complete gutting and renovation, tear down and replacement, or foreclosures which temporarily distort markets. If the information can't be relied on, there's no reason for buyers or sellers to go there. All it does is add friction to the process.

    To be disruptive, a product or service or business model must address a real problem and serve an unmet or under-served market need. Zillow does none of these for the end consumer. At best, it provides a ballpark estimate of a home's value before I commit to talking to a realtor, but there are numerous other places I can also get that information.

    Sorry, no disruption here.

    Wondering if you do any analysis, or just read off the vendor's press release.     Reply
  • commenter
    The Family
    Man
    Aug 06 09:20 PM
    Three Opportunities to Buy Small Cap Stocks at Cash Value [view article]
    Interesting, compelling analysis . . . yet for one of these three, at least, some confusion in numbers. Autobytel issued their 2Q 08 data today -- not particularly great, to be sure -- but they note a cash position of $35.7M as of 6/30/08 and $27.6M as of 12/31/07. (Short-term investments don't add much.) What's the basis for your $44M figure...and does this not now reduce the threshold below the roughy $1 or $1- and-teens-cents point? Reply
  • commenter
    alphameister
    Jul 21 08:32 AM
    Three Opportunities to Buy Small Cap Stocks at Cash Value [view article]
    All three companies are reporting losses, so the burn rate of their cash is pertinent to this analysis. SOLD at least reported a lower rate of loss in the March quarter and also owns the best chart by far among these three stocks. Reply
  • commenter
    Christina
    May 09 02:39 PM
    Google Real Estate in Secret Beta; Threat to Cendant, Move.com, HouseValues, ZipRealty (CD, GOOG, HOMS, SOLD, ZIPR) [view article]
    As a home owner who is looking for a new home (I am an gen X ) I would say that the internet is the only way to go- we find listings through zip realty, google, trulia, zillow, realtor.com (Zip is the best as it allows the best search options). Then we map it on google earth to see the property over all ~ie will it fit our toyhauler? RV gate dose not mean RV parking ~ the we search the web for any other pictures we can find - drive by it our selves then if we want to see it call our realtor. Saves everyone time. So realtors are needed although 6% seems pretty high to settle terms and sign papers! She does not match us with houses on her own only set up a search on their sight that usually does not narrow down our specifics enough. When we drive by a property we like we take down an address then hit the web We are amazed when we can't find it on the web and we don't persue it any further in this market there are too many hosues out there to be calling a bunch of realtors only to have them bicker about who is representing who is listing who is co-listing etc etc . The realty model is going to have to change becaouse it is driving us out . we are going to list our house ourselves as soon as our realtor contract runs out. Why pay 6% for the realtor when that can amount to over half of your profit? Any way just my perspective. Reply
  • commenter
    Christian
    Apr 18 10:52 AM
    Zillow Aims to Disrupt Lending Market With Its Mortgage Marketplace [view article]
    Disrupt the lending market? Isn't it essentially in shambles already? I think we're just dropping an ice cube in an already boiling-over pot. Reply
  • commenter
    SeekingAlpha
    Editors
    Apr 06 05:18 AM
    My Website
    General Discussion on SOLD
    Is this a buy or a sell? Reply
  • commenter
    Chris1206
    Apr 03 12:38 PM
    My Website
    Zillow Aims to Disrupt Lending Market With Its Mortgage Marketplace [view article]
    tcornelison is absolutely right. Answering the question, "What's are your fees and your best rate?", cannot be answered in today's mortgage lending environment. It really does take time to analyze the client's total situation (credit, income, LTV). There are so many new changes that have been implemented just within the past 6 months. Finally, Malkiel is also right, find a credible lender from personal referrals that will provide you the level of service that you need.

    @Dectra - You completely missed the point of the Zillow product. Zillow will not give provide your info to the lenders like Lending Tree does now. It sounds like you had a good experience with LT but they do provide all of your info (income, contact info, etc) to the lenders.

    Good luck to Zillow, I am sure it will be successful for them.     Reply
  • commenter
    Malkiel
    Apr 03 11:06 AM
    Zillow Aims to Disrupt Lending Market With Its Mortgage Marketplace [view article]
    Anyone who's taken out a mortgage or refinanced in the last few years has been treated to an avalanche of offers from unscrupulous mortgage and insurance brokers flooding their mailbox. It's likely that these predators and scam artists will be the pool of interested parties on the other end, not legitimate mortgage companies. Zillow has a great concept web site that still doesn't work right for the home listing end, so they should concentrate on fixing that part of what they do. They also need to explain to the growing unhappy portion of their users just how their "zestimates" of home values are calculated, because it's patently unfair to the homeowners to have to negotiate with buyers over an estimate made in black-box fashion that they can't argue against. Reply
  • commenter
    dectra
    Apr 03 08:56 AM
    Zillow Aims to Disrupt Lending Market With Its Mortgage Marketplace [view article]
    Putting personal info out for ANYONE to see.......hmmm......I'... pass. It's one thing to input the value of your home, but quite another to start putting out income and other related info you'd need to get loan offers.

    Sorry, I'll stick with lending tree. I've used them 3 times and NEVER had a problem, even when one of my closing dates happened to be 9/11. Simply called the broker and rescheduled for the next day.     Reply
  • commenter
    tcornelison
    Apr 03 08:26 AM
    Zillow Aims to Disrupt Lending Market With Its Mortgage Marketplace [view article]
    There will be lots of dissapointed potential borrowers. On-line mortgage lending leads to lots of frustrated consumers. This has been proven time and time again over the last several years. On-line lenders are known in the real estate community for delaying real estate closings. Borrowers in today's market place, if they have half a brain, will rely on personal referrals from people who have prior experience with a lender or the guidance of a professional.

    The current crisis has lead to the implementation of tons of new laws and agency regulations, rate add ons and restrictions. It is impossible to give an accurate rate quote without the benefit of a credit report and full application. Sketchy basic information will lead to surprise after surprise and the consumer will lose confidence quickly.     Reply
  • commenter
    surfer
    Mar 14 12:07 PM
    Redfin Continues To Shrink The Real Estate Market [view article]
    Redfin will go the way of all discount brokers and continue losing money until they are out of business. I worked for a "discount" broker and we did okay when the market was hot, but as soon as the market cooled, most of our agents went back to full service brokerages. The industry is simply too expensive for a company to give away 2/3's of their revenue and survive. It sounds great, but it doesn't work in the long run. Reply
  • commenter
    Ed Harder
    Nov 19 05:35 PM
    Google Real Estate in Secret Beta; Threat to Cendant, Move.com, HouseValues, ZipRealty (CD, GOOG, HOMS, SOLD, ZIPR) [view article]
    Great response. I am a Broker in a very rural market. You are absolutley correct about the level of serices and competence customers receive regardless whether they are from a large franchise or a small mom and pop business such as ours. We live and work in our market area and in my opinion, the most knowledgable about our market. Reply
  • commenter
    Georealist
    Nov 08 08:58 PM
    Housing Bubble and Real Estate Market Tracker [view article]
    Judy..Once again a very informative summary. The housing "bubble" is, of course, much more insidious than most realize. The three biggest liars on God's earth are real estate agents, bankers...and home builders. Their losses are far greater than anyone thinks...even the percentages homebuilders use..% sales..are almost too misleading to think about. In any case...this is not going away..it is NOT a passing mood like the downturns previously..this is what is known as a strategic dislocation..NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME. Reply
  • commenter
    Lee Carlson
    Jul 21 03:16 PM
    ZipRealty + Zillow Could Be a Winner [view article]
    The problem with those great sites like Zillow is that the information is so far from factual and the aerial photos and street names and addresses are so old, in many cases,..some of the photos in my particular area are over 10 years old or more ! The aerial photos in my particular subdivision show huge areas that are vacant land and I know for a fact that some of the homes in those areas are more than 10 years old,...so how does that affect credability ??? Even some of the current sales prices are off by $20-$30,000 . ..so how can one see any value in visiting that site or similar ones. Unless those companies get up to date info. they are simply dead ducks !
    I am a Realtor,..25 years in the practice and my own subdivision as presented by Zilllow ,..is so out of touch it is simply amazing. The values they place on homes are 5 years ago values !! LC     Reply
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