Zillow tax error frustrates Cuyahoga County home buyers, sellers

This article comes from https://www.cleveland.com that talks about the inflated tax assessments that Zillow posted on his property. It shows that sometimes you need a professional not a computer.

"But if you used Zillow to search for or list homes in Cuyahoga County in the past month or so, you may have seen inflated 2018 tax assessments and property tax bills that were in some cases doubled, frustrating homeowners and real-estate agents trying to sell houses."

Fortunately I look at taxes through the county if I think the taxes show too high and let my buyer know. You also have higher taxes showing on a property when  the seller is behind on their taxes or owe on utilities. When you see a higher tax contact a Realtor that understands where to get the proper numbers. 

"Last year, the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office put the taxable value of Wallach’s home at $173,390. His tax bill for the year came to $20,329. But according to Zillow, the house’s tax assessment was $495,400 and the 2018 property taxes totaled more than $35,000 — a significant enough difference for Wallach to believe it may have scared off buyers"

That is another issue is the valuation that Zillow does on homes. I recently got a listing that the buyer was told by an unlicensed seller was worth $150,000 by Zillow. They purchased and rehabbed the home for $110,000. The home is really worth tops $125,000. That is a huge difference and the home needs another $15,000 worth of upgrades to sell for the $125,000. 

"A recent search of listings across the county indicates the error is widespread, with incorrect tax information listed in neighborhoods across the city of Cleveland and in many suburbs, too"

That is the issue when you have a computer do the valuation because there is so many variables to getting a value on a home. A Real Estate Agent goes to the MLS which is consistently audited manually. Realtors are trained how to input a property into the computer. 

The moral to this story is get a licensed professional when you buy a home, so you can understand the difference in values and know the correct taxes. Remember every home is rehabbed and updated differently or not at all. How does that effect the value? Better ask a Realtor! 

I'm Brett and I am a Realtor, Icon Agent at EXP Realty 100's of homes and counting. Call me 

216-703-5740 in Ohio and 602-363-6551 in Arizona 

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