Appraising Homes Since 2002
Helping Buyers and Sellers Since 2007
Get the Top Quality Expertise You Need With the White Glove Service You Deserve
Experience Expertise Superior Results
Welcome to Rick Stillman Real Estate Services
Superior Real Estate Services for the Denver Colorado Markets
For the Largest Investment
of Your Life
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When there is no room for mistakes or delays...
and you're dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars and QUALITY is Job #1...
You can't afford to settle for less than the best!
22+
Years Experience
4,000+
Happy Clients
100,000+
Properties Analyzed
Everyone's an Expert?
It's easy to feel overwhelmed. Especially when everyone is telling you they are an expert.
What to do?
The first step is to know the most common problem areas a lot of people fall into.
There are very real dangers that you need to know about.
You need the right source for your information.
Does anyone know how accurate Zillow is?
Zillow has an interesting website. But how accurate is it? The best one to answer that question is Zillow itself. They check and publish the results of their accuracy on their site. How close is close enough? In their data results, it shows a margin of error as high as 20%. Although the graph shows that as having less than a 5% chance of happening - look at the Dallas-Fort Worth, and Cleveland, and Cincinnati data! There is almost a 20% chance of that happening there! Being that it's the same system in use - that could also happen in Denver. Very risky.
Beware of automated home valuation systems
You might think that agents that deal in the local real estate markets can be accurate. Because the value of a home is such an important piece of information, there are a lot of fast and easy tools that claim to be able to determine the value of a home. I always tell people that if a computer could do the job of a highly skilled professional, they would be making money in the stock market instead of real estate - because it's so much faster and easier. Many "tools" to value homes are designed for marketing and not analysis.
Data that is of no help
Some people think that the best way to value a home is with a lot of data. Although that looks good on paper, when data says that home values in downtown Denver range from $500,000 to $5 million - what good is that? And how can you be sure that the house down the street sold for the right price? Just "having data" does not mean it's correct - or even useful. How can you know that data is correct or even complete? How much room for error are you willing to accept? You need to have someone that can analyze and "prove" the results to you.
What can go wrong with the process.
The big question is - how much is a home actually worth? These are two homes which I recently analyzed in an appraisal. These are similar homes in age, condition, and style. They are located within a half mile of each other, and they both sold at about the same time. There was there a $325,000 price spread between them. The important question is did the buyers pay too much for the higher priced home - or did the sellers sell too low for the lower priced home? How can you know?
Buying? You need to know this.
If you're a buyer, how can you be sure the sale price of a home is accurate? As in these two examples, the prices were dropped by $99,000 and $175,000. Maybe the prices are still too high? How can you know? There is a lot of money at stake. (Examples from Zillow 7/5/24)
Thinking of Selling? Be careful.
If you're a seller how can you ensure a fast sale for a good price? If you don't have a good understanding of the market, your home could sit on the market for many months, all the while costing you money for payments and upkeep. Why do some homes not sell? (Examples from Zillow 7/5/24)
What is the solution?
Work with an expert that can provide the answers and guidance that will produce top quality results.
You need to have the most precise and relevant data - and to have an expert that can provide the insight so you may fully understand it and make the best decisions possible.
Find the best people to work with and you will obtain the best results.
That sounds so obvious, but it's not that easy as the examples have clearly shown. It all comes down to how much risk CAN you afford to take?
Go with an expert and put the odds in your favor.
Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.
Albert Einstein
You now know more than most people do about Real Estate
Don't rely on anything less than hardcore facts and data that is thoroughly researched and supported.
Work with an expert that has expertise and experience that will deliver results that matter. The savings in money can be astounding. The savings in stress, frustration, and time are priceless.
The decisions you make now will have profound consequences for many years to come.
And one more thing.
I put the same level of care and expertise in appraising, buying, or selling a home as I did for this five level multi-million dollar home.
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When it's the largest financial investment of your life, don't settle for less than everything you deserve.
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Questions? We're Here to Help.
For inquiries, collaborations, or further information, please reach out to us at your convenience. You can also complete the form below, and we will respond promptly.
Contact Us
Main Office Information
Visit us or send mail to our office address below. For general inquiries, please use the contact form or reach out via email or phone. We look forward to connecting with you.
HomeSmart Realty Group
c/o Rick Stillman
8300 Maplewood Drive, Ste 100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
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