Why You Need to Be Wary of Zillow's Mortgage Calculator

Nevada Real Estate Podcast with Blaine Moore

The perception of the home buying process you get from sites like Zillow is vastly different from the reality of buying a home.

When you look at homes on websites like Zillow, unfortunately, there's a big gap between perception and reality. Joining me today to help explain what I mean is Michelle Piccinini from Movement Mortgage.

The biggest misconception when looking at homes on Zillow is the "What is my payment?" option you can click on. This mortgage calculator is typically not coded to your specific qualifications, however. Your credit score is probably different than what it factors in, and it can't include things like taxes or private mortgage insurance.

"Zillow's mortgage calculators don't know your credit score or financial situation."

The average consumer might look at a $300,000 home on Zillow and have the mortgage calculator tell them that the payment will be $1,200. Then when you sit down with a lender to pull your credit and go over the particulars of the home, you'll get an actual payment. Nine times out 10, that actual payment is higher than what Zillow said. It's classic sticker shock.

This is one of the most important pieces of the value you get by working with a professional real estate agent. If you have any questions for Michelle Piccinini, you can call her at [phone].

As always, give me a call or send me an email if you have any questions about the Reno market or you're thinking of buying or selling a home. I'm here to help.