Keeping up with the Joneses

I have used Google to search the Web for about as long as it's been around. And I'll admit it, a couple of years ago I began using Google to look up friends and acquaintances. It was kind of fun to see what people were doing or where they were or what was being said about them. Of course, the more unusual the name, the easier it is to Google a person because the "hits" will relate to the person you know rather than the 1,000,000 other John Smiths that you don't know.

I learned from Newsweek this week that a new web site has opened (it still describes itself as a "beta" site) that has become the overnight rage on the Internet. That site is www.zillow.com. By entering an address on this site, you are presented with the estimated value of the house and property located at that address. Using what must be one of the nation's largest real estate databases, Zillow also presents the values of homes surrounding the one you entered, the description and size of the home, recent recorded sales of the property, and comparable houses in the area which have sold recently. Basically, you get, instantly and for free, everything you used to have to ask a realtor to get for you. In addition, in some parts of the country you can get an aerial and/or satellite photo of the property although the photos seem to be several years old.

Now, you too can see how your property compares with your neighbors, your co-workers, or your relatives. What will be next?