@craftywoman : Is it a realtor working for you? Is so, they will probably give you a price to list and a price to expect.
If it's not your agent then don't let them tell you.

@craftywoman : You get more than one realtor to give you a quote. Realtors know the value of the homes in your neighborhood.If I were you, DON'T SIGN ANY PAPERS TODAY. You are not obligated to them. And DON'T decide on a price today.

Look up your house on zillow.comAlso take the fair value from your property tax bill and multiple by 3

Thanks guys for your advice..well it was real let down..let me tell you..first , he was just here to give advice on pricing..no paper signing today..Not sure if I will use him or not.. His selling price seemed really low..the same price we bought it at 14 years ago..ugh...really..and we didnt buy on the high end either..he said no one is really buying..and yet said..it's a sellers market.

@kraziebill : Zillow has my house price $20,000 more then he wanted to price it..but Zillow isn't what the realtors use to price a house either..

@craftywoman : Try a different realtor.... when someone's pitch is along the lines of 'we'll sell it in 59 days or we will buy it'... you can't be getting a great deal.

@craftywoman : Merrick likes to sell houses fast, so I think they'll tend to start on the low end. That said, property values around here HAVE fallen dramatically in the past few years, so a lot of people selling property now are shocked at what their property is worth.I second what others have said - check on zillow.com, or a similar website. Look at your house's estimated value, and (perhaps more importantly) look for comparable houses in the area that have sold in the past 2 years. Try to find houses that are similar in size, layout, and state (remodeled, or needing remodeling). Just like on ebay, people can ask whatever they want for their property, so you can't really gauge accurate values from the asking prices. You need to look at the selling prices to know what the true value of a property is.

@Mahkno : They didn't even pitch that or did I ask for it..I went with them cause they seem to give a lot back into the community..tho maybe they all do...I got **** off when he told me he didn't need to see my house to give me my selling price..said houses aren't really selling and then told me that it's a sellers market with only around 2900 houses for sell in the whole Peoria area..even counting whats across the river..On Zillow..my house is in the $140,000 range..he wants me to price it at $129,000..which is what I bought it for 14 years ago..He just rubbed me the wrong way..didn't look at the house or the property..I might sell it at his price..but he won't be getting the listing...

On Zillow, you can check to see what other nearby or similar homes have sold for.

Zillow is not accurate for estimating the value of your home.

They tell you. The market doesn't care what you think its worth, or "what you need". If they just ask you what you want to list it at and say OK find another Realtor. You want it to sell not "be on the market".

@kraziebill : HAHAHAHAHA! Over the years, my FMV has dropped until this year when it went UP!!! And I mean UP!! Guess the city needed some tax dollars. Even so, it is now barely worth what I paid for it not to mention probably 30K of upgrades.

@JnJ : Actually , they asked me what I wanted to sell it for over the phone..I told them I didn't know..I just find it hard to believe that in the neighborhood I live in..that it hasn't gone up some..

I would not trust zillow or anyone that will buy your home if it doesn't sell. They have to low ball. I agree with some o these comments. Look at the homes that have sold in your area. Our first agent at the old house told us a value of 1/3 of what we sold for a year later with another realtor.

It's possible they want to get a feeling for how reasonable you will be but I never want to get that info up front. It can cloud my judgement when pricing a property. If your property has increased in value really depends on when you bought it and where it is. Also if any improvements you made actually add value or were for your own personal satisfaction - ex, wallpaper or special room colors are personal taste and don't add market value