Automated home value estimates are a starting point, not an answer. Orange County's market moves fast enough, and varies enough block to block, that these tools often miss meaningful factors a local, current market read would catch.
Recent comparable sales matter most, specifically homes similar in size, condition, and location that have sold in the last few months, not the last few years. Orange County pricing can shift meaningfully even within a single year in certain cities.
Current competition matters too. What else is actively listed nearby, and how does your home compare, affects not just your value but your realistic timeline to sell.
Your home's specific characteristics, updates, lot size, layout, and condition, all move the number in ways a generic algorithm can't fully account for. Two similar-looking homes on paper can have meaningfully different values based on what's actually inside.
Neighborhood-specific trends also matter. Even within the same city, different pockets can be appreciating or softening at different rates depending on school boundaries, HOA differences, or simple buyer demand shifts.
A real value estimate comes from someone reviewing all of this together, not a single algorithmic number. That's the difference between an automated estimate and Andrew personally reviewing your home's specifics.