Zillow's estimates definitely have their quirks. I've seen them swing wildly in both directionsβonce it undervalued my property by nearly 40k, and another time it was overly optimistic by about the same amount. It's enough to make anyone skeptical about relying too heavily on automated valuations. Glad your appraisal came through and eased your worries, though. And yeah, timing really does seem to be key with these refinancing programs. I missed out on HARP myself, but I've heard good things about HIRO from friends who've qualified. Sounds like you caught it at just the right moment... nice when things line up like that.
Yeah, Zillow can definitely be all over the place sometimes. I've had clients who got excited seeing their home's value spike overnight, only to get a reality check when the appraisal came back. Automated valuations are handy as a rough starting point, but they're never a substitute for a proper appraisal or market analysis.
Glad your appraisal worked outβmust've been a relief after seeing those wild swings. And you're right about timing with refinancing programs. HARP was great for some, but HIRO has really helped folks who missed that boat. I've seen a couple of people qualify recently, and it's awesome when things finally click into place after worrying about it for months.
Anyway, congrats on catching it at the right moment. It's always good to hear when someone's able to take advantage of these programs and get some peace of mind.
I had a similar experience last yearβZillow showed a huge jump in my property's value, but the appraisal came back way lower. Definitely taught me to be cautious with automated estimates... Glad it worked out for you though, refinancing can be stressful enough as is.
"Definitely taught me to be cautious with automated estimates..."
Haha, Zillow had me dreaming of early retirement too until reality (aka the appraisal) hit. Refinancing can feel like playing the lottery sometimesβglad yours worked out in the end. I'm still debating if I should even try for HARP at this point... but your story gives me a bit of hope. Maybe I'll roll the dice again soon. Fingers crossed!
"Refinancing can feel like playing the lottery sometimesβglad yours worked out in the end."
That's a good way to put it. I've refinanced twice now, and each time felt like a gamble with appraisals and paperwork. Honestly, automated estimates are useful as a rough guideline, but they're rarely spot-on. Have you checked if your lender has specific eligibility criteria for HARP these days? Guidelines seem to shift every few years, so it might be worth verifying before diving back in...