Today while inspecting a property in Los Angeles, it hit me how unique that Orange County is as far as how values differ from the smallest commute. In Los Angeles, you could be close to a more desirable area and your house gains value. I was in Topanga today and because it is somewhat close to Malibu, the values were on the high end. But in Orange County, it is different. A zip code makes everything here. You can be in Newport Beach which is one of the more desirable places to live and go one block north to the west side of Costa Mesa, and the value drops $200k. But if you go east in Costa Mesa over the 55 freeway and away from the beach, the values go way up and sometimes pass the Newport Beach homes. It is really important to know your area in the places like this and you should always make sure your Realtor, Broker, or Appraiser is either from the area your selling or buying from or very familiar. While Realtors usually just deal with a small area near their home or office in which they can solicit business from, an Appraiser follows trends and statistics in all of the counties they serve. More and more Appraisers and Brokers are offering a Price List Opinion (PLO) or a Brokers Price Opinion (BPO). This will give you a quick sale value, top dollar value (if you can afford to be patient), and a median value that could be competitive. This is probably a good idea to get when selling or buying considering this is one of, if not the biggest and most important purchases you will make and considering the cost of this is relatively low compared to the other cost involved.