Want a free home valuation for your Davis home? You have three ways to find out what it's worth right now. These are an automated online estimate, a free agent comparative market analysis (CMA), and a paid licensed appraisal.
If you're just curious, an online estimate is enough. If you're about to list your home, a free CMA gives you a sharper number. If you're refinancing, your lender will require a licensed appraisal.
These three options differ in what they measure, what they cost, and who can legally perform them. An online tool runs public records through a formula. A CMA adds a trained agent's eye. A licensed appraisal follows formal standards set for that purpose. The three also move from least official to most official. First comes a quick, free number, then a professional opinion, then the verified number a lender or court will accept.
A licensed REALTOR®, DRE# 01948355, prepares the free CMA covered next. That license is the credential a computer estimate cannot offer.
Each method is also only as accurate as what it can see. An online estimate reads data fast, but it never sets foot inside your home. A CMA adds an agent's eyes on your home and the market, but it stays an opinion, not an official document. A licensed appraisal exists because some decisions, like a mortgage, need a verified, in-person number.
Table of Contents
- What an automated home value estimate (AVM) actually measures
- What a free comparative market analysis (CMA) includes and how the free valuation tool works
- What a licensed home appraisal measures and who can legally perform one
- Key factors that shape your home's value
- AVM vs. CMA vs. licensed appraisal, side by side
- Which valuation method fits your situation
- Start With the Free Home Valuation Tool
What an automated home value estimate (AVM) actually measures
An automated valuation model, or AVM, is a computer program that estimates a home's value from public records and recent sales data. It works instantly, costs nothing to run, and no agent or appraiser ever looks at the property in person.
As of October 2025, federal regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, require quality control standards for the AVMs lenders use. These standards apply to the computer estimates that judge a home's value as loan collateral, the property backing the loan. These computer-generated estimates can vary, so the rule guards against inaccurate or manipulated data.
An AVM can't see your home's true condition or recent upgrades. It only uses the data already on file. It also misses very local detail that an agent would catch, like which micro-market a home sits in. A computer model built on broad public data can't weigh those local differences on its own.
An AVM's accuracy also depends on how much recent sales data exists for homes like yours nearby. In an area with fewer recent sales, the computer has less to work with. The estimate can then miss the true value by a wide margin. Treat the number as a starting point, not a final answer.
What a free comparative market analysis (CMA) includes and how the free valuation tool works
A comparative market analysis, or CMA, is an agent's written review of comparable home sales in your area. A CMA helps a seller or buyer decide on a listing price or an offer price. Professional standards require a CMA to state clearly that it is not a formal appraisal, under guidance from the National Association of REALTORS®.
An agent builds a CMA from a few nearby homes that sold recently and match yours in size and style. The agent also checks your home's condition and any updates, details a formula alone cannot see. Comparing your home to those sales, the agent weighs real differences like a finished garage or an outdated kitchen. The agent adjusts the price up or down for those differences to land on a number that fits today's market.
A CMA also shapes your listing price strategy. Price too high, and a home can sit on the market unsold. Price too low, and you leave money on the table. An agent uses the CMA to find a starting price that attracts serious buyers without leaving value behind.
The site's free home valuation tool gives you a starting estimate at no cost. If you're ready to list, follow up with the ten-step seller playbook, which covers pricing, preparation, marketing and closing. Read the ten-step seller playbook for your full plan.
You can check any Davis agent's license status for free on the California Department of Real Estate's public license lookup before you work with them. Search by name, company or license number on the DRE's public license lookup to confirm their credentials.
What a licensed home appraisal measures and who can legally perform one
A licensed home appraisal is a formal, paid valuation. A lender orders one for a purchase loan or a refinance. A court or an estate case may also require one. A state-licensed appraiser, not an agent or an online tool, performs this work under professional appraisal standards.
Appraisers must meet state licensing and training requirements before they can legally sign a report. They also follow professional appraisal standards that apply nationwide, so a lender in any state can trust the result the same way.
During an appraisal visit, a licensed appraiser inspects your home in person. The appraiser measures the square footage and notes the condition, including any repairs or upgrades. The appraiser then compares your home to similar properties that sold nearby. The appraiser writes up these findings in a formal report. A lender relies on this in-person inspection, not just the comparable sales an online tool or a CMA can show.
Key factors that shape your home's value
Every valuation method starts from the same raw details. Check your home's location, condition, square footage, any recent upgrades, and how similar homes nearby have sold recently. These inputs shape an AVM, a CMA and an appraisal alike, though each weighs them differently.
Condition matters because two homes of the same size can sell for very different prices. One may need a new roof; the other may have just been renovated. Square footage sets the baseline for comparing homes of a similar size. Neighborhood market trends matter too. They include how fast recent listings sold and for how much. Together, they show whether the Davis housing market is climbing, holding steady, or cooling nearby.
A home close to UC Davis can draw different buyers than one across town. Whether a home sits in South Davis or elsewhere also changes which recent sales count as fair comparables.
The site's home value page explains local price drivers in more depth.
AVM vs. CMA vs. licensed appraisal, side by side
The site explains automated estimates, but it has not set them side by side with a free comparative market analysis and a licensed appraisal. This table lines up all three so you can see the difference at a glance.
| Method | What it measures | Typical cost | Typical turnaround | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated valuation model (AVM) | A computer-generated estimate lenders and loan buyers use to judge a home's value as loan collateral. | Free, through the home valuation tool on the site. | Instant | A quick, free number if you're just curious. |
| Free comparative market analysis (CMA) | A comparison of recent comparable sales that helps you decide on a listing or offering price. | Free, prepared directly by Anna Aljabiry as your agent. | After an agent compares current listings and recent sales nearby. | A realistic asking price before you list. |
| Licensed appraisal | The property's value for lending, legal or estate purposes, based on an in-person inspection. | Paid; the fee is set by the appraiser. | Set by the appraiser's own schedule. | A lender, court or other official process that requires a verified value. |
Which valuation method fits your situation
A lender financing a home purchase or a refinance usually orders its own licensed appraisal instead of accepting an online estimate or a CMA. Ask your lender early in the process so you know what to expect. As of October 2026, confirm the exact requirement with your lender, since rules can change.
A refinance appraisal works the same way as a purchase appraisal. The lender orders it to confirm your home's current value before approving new loan terms. Home equity is the gap between what you owe on your mortgage and what your home is worth today. Check your own numbers with the Davis mortgage calculator tool before you refinance.
Start With the Free Home Valuation Tool
Whichever situation fits you right now, curious, about to list, or refinancing, the fastest free first step is the same. Use the free home valuation tool on Anna Aljabiry Real Estate's site to get a no-cost estimate of your home's value.
Anna Aljabiry is a REALTOR®, DRE# 01948355, based at 604 Third St, Davis, CA. Contact Anna Aljabiry Real Estate to turn your free estimate into a personalized plan for your home.
