This article mentions first that real estate is a local business. This has been true since the French sold Louisiana and thought they made a great deal. Today,  a local real estate professional will have the best information available to perspective buyers and sellers. Sure, as Josh mentioned in his earlier post, there are many ways to get "canned" valuations of real estate. Zillow is, arguably, the leader in this "normalization" of housing data.

Having a generalized method to value real estate is overall a good thing, I think. It allows for taxes to be assessed fairly, homestead exemptions to be applied fairly and for a standardization of mortgage requirements and appraisals.

What it can not, ever, calculate is the way a place "feels". Ultimately, after the countless hours searching the MLS online, waiting for virtual tours to load, email exchanges, Tweets and IM's, you will walk through the front door, and only then truly know you are "home".

This is where the value of a local real estate professional becomes most apparent. They can provide you with the local information and insider knowledge of the area. As they drive around with you looking at those "top ten" picks, this knowledge become priceless. Questions like, "So, what's the neighborhood like?" are best answered by someone who actually knows.