Automatically determining a current value for a real estate property, such as a home, that is tailored to input from a human user, such as its owner

Abstract

A facility procuring information about a distinguished property from a user knowledgeable about the distinguished property that is usable to refine an automatic valuation of the distinguished property is described. The facility displays information about the distinguished property used in the automatic valuation of the distinguished property. The facility obtains user input from of the user adjusting at least one aspect of information about the distinguished property used in the automatic valuation of the distinguished property. On a later the day, facility displays to the user a refined valuation of the distinguished property that is based on the adjustment of the obtained user input.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A computer storage device whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method for procuring information about a property from its owner that is usable to refine an automatic valuation of the property, the method comprising:
 generating the automatic valuation of the property using only information about the property originated by a public source;   displaying at least a portion of information about the property used in the automatic valuation of the property;   obtaining user input adjusting at least one aspect of information about the property used in the automatic valuation of the property;   storing the obtained user input in a non-volatile medium; and   using the stored user input to display to the owner a refined valuation of the property that is based on the adjustment of the obtained user input.   
     
     
         14 . The computer storage device of  claim 13 , further comprising using the stored user input to display to a user other than user providing the user input a refined valuation of the property that is based on the adjustment of the obtained user input. 
     
     
         15 . A method in a computing system having a processor for refining an automatic valuation of a home based upon input from a user knowledgeable about the home, comprising:
 generating the automatic valuation of the property using only information about the home originated by a public source;   displaying at least a portion of information about the property used in the automatic valuation of the property;   obtaining user input adjusting at least one aspect of information about the home used in the automatic valuation of the home;   with a computer processor, automatically determining a refined valuation of the home that is based on the adjustment of the obtained user input; and   presenting the refined valuation of the home.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the presenting involves displaying the refined valuation of the home to a user providing the user input. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the presenting involves displaying the refined valuation of the home to a user other than the user providing the user input. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 obtaining user input specifying a level of access to be permitted to refined valuations that are based on the adjustment of the obtained user input; and 
 presenting the refined valuation of the home in accordance with the specified level of access. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein specified level of access is private, and wherein the presenting on the third day involves displaying the refined valuation of the home to the user providing the user input. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein specified level of access is public, and wherein the presenting on the third day involves displaying the refined valuation of the home to any user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein specified level of access is public, and wherein the presenting on the third day involves displaying the refined valuation of the home to any user designated by the user providing the user input. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the user input obtained from the user adjusts at least one aspect of information about the property used in the automatic valuation of the property by identifying at least one sale of a property comparable to the property. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15  wherein the obtained user input adjusts at least one aspect of information about the home used in the automatic valuation of the property by identifying at least one sale of a home comparable to the property. 
     
     
         24 . A computing device that processes information about a property from its owner that is usable to refine an automatic valuation of the property, comprising:
 a data access subsystem for accessing information about the home originated by a public source;   a user input subsystem for obtaining user input adjusting at least one aspect of information about the home used in the automatic valuation of the home;   a valuation subsystem that is applied a first time to only information about the home originated by a public source to obtain a first automatic valuation of the property and is applied a second time to information about the home originated by a public source as adjusted by the user input adjusting at least one aspect of information about the home used in the automatic valuation of the home to obtain a second automatic valuation of the property; and   a presentation subsystem that causes to be displayed both the first automatic valuation of the property and the second automatic valuation of the property.   
     
     
         25 . The computing device of  claim 24  wherein the presentation subsystem causes the first automatic valuation of the property and the second automatic valuation of the property to be displayed at different times.