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How the estimate on this site is made, what the federal index behind it measures and leaves out, and how to read the appreciation figures on the state, metro, county and ZIP pages. Every figure comes from the same FHFA snapshot as the calculator, and every claim links to its source.

What Is My House Worth Since I Bought It? The Index Method, Step by Step

Take what you paid, multiply by how your area's FHFA index changed since then, and you have a checkable estimate. The formula, a worked example, and its limits.

Read guide →What the FHFA House Price Index Measures, and Which Sales It Never Sees

The federal index behind every figure here tracks repeat sales on conforming mortgages. What it includes, what it misses, and why ZIP figures are developmental.

Read guide →Zestimate vs. an Index Estimate: Why Two Honest Numbers Disagree

An automated valuation prices your house from comparables. An index estimate scales what you paid by your area's change. What each can say, and why they differ.

Read guide →How Much Have Home Prices Gone Up? Reading the 1, 5, 10 and 20-Year Figures

National and state home price change over 1, 5, 10 and 20 years from the FHFA index, what a per-year rate means, and why one house gets four answers.

Read guide →How Much Equity Do I Have in My Home? Value Minus Balance, Worked Through

Equity is what your home is worth minus what you still owe. How to estimate both from the FHFA index and your loan terms, with a worked example and the split.

Read guide →How Much Have Home Prices Gone Up in My City Since a Given Year? Reading the Metro Index

Pick the metro and month, divide two FHFA index values. How to read a since-year price change for a city, with Austin since 2014 next to Texas and the US.

Read guide →Did My Home Beat the Market? Comparing Your Sale With the Index

Compare your sale's price change with your area's FHFA index over the same window. What beating the market means, one sale worked, and why the gap is the house.

Read guide →When Can I Cancel PMI? The Thresholds, and Estimating Your Loan-to-Value

The 80%, 78% and midpoint rules, the current-value route, and how to estimate your loan-to-value from the FHFA index before paying for an appraisal.

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