Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, prepares a free home value estimate for homes anywhere in San Diego County. It's a comparative market analysis (CMA): she compares your home with recent sales of similar homes nearby, then adjusts for condition, upgrades, lot, view and current buyer demand. Online estimates start from public records; a CMA starts from your actual home. It isn't an appraisal, and there's no obligation to list or sell.
Enter your address on Karina's Whissel Beer Group team page and get an automated estimate of your home's value and equity. Want Karina to look at your home herself? Use the form below.
Get My Home Equity ReportOpens Karina's page on the Whissel Beer Group site. Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, DRE# 02248263 · eXp Realty of California, Inc., DRE# 01878277.
All three try to answer one question: what would a buyer pay for your home today? They're built differently and used for different things.
| Comparative market analysis (CMA) | Online estimate | Appraisal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who prepares it | A real estate agent who studies your home and local sales | A computer model (automated valuation model) | An appraiser licensed by the State of California |
| What it uses | Recent comparable sales, active and pending listings, your home's condition and features | Public records and recent sales; it can't see inside your home | Comparable sales and the appraiser's own review of the property |
| What it's for | Choosing a list price and planning a sale | A rough starting point | A mortgage, for a purchase or a refinance |
| Cost to you | Free from Karina | Free | Arranged through the lender |
California law draws the same line: an opinion of value a real estate licensee gives in the ordinary course of business isn't an appraisal and can't be called one (Business and Professions Code 11302). If you refinance, the lender orders the appraisal and must give you a copy promptly when it's done, or three business days before closing, whichever is earlier (Regulation B, 12 CFR 1002.14).
Two homes with the same bedrooms and square footage can sell for very different prices here. Karina looks closely at:
None of these has a fixed dollar value. Karina compares nearby sales of homes with and without the feature and explains each adjustment.
If you're 55 or older, Proposition 19 can let you move your current home's taxable value to a replacement home anywhere in California, so your property tax doesn't reset to the new price. Severely disabled homeowners and wildfire or disaster victims have similar transfers. The rules, per the State Board of Equalization (BOE) and the San Diego County Assessor (checked October 14, 2026):
The County Assessor's example: your home's assessed (factored base year) value is $500,000, it sells for $700,000, and you bought a $900,000 replacement before the sale. The $200,000 difference is added, so the replacement's assessed value starts at $700,000, not $900,000. Prop 19 doesn't cover income tax on your gain; ask a CPA.
A value estimate isn't your net proceeds. Those also depend on your loan payoff, the agent fee you negotiate, the county's transfer tax, escrow and title fees, and any repairs or credits. See selling a house in San Diego: costs, steps and timeline or download the San Diego Home Seller Guide. Living abroad? Read about selling while living outside the US. Weighing a rental instead? See owning rental property in San Diego. Karina works with sellers in every city and community in San Diego County, in English or Portuguese; contracts and escrow documents are in English.
A comparative market analysis (CMA) is a real estate agent's opinion of what your home would sell for, based on recent comparable sales, listings and your home's features. It's free and is used to set a list price. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser's opinion of value, usually ordered by a lender. Under California law, an agent's opinion of value is not an appraisal and can't be called one.
Online estimates come from computer models that read public records and recent sales. They can't see a remodel, a view, deferred maintenance, a leased solar system or unpermitted space, and public records can be out of date on square footage or a newer ADU. A CMA starts from the actual home and the sales a buyer would compare it with.
Yes, it's free, and there's no obligation to list or sell. People also ask for one before refinancing, for estate or financial planning, or to know their equity. Karina prepares it personally and reaches out within one business day.
Not by itself. Net proceeds are the sale price minus your loan payoff and selling costs, such as the agent fee you negotiate, the county's documentary transfer tax, escrow and title fees, and repairs or credits. Tax can also be withheld at closing unless an exemption applies, especially for sellers who live outside the US.
Possibly, under Proposition 19, if you're 55 or older, severely disabled, or a wildfire or disaster victim. Both homes must be your principal residence, the replacement must be bought or built within two years of the sale, and it can be anywhere in California. If you're 55 or older or severely disabled, you can do this three times. You must file a claim with the Assessor of the replacement home's county.
Yes. Send the property details through the form above, and Karina can go over the estimate with you by phone or email, in English or Portuguese. If you aren't a US tax resident, read about FIRPTA and California withholding before you list.
A home value estimate is the first step. When you're ready, Karina builds a pricing and marketing plan for your San Diego home and walks you through costs, disclosures and timing, in English or Portuguese.