05/2019 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE 13IST
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05/SATURDAY, MAY 4
Star Wars Day (May the Fourth
Be With You) and Free Comic
Book Day. Expect deals on all
kinds of Star Wars merchandise,
plus more than 50 different comic
book titles available free at stores
around the country.TUESDAY, MAY 7
If you’re a teacher, celebrate
National Teacher Appreciation Day
by taking advantage of discounts
on everything from amusement
park tickets and coffee to tech and
insurance. Visit http://www.teacher.org/
best-teacher-discounts for the most
up-to-date deals.WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
Take the opportunity to talk with
older loved ones about telltale
signs of fraud, scams and abuse on
National Senior Fraud Awareness Day.
Financial fraud against senior citizens
rose 12% in 2018. Research shows
that seniors are most likely to reject
a scammer if they’ve heard about
the tactics ahead of time (see our
special report on ID theft on page 33).▲ FRIDAY, MAY 17
Welcome the warm months of
summer by celebrating National
Bike to Work Day. If the promise
of exercise, fresh air and saving the
environment aren’t rewards enough,
see how much you’ll save with the
Kiplinger bicycle savings calculator
at kiplinger.com/links/biketowork.WEDNESDAY, MAY 29
Take advantage of 529 College
Savings Day by opening a
college-savings account for the next
generation. Learn more at kiplinger
.com/links/529. BRENDAN PEDERSEN* DEAL OF THE MONTH
Most retailers offer discounts
in the weeks leading up to
Mother’s Day (May 12) on gifts
of all kinds: jewelry, bags,
books, outdoor furniture and
more, according to experts at
Bospar.com. Just don’t put it
off until the last minute,
because she’s your mother.
She’ll know.THE ZESTIMATE, THE FIRST FREE ONLINE
home price estimate, is getting closer to
helping buyers and sellers determine the
actual sale price of a home.
In response to complaints that its esti-
mates gave homeowners unrealistic ex-
pectations, Zillow, an online real estate
marketplace and creator
of the Zestimate, con-
ducted a competi-
tion to improve
its accuracy.
Almost
4,
teams of
data scien-
tists and
engineers
in 91 coun-
tries partic-
ipated. The
winner was
announced
in January.
When Zillow
launched the Zestimate in
2006, its margin of error for home price
estimates was about 14% nationally, says
Skylar Olsen, director of economic research
at Zillow. That improved to 4.5% by early
2019, she says. As the winning improve-
ments are made this year, the margin of
error will fall below 4% nationally, says
Olsen. That means half of Zestimates will
be within 4% of the actual sale price of
homes, and half will be outside that mar-
gin of error, says Olsen.
Even with the improvements, Zillow
says, homeowners should supplement
the Zestimate with a comparative market
analysis from real estate agents or a profes-
sional appraisal. PATRICIA MERTZ ESSWEINHOUSE NUMBERTHE SEARCH
FOR A BETTER
ZESTIMATE
Zillow says it has improved
its home price estimates.