For years, Gary prepared valuations for investors buying homes sight unseen at foreclosure auctions, mostly beetween 2009-2015. Before every morning auction, he had a list of five to sometimes twenty five homes to value for his investors based on a number of factors; condition estimated from previous sales, location quality compared to neighhborhood sales, active competition, how other similar homes performed, and a number of other factors unique to each home. Gary built a complete picture of the property — then put a number on it that his clients would stake their capital on, typically without ever stepping inside.

That discipline, repeated day after day, week after week for years, adds up to thousands of CMAs — each with real-world consequences. Too low, and the bid wasn’t competitive: the auction was lost and so was the opportunity. Too high, and the finished home couldn’t sell at the price the project needed — and the client risked losing money. There was no room for wishful pricing in either direction.

Most agents never get graded on their price opinions. Gary’s were graded constantly — by the auction results and the resale market itself. That relentless feedback loop is why his estimates are consistently accurate, and why clients trust his numbers when the stakes are high.

What that means for you