5. How can I figure out how much someone paid for their house and its current market value? Zip over to Zillow, a treasure trove of residential real-estate information. Thankfully, you don't need to fill out any personal information to gain access to the

5. How can I figure out how much someone paid for their house and its current market value?
Zip over to Zillow, a treasure trove of residential real-estate information. Thankfully, you don't need to fill out any personal information to gain access to the site. Just enter an address or zip code in the search field and Zillow will return a satellite map with house values superimposed over the properties.

If you are interested in the average home price for a town or zip code, enter it in the search field, and Zillow will produce a map with superimposed values like the one shown here:

Zillow calls its house-value estimates "zestimates." To come up with a zestimate for a particular piece of property, Zillow uses a "secret formula" that takes into account the size of the house, sales data for comparable properties in the area, and "hundreds of home details." Zillow claims that its zestimates are accurate to within 10 percent of the properties' selling price. If you believe the value for a particular property is off, you can go to "My Zestimator" and edit the known facts about the home (such as recent remodels).

In addition to the satellite photo views, Zillow offers higher resolution "bird's eye" views of houses in major urban locales. Check out the bird's eye views of famous houses such as the Playboy Mansion (zestimated value: $5,496,795), the house that was featured in the Beverly Hillbillies ($25,291,876), and the Brady Bunch house (a relative bargain at $1,046,462).

Zillow is always adding useful features, and it's worthwhile to spend some time exploring them. For instance, its "heat maps" show you color-coded, per-square-foot values of areas on a map for major metropolitan areas.

---

6. How can I find out what political party someone has donated to?
Federal law requires that people who contribute to political campaigns provide their personal information. The Federal Election Commission keeps this data, but its website isn't very easy to use. In fact, it's downright confusing.

That's where Fundrace comes in. Just select "Neighbor Search‚" and type in an address or a name and you'll be presented with a list of the names and addresses of political contributors from the last presidential election, along with how much they contributed.

The searches aren't limited to your neighborhood, of course. I entered "Barbara Bush" in the search field and learned that she contributed $2,000 to the George W. Bush campaign. I clicked on Mrs. Bush's address (10000 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77024), which brought up a list of everyone else in the same area that contributed. Lo and behold, a gentleman named Mr. George H. W. Bush at the same address also donated $2,000 to the George W. Bush campaign.

Beyond satisfying your curiosity about your neighbors' political affiliation, you can use Fundrace to organize a block party to raise funds for your party or favorite presidential candidate.