CLEVELAND -- Homeowners worry about the value of their home, especially in a tight economy.

That is why it's helpful to have access to the information realtors have if you are going to sell or buy a house.

5 On Your Side's Adam Shapiro reported realtors look at all kinds of data to determine the value of a home. Some of that data includes the number of houses sold in a given period, the percent of asking price they get from a buyer and the days on the market.

Shapiro looked at the average prices in the third quarter of the year to find out which ZIP codes are cold.

He reported that whether a person builds or buys, a house is the single largest investment most people make.

Cleveland State University Housing Policy Expert Tom Bier said this is why most people worry about their home’s value.

"It's the most significant asset that most people have and what its value is doing has very strong personal meaning," said Bier.

The Northern Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service provides a lot of free data to help to determine values and trends in your neighborhood, Shapiro reported.

5 On Your Side looked at values for the third quarter of 2005 versus values for the third quarter of 2004 and identified the coldest zip codes and those areas where average prices appreciated the least and in some cases depreciated on the north coast.

Shapiro warned there is a warning about the statistics.

"Don't jump to any conclusions on the basis of one year," Bier said. "See how it goes next year."

At the bottom of the cold ZIP codes is 44235, which is Homerville in Medina County.

The average sale price was $100,000, which was down 27 percent. That figure is based on the sale of just one home.

The next ZIP code is 44215, which represents Chippewa Lake in Medina.

The average sale price was $117,800, a drop of 28 percent.

An Ashtabula County ZIP code is next on the list. It is 44032, which represents Dorset.

The average sale price was $118,500, down about 34 percent in 2004.

When the third quarter of 2005 is compared to the third quarter of 2003, in which the average sale price of $30,000, it is a 295 percent increase.

"When you've got a low-priced property to begin with -- it doesn't take much of a change to get a significant up or down," Bier said.

The next cold ZIP code on the list is 44108. In that community, the average sale price was $59,600, a drop of 42 percent.

Some areas with the lowest house price are turning into the hottest ZIP codes on the north coast, according to Howard Hanna Real Estate Agent Sherry Callahan.

There are some things that a homeowner can do to help sell a house to get top dollar.

1. Go to the NORMLS Web site and click on the economic and market watch report.
2. Crunch the numbers for the ZIP code over several years.

The result will be much different than a quarter-to-quarter comparison and will give a strong indication of a home’s marketability, Shapiro reported.

Other tips include:

Looking for the average sale price of a home in your ZIP code. Find the percent of asking price the people are getting when they sell their homes.

Also, make sure to look at the days the home is on the market. The average for the entire north coast was 72 days in October. If a home in your ZIP code is on the market much longer than that, it might indicate the price is too high.

Bier also suggested waiting a year because time is on a seller's side if you can afford to keep your house.