Is "Recently Sold" category in Zillow Accurate?

[Chase C.]

Hi all--

I'm still in early phase of my RI career, I have yet to get over the hump of finding that first deal. I'm looking for off-market leads, so far only using the "driving for dollars" method in the DC suburbs. In trying to identify good areas,fertile flipping ground in Fairfax County, VA and Prince George's County, MD, I've found a handful of "Recently Sold" properties on Zillow, where homes sold, presumably off market, for significantly less than retail averages, and I'm wondering if these records are accurate, or if information maybe gets inaccurately ingested sometimes. In some cases, homes are listed as sold for under 100K in neighborhoods where retail homes are going for 400-600k, and I'm wondering if someone just dropped a zero fat-fingering the numbers into county records or whatever other system Zillow/Trulia draws from. Has anyone encountered inaccurate information like this, or is it possible that some folks are so motivated to sell (in such a bull market, it gives me pause) that there really are diamonds in the rough out there.

I'd appreciate any experience/insights people might have.

Thanks.