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Comparable Sales in the
Public Record After one buys a
home, the property is deeded from the seller to the buyer and in most
circumstances, the deed is recorded at the local county recorder’s office.
They combine sales data with information
already known about the property so they can assess property taxes
correctly. Provided there have been no additions to the property, the
information available from the public record is usually correct regarding
sales price, square footage, and numbers of rooms. This makes it easy to use
the public record as a source of data for comparable sale information.
Accessing this data is another
matter, at least for the general public. Some counties have an internet
website that will allow you to search their database and some do not. Most Realtors can look up this
information through title insurance companies who either
compile the data directly from the county recorder’s office or purchase if
from other companies or other sources.
One problem with the public
record is that it tends to run at least six to eight weeks behind. Add
another four to six weeks for the typical escrow period and you can see the
data is not current.
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