Home sales are a matter of public record, so with all due thanks to modern technology, information is at our fingertips nowadays that used to take exasperating research to find. Since a home sale requires the transfer of a deed from seller to owner, very recent home sales may be difficult to track down if you are not a Realtor. However, the transaction details are usually available via many public resources within weeks.
Step 1
Call or visit the county recorder's office for the county of the home you need the information for. Once the deed is recorded, counties use the sale information as a means of calculating property taxes, so the information regarding the home and sale price are usually updated and accurate. Some counties have websites whereby you can look up this information online through a simple inquiry.
Step 2
Visit the website or call the Realtor's agency through which the home was sold, if you have that information. Generally, agencies will provide this information even if only over the phone because they are aware that this is public information. However, if your call is unsuccessful, most agencies have websites that will proudly state how much was paid for a home sold under their company's name.
Step 3
Utilize public information realty websites that specialize in providing information that helps people determine the value of a neighborhood or type of home. Websites such as zillow.com (http://www.zillow.com/), homes.com (http://www.homes.com/Content/Sold-Homes-Prices.cfm) and domania.com (http://www.domania.com/Resources/RecentSales/default.aspx) are great resources for this type of public information. The only setback with these sites is that they acquire this information through their own research or rely on Realtors to report sales as public record, which takes time. A home that sold yesterday or even last week may not be updated on these more general websites as quickly as through the agency or county recorder's office.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Born and raised in western New York, Tonya Cunningham attended Niagara University until 1992 as a pre-law student. Today, Cunningham is a legal assistant and freelance writer looking forward to the completion of her first book.