How to Find Out How Much a House Sold For

Last Updated on November 20, 2022 by Cooper Hayes

Have you ever sat and wondered how much a particular house goes for in a neighborhood? Then the informative content on this page exists for you. 

There are different reasons someone might want to figure out a house’s last sale price. Some people need such information as a vital part of a real estate negotiating process. Potential home buyers may want to determine the selling price of comparable properties to conclude on an offer. 

Moreover, knowing the previous sale price of the home you intend to buy could let you understand its appreciation rate. On the flip side, if you hope to sell your house, you may choose to check out the prices of recent similar sales around your property.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an intending buyer or seller who wants to know how to find out how much a house sold for. There are different methods to employ in seeking the correct answer. Read on to discover the best ways to find a property’s sales prices. 

Visit the Tax Assessor’s Website

Most counties have their tax information on the Internet. You can begin your search once you know the county to which the house belongs. Visit their website, enter the property’s address, and they’d provide information on the sale history of the property. However, the tax assessor’s site might charge a minimal fee to access this information.

Property Records

If you couldn’t access the figures you want from the tax office, it could help you to head to the county records office. Conducting a title search would help you access a deed of an abstract that contains all the information you want on a property.  

Deeds of an abstract often include salient information such as sale prices, easements, liens, tax debts, and mortgages. Moreover, there are title companies around who you can hire to conduct a title search on your behalf. These title companies would often provide the same data from their office or website – without cost or at a minimal fee. 

Speak With a Real Estate Agent

Here’s perhaps the most straightforward way to answer the question of how to find out how much a house sold for – by speaking with a realtor. A real estate agent in the same housing market as the considered home would have access to the area’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS). 

The MLS Listing is a database of in-depth information on the sale information of all properties in the area exclusive to realtors. All you may have to do is give them the property’s address, and they’d provide you with the information you need.

Experienced real estate agencies like San Antonio Texas have extensive knowledge of the Texas market and first-hand information of latest house sale prices, so you might want to begin your search for a reliable agent from there.

Check Major Real Estate Websites

This method is perhaps the easiest way to access how much a house sold for with only a few taps on your mobile device. Popular real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com contain databases on recent home sales. 

However, it’s the least accurate of all the options. Consequently, it’s advisable to only use this alternative method as a last resort or for confirming the prices other methods provided for you.

The Downsides of Consulting Real Estate Websites

Zillow’s reports of sold properties are often not 100% accurate. The website obtains its data from third-party sources that can access public records. However, such real estate websites like Zillow don’t take information from county offices bound by non-disclosure regulations. 

Zillow also obtains information about the sales when realtors publish prices on their Zillow profiles. Again, such published prices may not reveal the actual net income to the seller. Prices on Realtor.com often don’t showcase any concessions by the selling party. They also may include closing fees, thereby increasing the apparent worth of the house.

Suppose you decide to consult information from realtor sites. One excellent approach is to gather and compare data from different websites. If the values are reasonably close, you can compute the average of the prices and utilize that for your research intentions. 

However, if the sales data vary significantly among themselves, it’d help to conduct additional research to pick the most accurate prices. Nevertheless, realtor.com, run by the National Association of Realtors, is the most reliable of the website options.

FAQs on Finding How Much a House Sold for

If you’re interested in knowing about home prices, there are different methods to try. Real estate websites don’t quite guarantee accurate information. Moreover, you may be able to access public records about the home from the local county office. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions on finding the selling history of properties.

How Do I Verify Who Owns a Home?

Information on a property’s owner is often available at the County Recorder’s Office or a website that oversees the municipality of the house. There are also online private and public databases that may provide information on the property’s owner. However, note that publicly disclosing information about real estate property is illegal in some US states.

Which US States Allow Public Disclosures of Real Estate Records?

The answer depends on the US state where the property is. People can access homes’ data, including sale prices, in full-disclosure states. However, in non-disclosure states, only government officials may find such data. Non-disclosure states in the US are Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Then, there are states which fall in the grey area, neither full-disclosure nor non-disclosure states. Sale prices only get to the public if the seller submits them in these grey-area states. As of 2021, states in this category are Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee. 

How Can I Know the History of a House?

Request for the house’s chain of title from the property’s abstract at the County Recorder’s Office. Also, legal papers like deeds, mortgages, wills, tax sales, or probate records can supply you with the house’s history. Such documents will show who owned the homes, at what times, and other vital information about the property’s history. 

How Do I Find a Real Estate Comparative Market Analysis?

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) estimates a property’s worth based on the prices of like-homes in the immediate area. You’d often need to have different details on the reviewed homes, like their condition, square footage, age, and other features. However, it’s best to consult your local real estate agent due to the technicalities of executing a comparative market analysis. Seasoned local realtors are the most accurate and detailed in researching homes.

Summary 

There are different ways of finding answers to the question how to find out how much a house sold for but a realtor would often provide the most accurate information. A real estate agent can provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), which supplies information from different comparable homes. 

If you’re seeking an expert, detailed and compassionate realtor company to work with, San Antonio Texas is the agency to call. Our services are affordable and personalized to see you through your milestone property transaction decisions. Schedule a free consultation with San Antonio Texas today, and we’ll be more than glad to speak with you about your home purchase or sale needs.