How to Research Past Home Sale Prices: A Comprehensive Guide

You may want to find out how much the neighbors paid for their home before listing yours or simply check on local home values. It's relatively simple to look up the price paid for a property, even if the sale isn't recent. Information on a home sold in recent weeks, however, may not yet be available to the public.

Public Records

You can find a home's sale price by visiting the land records office where the home is located. Either the homeowner's first and last name, the property address, a parcel or tract number or any combination of these brings up the last recorded sale. Public records also list details such as mortgage or trust deed recording dates and other property characteristics.

The Faster Way

Individual real estate agents, brokerages and online real estate websites offer home sale information pulled directly from multiple listing services nationwide. A "home values" search usually brings up an estimated value and the last sale price based on zip code, city or address.