Summarize this article in one sentence.
Some local governments and realty sites publish this information on their websites. Using an online search engine is a good first step to take before you make any phone calls or visit any offices. That way, you can get an idea of what information is available without a lot of inconvenience for yourself. Some of the most popular sites for real estate research are Realtor, Trulia, and Zillow. Start here when searching for information about recent sales or other real estate data for your area. Keep in mind that this information isn't always 100% accurate, which is why you should gather information from multiple sources. Local governments keep records of recent property sales, which are usually held in the tax assessment office. Contact the office and ask for records of recent sales in your neighborhood or zip code. See if they can give you a list with all the details of each property, including selling price, date of sale, square footage, year built, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. You'll need all of this information to make an educated guess on the market price for your home. This data has the advantage in that it is real sales data and is in your local market (real estate value is based on location), but very seldom is a home exactly like yours sold in the recent past, so some adjustments will need to be made. Realtors will have plenty of experience in your area and be aware of recent sales, even if their office didn't make the sale. Contact the realty office and see if any agents are willing to talk about recent sales. Remember to get all the necessary information about the sale, including at least the selling price, date of sale, square footage, year built, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms.  It would probably make the Realtor more willing to share information with you if you mention that you're looking for information because you plan on selling your house. When the Realtor sees you as a potential client, he may be more open with you. If you do hire a Realtor, he should perform a comparative market analysis. This report covers many data points including comparable sales of other properties and estimates of market value. If you want more control over the data that you receive, try asking your Realtor to send you the best comparative analysis as defined by the criteria that you set. For example, since many lenders want comparative analyses based on homes within one mile of the property for sale, you can ask the Realtor to limit their search to within one mile of your home. Insurance companies keep data on real estate sales in a given area. Some will provide you with a property profile for free, hoping you'll buy insurance from them. The property profile will contain a list of comparable properties to your own, and the specific aspects of these properties. Not all companies will do this for free, but you might still be able to obtain a property profile for a fee. Town, city, and county newspapers often publish information on local property sales. You can scan the real estate section for information on recent sales. Bear in mind that you might not get all of the information you need solely from a newspaper. You'll probably still have to contact a tax assessor or real estate agent for all of the necessary information.
Do an Internet search for recently-sold homes in your area. Contact your local tax assessment office. Contact a local real estate agent. Ask for a property profile from an insurance company. Look in local newspapers.