Before moving to a different area or buying a new home, potential homeowners often would like to know the cost of homes in the area. Knowing the price of homes within the neighborhood can also help a homeowner determine a fair selling price for his own home. While there are many places to find real estate information, the sources vary in reliability and timeliness.

Real Estate Agent or Broker

A real estate agent will have the most up-to-date information about the cost of homes in the area. A large part of a real estate agent's success relies on his ability to follow the market and price homes appropriately. Real estate agents also have access to the Multiple Listing System (MLS), which will provide detailed data about the selling price of homes in the area. The MLS allows potential homeowners to make sure they are comparing homes with similar features and with comparable locations. However, getting property information from a real estate agent is restricted to that agent's clients.

Tax Assessor

The tax assessor also has highly accurate information about the sale of individual properties. This information should be free to the public, but may be difficult to access. In some municipalities, the person seeking home prices must visit a local government building and submit a form to access the information. Other municipalities have made the information available for public access online. Although this information is accurate, it may take several weeks before the information is processed and available to the public.

Real Estate Web sites

Some Web sites collect basic information about the selling prices of homes. These sites include Domania, Trulia, and Zillow. The accuracy of the information found on these sites can vary, but they can still be a useful tool for determining the overall real estate market in the area. When looking at the information available on these sites, it is important to put the amount of the sale in context. Home prices can fluctuate dramatically depending on the time of sale as well as unique features that may not be readily apparent.

Real estate Web sites also collect information about surrounding properties to help estimate the potential selling price for properties that are not for sale. This feature can be particularly helpful if a potential homeowner wants to understand the real estate market in the area. People that use this tool should be aware that it is just a general estimate.