Most mudane thread request EVER: how do you find comps for lowering tax assessments? (Boston: comparable sales)

[Tombstoner]

Apologies.
This is a lame topic, but hey, it's real life...
I pay HUGE taxes because my condo is appraised for about 180K more than it is worth (more than I paid for it). To get the appraisal down with the City of Boston, I have to provide comparables for 3 "similar" properties in my neighborhood. There are really no similar properties in the part of Fenway where I live (I have fairly big square footage--1600--compared to the small places in the East Fens). Any suggestions for how I might go about finding comps? The area is obviously not on par with Back Back or South End, but it's not really comparable to Roxbury. Any realtors out there?

[rranger]

If you're living in the "East Fens", it sounds like you're living on - or near - Westland Ave. If that's the case, your task is going to be doubly hard, since so much of the property around there has been taken off the tax rolls by Northeastern [an entirely different topic, I know ]. If I were you, I'd look at the West Fens, around Peterborough/Queensberry, for the most comparable property. You could also look farther sound in - quelle horreur - Lower Roxbury . There may be comparables there as well - believe it or not!

[LeavingMA]

You also have to look for comparable sales from about 2 years ago, because that is what they use to evaluate your property. So if your questioning your 2010 taxes, look for sales in the year 2008. If it is your 2011, then 2009 sales.

Usually every city has a comparable sales sheet at the assessor's office and you can also ask them what they used for sales.

[Tombstoner]

Thank you both for your responses.
Yes, I know I need 2009 sales data--that's what I don't know how to find.
West Fens is certainly the most comparable, but again, the units there are pretty small--very little in the 1600 sq. ft. range.
Quelle horreur, indeed.