Question for Real Estate Agents (how much, house, neighborhood)

[nc_green1974]

I know a lot of agents provide info on this forum so I thought this would be a good place to ask this question. Today I found an information packet hanging on my front door from a local real estate agent that included a market analysis of my neighborhood and listed the selling price for homes recently sold in the neighborhood.

I just bought my house last month so I was not surprised to see my house included in the market analysis. I know this info is available on the wake county website so it doesn't bother me if my neighbors know what I paid for the house. What did surprise me however was that next to the price listed for my house was a footnote that the seller provided financial concessions to the buyer (me) in the amount of $2K. How could this agent find out how much the seller paid towards my closing cost and paid for a home warranty? Is that really a matter of public record? Again, It doesn't bother me, but I am just curious about how they were able to get such information about the purchase of my house. This agent does not work for the agency I used to represent me.

Thanks!

[VickiR]

Hi nc_green1974,

When your house closes, the listing agent goes back into MLS and adds the sold price, date of closing, what conscessions were paid, etc.

This information IS public record but its mainly used so that when the next seller in your neighborhood needs to know what homes sold for, their agent has that information, in order to make an educated decision as to how much to sell their home for.

Hard to believe what type of information is public now. Did you know that voter registration is public too? The website doesn't tell how you voted but how you are registered and when you voted, along with your prescint. It used to have your birthdate on there but I think someone finally realized that there are those of us that can't pretend we are still 40 if the public record is available!!! Vicki

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by VickiR

Hi nc_green1974,

Did you know that voter registration is public too? The website doesn't tell how you voted but how you are registered and when you voted, along with your prescint. It used to have your birthdate on there but I think someone finally realized that there are those of us that can't pretend we are still 40 if the public record is available!!! Vicki

NC Voter Registration Database

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/votersearch/seimsvot.htm (broken link)

[Cassie]

Then there is NC's GIS system, where one can look up almost any information that they care to about a home, owners, purchase price, additions, improvements, adjacent parcels, tax card, etc. unlike many other states. It can be helpful to a buyer ( we ruled out several places based on adjacent parcels and their use) but frankly, I found it overly intrusive and often inaccurate. In learning to be more proficient with it, I used it for practice on the homes of a couple of friends who live in N.C. and found it embarrassing to know that much about them...... things I could have lived quite well without knowing about and which I'm sure they would rather was not a matter of public record. Several of NC's counties are as far behind as 18 months in updating their GIS system information as well. I'm glad I'm moving to a place that has no such system. I'm content to do my research the......ahem ....old fashioned and more reliable way. Oh, and the appraiser who was going to appraise the home we planned to purchase wanted to do it based on the GIS system information, which was inaccurate for the home, ( had it on record at only 1200 sq ft. and still does) along with a drive by look. We said, in essence, * Not a chance. We're paying you for a *REAL* appraisal. Go do one."

Regards,

Cassie