How to Find Out What Your Neighbors Paid for Their Crofton Homes

Want to know what your neighbors paid for their Crofton home?

You don't have to dig through their trash bags at the curb and you don't have to watch for the information to be published in a local newspaper. And no, I'm not going to suggest you just ask. It's online at the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation website.

Just click on the image or the link above it, and scroll within the little box (red arrow) to find Anne Arundel County; then you'll probably want to search by Street Name or Property Sales (highlighted in green). You'll be prompted to further define your search, so just follow the directions on your screen.

If you search by Street Name, this is the information you will learn about any property:

• Date of purchase
• Amt. of purchase
• Date built
• Amt. of assessment
  
• Size of lot (sq. ft.)
  
• Size of house (sq. ft.)
• Name of current owner
• Name of previous owner
  
• Date of previous purchase
• Amt. of previous purchase

If you search by Property Sales:

You can search for sales during a specified time-frame and/or search all sales on a specific street... or you can search for a specific address. You can include commercial, vacant, or improved properties, as well as residential ones. When I search for Property Sales on my own street, for example, I find that two homes have sold since January 1 of this year, and one has been re-financed.

How could you use this information?

1. You could determine if your neighbor's property is assessed about the same as yours... if several of your neighbors' assessments are less, you may want to use the information to appeal your own property assessment and tax bill.
   
   
2. If you don't know the names of your neighbors, this is a good way to find out - assuming the owners are also the occupants of the properties.
   
   
3. If you're thinking of buying or selling a home, you can get a first-hand look at nearby recent sales including those not listed with real estate agents.
   

Real estate agents, title companies and lenders refer to the public land records frequently in the course of doing business, but many non-real estate folks seem to feel almost guilty and browsing through this information. No worry. It's public record. You're not spying.

Of course, if the idea of spying seems to have more intrigue for you, there's always the trash bag option. Kidding, of course!