Expert Jaime posted on January 12, 2010 00:31
A "comp" (short for comparable) is a home similar to yours and located in your area. It's part of what appraisers look at when deciding the value of a home. Did you know there's a quick way you can look at comps in Maricopa county in Arizona?
Visit the Assessor's website (opens in new window). The first step is to find the home for which you want a comp. There are several search options, but the easisest is probably to use the street number and name. Don't use "east" or 'street" - just enter the name of the street.
Once you find the home you're looking for, look for the Valuation Information section. From this heading shift your eyes to the right and look for the link called View Similar Parcels.
Click this link to see a list of properties similar to yours. This listing is by no means complete, but it gives you a good starting point. Be sure to note the date of the sale - recent sales are more meaningful.