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Pickens and Dawson Real Estate Tax Records Online - Too Much Info?
By djelliott999 | June 26, 2008
We often have clients ask us about the sales history on our listings in Pickens and Dawson counties (located in the North Georgia mountains). Most of the listings we have are in Big Canoe which is located in both Dawson and Pickens, and Bent Tree, which is located in Pickens. Here in Big Canoe, realtors often have a good sense of property value as well as local knowledge on the sales history of many Big Canoe homes, but it’s impossible to keep track of every sale. Finding information on homes such as sales history used to require a trip to the courthouse and several hours spent searching through the books.
This is no longer the case, and in my opinion is somewhat of a mixed blessing. Both Dawson and Pickens counties now provide much of this information online. There is no registration or fee required, and the amount and detail of data is extensive. The websites are:
Searches for real estate in both Pickens and Dawson can be made through parcel number, owner name, or location address. Pickens County offers map searching as well. The map search really impressed me. It’s a street map of Pickens County with land parcels overlaid on top. Clicking on a parcel displays sales information as well as other home details.
The amount of information including a sketch of the home’s footprint, exterior picture, sales history, heated square footage, and a variety of other details is pretty amazing. This info is very useful to buyers, sellers, and realtors.
There are some problems with this system. Perhaps the biggest problem is that it it seems a little too public. Having my name, address, picture of my home, sketch of the home, along with a variety of other home specs posted on the web for everyone to see (with no registration!) is a little creepy. Also, it appears as though this whole system works on an auto opt-in format, so if you’re a taxpayer, your info gets posted online.
Another problem is that I noticed several errors. One home we had sold 2 years ago for $294,000 was incorrectly displayed with a sales price of $2,940,000 (I wish!!). I also noted some errors in square footage and numerous typos. Also, the counties often use an assessed value on the home that is considerably less than what the home is actually worth. There is no way to actually determine the current value of a home by just looking at these sites. It’s impossible. A home could have the best long range view of the North Georgia mountains, and there is no way for this system to reflect a value on something as subjective as a spectacular view. Natural beauty and it’s worth are in the eye of the beholder!
The bottom line is these sites provide another tool that can be used to help analyze and research real estate, but they should not be considered the final authority on home values. Combining information from a variety of sources such as a local real estate agent, tax records, local MLSs, and of course examining the home yourself along with a home inspector will provide a better overall analysis. As always, complete due diligence is key.
Topics: All Posts, Big Canoe Real Estate, Real Estate Marketing |
June 26th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Well written. Thought provoking and a nessesary insite that all that is stated needs to be checked and verified.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Thanks Erv! As I mentioned in the blog article, these sites provide a wealth of info readily available to anyone with an internet connection. That being said, I think that using a variety of sources for your research provides a deeper pool of info - and better conclusions.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Hi Dan,
Thanks so much for sharing the Pickens tax records site with your readers. Those of us who need to frequently access Pickens tax information, and have experienced the frustration of being unable to access it on line, welcome the addition of Pickens Tax Assessor.
I’m glad you point out the good the bad and the ugly of the easy access the general public has to this information. All too often, people see a single number in a tax report and believe that number to be an objective and totally accurate indicator of property value. Your article will help people understand there are a number of subjective variables that determine actual value and must be taken into consideration when negotiating to purchase property in the north Georgia mountains.
June 26th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
These are all some excellent points. While it is a bit “creepy”, I believe the information should be accessible to the public (assuming technically that the audience are all citizens of our tax system), but only if the data is accurate and well maintained.
$2,940,000? Maybe they found some “a bubble’n crude”?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
@Margo - It really is nice to be able to access parcel info for listing agreements without having to contact the county. It’s amazing that Pickens went from having nothing online to EVERYTHING online in such a short time span.
@Chris - I think the data problems are going to be there as long as people are entering the data in the system. Also, as far as I know, nobody has struck “black gold” while shootin’ at some food.