County should require disclosure of sales data

The county assessor's access to the Selkirk Association of Realtor's Multiple Listing Service was suspended "after some members questioned whether access violated association clients' right to confidentiality."

I called a Realtor friend and asked him how he provided data on comparable sales to clients who are considering the purchase or sale of a home. He said he printed out comparable sales data from the Multiple Listing Service to give his clients to use to drive by and compare properties. What happened to the "right of confidentiality?" The only one who is excluded from looking at sales price data seems to be the county assessor.

When the assessor is tasked with determining "fair market value" of each and every property each and every year, it is essential for him to have access to fair market value data. This is especially important when market prices are in decline. At present, the only reliable source for this data is the Multiple Listing Service.

If we had a statewide disclosure law, all sales, even those that have been transacted privately, would be visible to everyone. A loss in "confidentiality" would be more than offset by the gain in the fair assessment of our homes. The next best thing to action by the Idaho Legislature is for our county commissioners to pass an ordinance to require the disclosure of sales information.

TRECY CARPENTER

East Hope

Idaho Citizens for Tax Reform (www.taxstop.org)