You don't need MLS access to pull defensible comps. You need sold data, correct filters, and the discipline to throw out the ones that don't fit.
Where to get sold data without MLS
1. County recorder / assessor. Every deed transfer with a sale price is public record. It's the most authoritative source and it's free. Downsides: no photos, no condition data, and 30–90 day lag.
2. Zillow / Redfin "recently sold". Free, photo-rich, and includes days on market and price history. Set the filter to *Sold*, last 6 months, and draw a custom radius. Redfin's sold data tends to be the cleaner of the two.
3. Property data APIs with an AVM and comparables endpoint. Paid, but returns structured comps with sale dates, distances, and property characteristics — this is what most investor tools run on underneath.
4. An agent partner. The cheapest MLS access in the business is a friendly agent who sends you comps in exchange for the listings you can't wholesale. Offer that trade explicitly.
5. Your cash buyers. A buyer who's about to spend $130,000 will happily pull comps to verify your ARV. Ask.
The filters, in priority order
- Sold, closed — not active, not pending
- Last 6 months (3 in a fast market)
- Within 0.5 mi urban / 1 mi suburban / 3 mi rural
- Same subdivision or same school attendance zone
- ±20% square footage
- Same bed count, ±1 bath
- ±10 years built
- Same style and story count
- Renovated condition — the comp should look like your house after rehab
Aim for three to five survivors. If you have to break a filter, break the distance filter last — location dominates everything else.
The hard boundaries you cannot comp across
- A different school district
- A major highway, river, or rail line
- A flood zone boundary
- A city/township line with different tax rates
- HOA vs non-HOA
Two houses 400 feet apart on opposite sides of a school boundary can differ 15% in value. This single mistake produces more blown ARVs than any other.
Reading the photos
The comp's listing photos tell you its condition — which determines whether it's an ARV comp or an as-is comp:
- New LVP, white shaker cabinets, quartz, updated fixtures → renovated comp, use for ARV
- Dated but clean, original kitchen → rent-ready comp, ~10–15% below ARV
- Vacant, damaged, "as-is" in the remarks → distressed comp, use to validate your *purchase* price, not your ARV
Wholesalers routinely mix these up and produce an "ARV" that's really an as-is value.
Presenting comps to a buyer
Don't send a link. Send a table:
| Address | Sold | Date | Sq ft | Bd/Ba | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 412 Oak | $216,000 | 12/14 | 1,380 | 3/2 | 0.3 mi | Full reno, sold 9 DOM |
| 88 Maple | $224,000 | 01/22 | 1,455 | 3/2 | 0.4 mi | Reno + new roof |
| 1901 Pine | $209,000 | 11/30 | 1,320 | 3/1.5 | 0.5 mi | Reno, one less half bath |
Then one line: "ARV $214,000, conservative."
That table is the single highest-leverage artifact in a wholesale deal. It moves the conversation from "I don't trust your number" to "which comp do you like least" — and that's a conversation you can win.
Final sanity check
If your ARV would be the highest sale in the neighborhood in the last twelve months, it's wrong. Markets have ceilings, and the ceiling is set by what already sold.