Frequently Asked Questions
Data sources, methodology, definitions, and how to cite MarketTimeline.
The questions below cover the most common queries we receive about how MarketTimeline collects, normalizes, and reports US real-estate data. For deeper detail, see the methodology page.
Last updated August 2026.
Where does MarketTimeline get its data?
Three sources: county recorder of deeds filings (every recorded real-property transfer in the United States), county tax assessor rolls (annual assessment values and parcel characteristics), and listing-event timestamps from the broader MLS ecosystem. We persist event timestamps and recorded sale prices but never persist listing photos, descriptions, or proprietary MLS identifiers.
How current is the data?
Property and event data refreshes every 4 hours on an incremental cadence with a daily full sweep of all properties updated in the last 24 hours. Tax data refreshes monthly. Aggregate statistics rebuild nightly. The header trust strip shows the conservative "data through" date reflecting the latest fully-rolled-up batch.
What is a "flip" on this site?
A property re-sold within 24 months at a recorded sale price at least 20% above the prior recorded sale, with both transactions flagged as arms-length. The thresholds are deliberately conservative so that properties that merely rode market appreciation are excluded.
What is a "distressed sale" on this site?
A sale recorded with one of the following deed instrument types: trustee deed, sheriff deed, tax deed, or foreclosure deed. Also includes REO (lender-owned) sales identified via grantor party class, and short sales identified via public-record annotation.
How is appreciation calculated?
Compound annual growth rate of the trailing-12-month weighted median sale price, computed for rolling 1, 3, 5, and 10-year windows per geo entity. Geos with fewer than 30 sales in the trailing window are nulled out as insufficient data.
Why don't you show current asking prices or active listings?
Two reasons. First, our product is the historical and analytical view, not the transactional view; current listings are well served by Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com. Second, listing content (descriptions, photos, MLS branding) is governed by MLS contracts that restrict redistribution. We choose not to ingest that content at all.
How are forecasts computed?
Linear regression on the last 12 quarters of weighted-median sale price, projected 4 quarters forward, with a ±1 standard-deviation residual confidence band. This is a trend extrapolation, not a target price, and does not incorporate macroeconomic variables like interest rates or unemployment.
Can I export data? Is there an API?
Public read APIs at /api/* return JSON for search, city lookup, and similar lightweight queries. Bulk CSV export of statistics is on the roadmap. Bulk export of underlying transaction records is restricted by data sourcing contracts and is not offered. For research, journalism, or academic use cases, contact us via the About page.
Is the data accurate?
Public-record data is generally highly accurate at the level of individual transactions, since it is the legal record itself. Aggregate statistics inherit any errors in the underlying records, plus modeling assumptions like arms-length detection and square-footage matching. We surface caveats on geo entities with insufficient data and publish full methodology so any number can be reproduced.
How do I report a data error?
Each property page links to a "Report an issue" form. State, county, city, and neighborhood pages have a methodology link and a contact path on /about. We typically respond within 5 business days for clearly-documented errors.
Who is this site for?
Real estate investors, Airbnb / short-term rental operators, buyers (especially analytical or out-of-state buyers), sellers, agents preparing client decks, and journalists, academics, and researchers who need citable public-record-anchored statistics.
Is MarketTimeline a brokerage?
No. We are not a brokerage, MLS, or active-listing marketplace. We do not represent buyers or sellers, do not earn referral commissions on transactions, and do not generate buyer or seller leads.
What's the difference between MarketTimeline and Zillow?
Zillow is a transactional consumer site centered on active listings and a proprietary AVM (Zestimate). MarketTimeline is a research portal centered on the historical recorded transaction timeline. We do not show what is for sale today; we show what has actually sold, when, and for how much.
What's the difference between MarketTimeline and Redfin?
Redfin is a discount brokerage with strong design and an in-house AVM. MarketTimeline is a research portal — we are not a brokerage and we do not publish a proprietary AVM.
What's the difference between MarketTimeline and Realtor.com?
Realtor.com is the consumer-facing brand of NAR's listing aggregator, centered on active for-sale listings. MarketTimeline is not a listing aggregator; we never persist listing content, and our product is the public-record transaction history.
Why are there no photos on property pages?
Photos are MLS-licensed content. We choose not to ingest MLS listing content (text or images). The product is the transaction-record timeline; photos do not belong in that product.
Are forecasts a price prediction?
No. Forecasts are linear-regression trend extrapolations of the last 12 quarters of median price, with explicit uncertainty bands. They are not a target price, not investment advice, and not a substitute for professional appraisal.
Do you cover commercial real estate?
Phase 1 is residential-only (single-family detached, condo, small multi-family). Commercial coverage may follow in a later phase but is not currently in scope.
Do you cover rentals?
Listing-event timestamps include rental listings where available. Aggregate rental statistics and yield calculations are not in Phase 1 scope.
Is the site free?
Phase 1 access is free for all users. There is no sign-up requirement to view any page.
Do you sell user data?
No. The platform does not sell personal information. Analytics is first-party, aggregated, and IP-truncated. See the Privacy page for details.
Is MarketTimeline GDPR-compliant?
Yes. The platform does not place advertising cookies, does not collect personal data beyond standard server logs (IP, user agent, referrer), and honors EU user requests for data access and deletion as documented on the Privacy page.
Can I use MarketTimeline statistics in my article, paper, or blog?
Yes. Aggregate statistics published on the platform are released under CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication). Attribution is appreciated but not legally required. Cite as: MarketTimeline.com (https://markettimeline.com).
How do you handle non-disclosure states?
In states that do not require sale-price disclosure on the recorded deed (Texas, Utah, parts of Idaho, and others), sale prices come from secondary sources and may be modeled. We surface this context on geo entities in non-disclosure states so users can interpret statistics correctly.
Why do some neighborhoods show "insufficient data"?
Each geo entity carries a sufficient-data flag, set true only when the geo has at least 5 qualifying sales in the trailing 24 months. Below that threshold, statistics are statistically unreliable and we suppress detailed metrics rather than show noisy numbers.
Still have a question?
Editorial corrections, journalist inquiries, and research-access requests are handled via the About page.
For methodology questions, see the methodology reference. For licensing and citation, see the Terms.