Put the MLS numbers next to the county numbers, tick what you see. Get a suspicion score and the reason behind every point.
MLS
sqft
County
sqft
Beds · MLS / county
/
Baths · MLS / county
/
Suspicion score
0/ 100Low
Sqft gap
0 sqft
Gap vs county
0%
Why these points
MLS is smaller than county. That usually isn't a permit flag. It can mean the agent measured differently, or a part was removed.
This is a screening score, not a legal finding. The weights are our estimate. Only the city's permit records show what was approved.
What to do next
Why county sqft is not a permit
The assessor taxes what it sees. The building department approves what gets built. Two offices, two records.
Santa Clara County says its property characteristics are kept only for assessment and are not updated all the time. Alameda County says they are not part of the assessment roll.
So a match doesn't prove a permit, and a gap doesn't prove there's none. The permit history on the city portal does.
Many people get this wrong:"The county shows 1,850 sqft, so all 1,850 are permitted." No. The assessor can pick up an addition from a sale or a field check and tax it, with no permit ever pulled. Lenders and buyers' appraisers look at the city record, not the tax bill.