It is perfectly ethical (and, I would say, advisable) to contact several local realtors even if you don't intend to list with them and even if it is very early in the process. They will all give you print-outs of the comps, an idea of what your asking price should be, and advice as to making your home more marketable. Realtors will also know why certain properties went for the price they did (horrible interior keeping price down; fabulous views increasing price) and give you some perspective as to where your place fits in.

I seem to recall someone on this site recommending Selling for Dummies. We went flat-fee listing, so I just googled fsbo and read everything I could find.

Congratulations on planning ahead. County websites are not a good place to start looking for comps, although they can be invaluable once you come to know an area. You might want to check local realtors' websites, watch them for a while, and then look for selling prices on county websites. You can also call local offices of firms such as Coldwell Banker, Remax, etc... and ask to speak with an agent about local conditions.

One source of information, of course, is local newspapers, many of which are online. You can also learn a lot about buying and selling by reading the real estate columns of national papers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post - I've found that one very useful - and the LATimes. If you are willing to cough up the money for a subscription, the Wall Street Journal is great, too.

Are you planning on selling yourself or with an agent?

I went to every single Open House in my area for a year and a half before I sold. Having seen the actual house, in person helped me judge what was a close comp, versus "met basic stats". Same area, same number of bedrooms, similar sq footage is really just a start.
For instance, one house had a "guest cottage" that was actually a very scary detached garage conversion that looked neither safe or legal.
Watch the listings in your area closely.

I would like to try selling myself first. I have not had the best luck with agents in the past (3). I am beginning to get the idea that there are several different "ways" to do the selling yourself first. I haven't worked my way through that totally yet. I would probably start with some sort of flat fee real estate laywer thing with me trying to do the actuall finding a buyer.

One issue for me is, since I'm more rural, not in a subdivision, I have some acreage but a very small house by today's standards. But its new. Because I couldn't find anything decent. There are not a lot of similar comparisons to find. One thing I've found is that's its more expensive to build on your own and build in the country. Price will seem high, and with no real comps - it could be bad.