Nearly all real estate sales in Washington State require a seller disclosure statement, also known as Form 17, to be given to the buyer.
Nearly all real estate sales in Washington State require a seller disclosure statement, also known as Form 17, to be given to the buyer.
Washington State requires sellers of residential real property to thoroughly disclose material facts on a form called the Residential Real Property Disclosure Statement (often referred to as Form 17).
Homeowners are required to disclose any mold issues during a sale. § 339.730. 1. This states that an agent must disclose to any potential buyer all adverse material facts actually known or that should have been known by the agent.
Most seller property disclosures are required for residential properties and vacant land. This means that when selling a residential property, the seller is legally obligated to disclose any known defects or issues with the property to potential buyers.
The history of a concept known as "caveat emptor" (or, "buyer beware") in real estate transactions led many states, including Washington in 1994, to pass laws mandating that sellers provide disclosures about all aspects of the property. You'll find these beginning at Revised Washington Code (RCW) § 64.06. 005.