What You Need to Know about the Washington State Seller Property Disclosure – Form 17. 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).
Sellers must complete a Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS), in which they disclose known defects and other pertinent information about the property. Failure to disclose these material facts can lead to legal liability.
You can get the form from a buyer's or seller's agent or real estate attorney. While the disclosure form will vary in format, it may contain the following: List of specific issues the homeowner must check off if the home has them. Questions about the property the seller must answer with “Yes,” “No” or “Unknown”
You can get the form from a buyer's or seller's agent or real estate attorney. While the disclosure form will vary in format, it may contain the following: List of specific issues the homeowner must check off if the home has them. Questions about the property the seller must answer with “Yes,” “No” or “Unknown”
In most states, by law, you have to disclose any issues with the property. By not disclosing, you open yourself up to lawsuit.
Examples of material facts that must be disclosed include structural problems with the house, soil problems, a leaking roof, unpermitted construction, neighborhood noise problems, and anything else that a buyer would deem to be important.
Sellers must fill out either an unimproved or improved residential real estate disclosure form, which covers various topics about the property's condition. This comprehensive form asks about the state of the home's electrical, plumbing, heating and other systems.