The days when a seller could say, "Here's the house, hope you like it," while failing to mention its hidden flaws, dangers, and weak spots, are pretty much over. Almost every U.S. state has passed laws mandating that sellers give buyers specific information about what structural and other features the house contains, and their condition. In some cases, the brokers must speak up about hidden conditions, too. Many states have created standard forms with which sellers are expected to record and pass this information to buyers.
Find out more about your state's rules here.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
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Mississippi
Missouri
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Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Find out more about your state's rules here.
Home sellers have certain disclosure obligations in most U.S. states—but what about their listing broker?
Limits on the confidentiality of listing brokers in New York State means home sellers can't expect brokers to hide material defects in the home or property from buyers.
Virginia real estate brokers have limited requirements to disclose property defects to buyers. Learn where disclosure is nonetheless required.
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