Definition of "Full disclosure"

Mike Flannagan real estate agent

Written by

Mike Flannaganelite badge icon

RE/MAX Select Properties

In a broader sense, Full Disclosure means presenting all information (significant or not, classified or not) related to a certain matter.

In Real Estate, the term “Full Disclosure” can be used in different situations… it can be used as a requirement for a lender to disclose to borrowers the effective cost of a loan; its terms, conditions and all the fine print. But also, and more commonly, to refer to a requirement a real estate broker – or a home seller going the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) route – has of providing all known information about the condition of a property - its structural flaws, its average energy consumption, its blueprint etc. – to the home buyer. If after the sale the home buyer discovers information discrepancy both the real estate broker and the former homeowner are eligible to get sued for not giving the full disclosure.

That’s why the services of a home inspector are so important. It becomes his/her responsibility to disclose all the problems of the house. Any liability becomes his/hers.

There are disclosure forms so no one says “but how would I know I had to look for that?”. There are federal disclosure requirements but also, because every locality has its own characteristics, state disclosure requirements.

Real Estate Tips:

Full disclosure? Find a real estate agent because without them everything becomes much more difficult!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

The term action in personam is used mostly in legal proceedings because Roman law heavily influenced our judicial system. Many terms used in law have their roots in Roman law, not only this ...

Older property is bought usually by a governmental agency to be modernized and improved. In many cases, the deteriorating property is torn down and a new structure built. An example is ...

A landowner may not divert or redirect a natural occurring waterway from his or her property causing damages to another property. Waterway is normally construed to mean streams and rivers ...

Detailed financial accounting of all the credits and debits for the buyer and seller upon consummation of a real estate sale. ...

Reduction in taxes payable to the IRS or local government. A tax credit is more beneficial to the taxpayer than an itemized deduction because it reduces taxes on a dollar-for-dollar basis. ...

person's behavior partly genetic and partly learned through experience over time. Some people have good personal traits while others have poor ones. ...

Value of a company's or person's name and reputation, As a result, the business will have a competitive edge, and generate better-than-typical future earnings. ...

Horizontal supports for the ceiling of a structure. ...

The definition of the price-to-rent ratio is very important for real estate investors. This ratio is a measurement for the affordability of a particular rental property and tells investors ...

Popular Real Estate Questions