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

(1) Return of the principal invested in real estate. It excludes income earned. (2) Collection of a previously written off bad debt. ...

Board used when connected as a floor. It may also be used as a strip in a wall or door. ...

Representation on a flat surface of any region that depicts the elevation of that region. ...

Stigmatized property is a property that home buyers might back off on closing a deal due to factors that are not related to the property’s price, structural/aesthetic conditions and ...

Through the master plan definition, we can understand it’s a plan describing both through narrative and maps the overall land use of a designated urban area. It includes both present ...

Latin term meaning let the buyer beware. The buyer purchases at his or her risk, in the absence of fraud. This does not obligate the seller to volunteer information. However, legal statutes ...

Rules regarding day-to-day use of the premises. ...

Securing lease commitments to a building prior to its being available for occupancy. For example, a developer offers a discounted lease to potential tenants providing they agree to sign a ...

Descriptive of a property boundary that follows the course of a river or estuary. For example, a land description may say its boundary follows "the meander of the river" meaning the ...

Popular Real Estate Questions