Full Disclosure
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!
Popular Real Estate Terms
Rights granted to owners of property restricted to conservation use, historic preservation, or some other low density function to sell to other landowners allowing them to develop their ...
Administrator of estate is a term used in common-law jurisdiction for a person assigned a particular responsibility. The administrator of estate definition describes a court-appointed ...
Divider made of plasterboard or plaster used to partition rooms. A room is created by the walls surrounding it. ...
Contracts: Awarding a contract to the bidder for the property with the best offer. Lease: To lease property to a lessee. ...
Expenditure to make a specific security or real estate transaction. Real estate transaction costs include survey costs, mortgage points and origination fees, recording fees, state transfer ...
The American Society of Appraisers, also referred to as ASA, is the largest voluntary membership, a multi-discipline trade association that stands for and promotes its appraiser members. ...
The interest rate and terms competing mortgage lenders are offering to potential mortgagees. The mortgage market is competitive on the basis of mortgage interest rates, points, credit ...
Legal obligation to pay taxes associated with owning property or earning income. For example, a real estate owner must pay property taxes. ...
Also called financial leverage. The use of borrower funds to magnify return. Trading profitably on the equity, also called favorable financial leverage, means that the borrowed funds ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.