Full Disclosure
Definition of "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
Capitalization rate used to convert the expected income derived from a property into its estimated asset value. The estimated asset value may be computed by dividing the annual income ...
One-time charge assessed by a bank or other financial institution at the closing of buying real property. The fee increases the effective cost to the borrower. One discount point translates ...
Marketable title that is free of encumbrances and disputed interests. Clear title is essential in order to convey a general warranty deed in a transaction. ...
Projecting what the total cost would be to construct a structure. Costs include material, labor, and lawyers' fees. ...
In real estate, Attractive Nuisance is how insurance companies classify something that is inherently dangerous and particularly enticing to children. A hazard located within a property that ...
A zero lot line is a term in residential real estate that refers to houses that are either very close to or at the edge of the property line. These houses are also called zero lot line ...
A legal procedure to sell a mortgage property to the highest bidder in order to satisfy a mortgage claim from a mortgagee against the value o the property. A foreclosure sale can occur from ...
Storage of inactive items, including automobiles, for a certain period. Normally, a storage facility, charging a fee, provides dead storage of items. To prevent deterioration, dead ...
Special tax incentive for the continued use and rehabilitation of historical buildings and old structures in an effort to arrest urban decay. Developers receive a credit based on a ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.