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
Real estate property incentive offered for reasons other than individual merit. A discriminatory inducement is an effort to get an individual to buy or sell, rent, or lease real estate ...
Also called a title defect. Any claim, lien, or encumbrance which, if valid, may impair the owners title to the property. This cloud does not hinder transfer of ownership on the property, ...
(1) Methods that involve discounting the future cash flows generated by an income property. These techniques are used primarily for valuation. (2) Methods of selecting and ranking ...
A Homeowner’s Association (HOA) is an organized group of homeowners in a home subdivision, condominium, or cooperative complex. They come together and found a Homeowner’s ...
The apportioning, disbursing, dividing, offering, or parceling out of property among individuals. (1) Probate: Court order to divide up and distribute the contents of an estate after the ...
Also called demand note. A loan with no established maturity period, callable on demand by the lender for repayment. The interest on this type of loan is calculated on a daily basis and ...
Also called interim financing. A mortgage that provides the funds necessary for the building or construction of a real estate project. The project can be a residential subdivision, a ...
Simply put, probate is a legal proceeding whereby the will of a deceased is tested for validity. The definition of probate is not known to most Americans. According to a Gallup survey, ...
An increase in the price or market value of real estate. ...

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