One of the most difficult tasks we have as real estate agents, whether working with buyers or sellers, is getting a complete and accurate Seller's Disclosure Notice. For those of you who are not familiar with this document, it's a form that home sellers fill out when they list a home that provides information about the house they are selling. In Texas, the form is only 5 pages long and most of it is just checking boxes and filling in blanks. It really isn't a difficult form to complete.
But in our experience, most of the time the form is incomplete, late to arrive, and generally sloppy. Really, how hard is it to fill in the name and phone number of your utility providers? That's a required field on our form. Do you know whether your heating system is electric or gas? You should.
What most sellers don't realize is that an inaccurate or incomplete Seller's Disclosure Notice is one of the biggest causes of lawsuits after the sale of a home. It's serious business. If you have experienced a previous fire in the home, you better disclose it when you list the house for sale. Most buyers don't have a problem with even serious issues as long as they know about it going into the sales transaction.
So sellers, do your agent and your future buyers a favor. Take 20-30 minutes and fill out the form with due diligence and care. It's the best half hour you will invest in the sale of your home.
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