Anyone who’s spent time around real estate professionals will likely have heard the adage “disclose, disclose, disclose!” It’s worth your time to discover these 4 things sellers need to know about real estate disclosures in Idaho.
Enjoyment
One of the things buyers are expecting when they have purchased real estate is their right to the enjoyment of the property. Should you be aware of any problem with the property or location that is prohibitive to that enjoyment, it is another thing on the list that sellers need to know about real estate disclosures in Idaho. Is there a high school with a band or another source of extremely loud noise? Any factory or other source of the odor or smoke fumes that overwhelm the neighborhood at certain times? Does your bright and cheery home by day become a dangerous landscape at night, due to the presence of criminal activity?
Hazards
Making buyers aware of existing or potential dangers inherent to the property is another thing sellers need to know about real estate disclosures in Idaho. The laws on this subject vary widely, however, they cover a vast array of potential hazards that homeowners across the country have encountered and it is highly advisable that you make yourself aware of the laws that govern your property. There are also federal laws, such as those governing lead paint. Basically, if you are aware of natural dangers on the property itself or the surrounding location, such as being near a fault line in areas where earthquakes are more common, you must reveal the data. Problems that have led to the contamination of the property, whether from local commercial activity or caused by a natural source, must also be provided. Likewise, issues with pests, such as termites and their treatment must also be included.
Death
While not a typical subject when it comes to financial transactions, should you be inhabited by ghosts, you will need to report your knowledge of the haunting, in the laws governing real estate disclosure in some states. Commonly, deaths with causes unrelated to any issues with the property itself are likely not required to be disclosed. However, should the cause have been due to a condition of the property, either structurally or otherwise, in most cases this must be disclosed. Sellers would be wise to educate themselves on the specifics of the real estate laws about death when it comes to real estate disclosures in Idaho.
History
What was fixed, why, and when are among the things sellers need to know about real estate disclosures in Idaho. As you may be well aware, there are just certain issues with a home that may continue to rear their ugly heads. In out busy and expensive lives we often have to resort to Band-aid repairs just to get by. But will that roof leak show back up in a few months? Was there an issue with water damage in the past? What was the source and was there mold? Was the damage properly remediated by professionals? While it may be easy to temporarily hide an issue by timing the showing of the property, finding yourself tangled up in a lawsuit is a nightmare, with the possibility of significant financial consequences should you lose your case. Past problems that could become future issues, even if they’ve been temporarily repaired, are among the facts about the history of your property that you will need to bring to the attention of your buyers in your disclosure.
As-Is
One important thing sellers need to know about real estate disclosures in Idaho is that even when selling “as is,” any known issues with the home, or “material latent defects”, that devalue the property must be disclosed. There is a risk of being sued should you fail to disclose information that you were aware of. Laws about what must be disclosed may vary from state to state. You will want to be certain to have everything in writing that comes with the property from the start, for instance, your grandfather clock isn’t included. Conversely, if something is missing from the property, that might not be noticeable on a quick walkthrough, but would be expected to be present, you must also disclose. For example, you are showing the property on the hottest day of summer and the buyers see a heating unit, but you know that the unit no longer works, you could easily be sued for failure to disclose this information.
While it may be tempting to hold back information about known issues when selling your house, it’s a bad idea. It’s best to disclose the information in advance to fend off any possibility of future court proceedings. In other words, you need to disclose EVERYTHING – which obviously may end up lowering your asking price initially but could save you thousands later. This is another advantage of selling directly to professional home buyers like Brady Buys Houses! We buy homes any condition and can tackle even the toughest maintenance issues – it’s what we do! Learn more about how we can help you by sending us a message or giving us a call at (208) 856-6826 today!