Contents of a Bay Area Real Estate Disclosure Package

A homeowner selling his or her Bay Area residence is required to disclose all material facts about the property’s condition. There are many standard disclosure forms that the law requires the vendor to make available to the buyer, but these disclosures vary from state to state, and city by city. This article will explore the typical contents of a Bay area real estate disclosure package.

Asking your local Realtor for a complete set of all the forms you’ll need to fill out and provide to buyers is your best strategy. These forms consist primarily of a series of generic disclosures and advisories to the customer and require only the signature of the seller.

A small number of these forms, however, will require the seller to respond to a series of inquiries – primarily by checking boxes and providing written explanations when necessary. Typically, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours to complete and compile all the contents of a Bay Area real estate disclosure package.

In addition to the standard disclosure forms and documentation, the complete Bay Area real estate disclosure package should include copies of all the inspection reports you have on the property – both old ones, if you still have them from when you purchased the property, and new ones, which you should have had completed before listing the property for sale. You should also include a preliminary title report, a natural hazard disclosure report (required throughout the state of California), any HOA documentation required by law, and utility invoices.

It is also advisable to include all government records for the property, including the permit history, any building code or planning violations, assessor data, etc. If your property has a well or septic system, include not only the current report but also all the historical records, which can be obtained from the environmental health department of your city or county.

A Solid Bay Area Real Estate Disclosure Package Document List

Termite Inspection
Home Inspection
Septic Inspection (if applicable)
Well Inspection (if applicable)
Public Records (Assessor, Planning/Zoning, Building, Environmental Health)
Natural Hazard Disclosure Report
Preliminary Title Report
Parcel Map (showing easements, right-of-ways, etc.)
Repair Bids (if applicable)
Invoices for Work Completed (if available)
HOA Documents (if applicable)
Utility Bills
Insurance Declarations / Annual Policy Coverage + Fees
Insurance Claims History / C.L.U.E. Report
Local Disclosure Forms and Advisories (e.g. “point of sale” requirements)
Mold Disclosure
Earthquake Safety and Environmental Hazard Guide
Residential Earthquake Hazards Report (2005 Edition)
California Home Energy Rating Booklet
Standard Disclosure Forms (get these from an Agent)
- Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS)
- Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ)
- Lead Based Paint Disclosure (FLD) (for homes built prior to 1978)
- Water Heater/Smoke Detector Statement of Compliance (WHSD)
- Supplemental & Statutory Disclosures (SSD)
- Statewide Buyer and Seller Advisory (SBSA)
- Market Conditions Advisory (MCA)
- Megan’s Law Database Disclosure (DBD)
- Agent’s Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID)
- Carbon Monoxide Notice (CMD)