Selling a Home in California: The Disclosures You'll Actually Need

California is a strong disclosure state. As a seller you are required to tell buyers what you know about the property, on standardized forms, before the sale closes. Done right, disclosure protects you as much as it protects the buyer — it is your record that you were honest. Here are the main documents.

The core forms

• ·Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) — your written account of the home's known conditions and defects
• ·Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ) — a deeper supplement to the TDS covering issues sellers often overlook
• ·Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) — whether the home sits in a flood, fire, or seismic hazard zone
• ·Lead-Based Paint Disclosure — federally required for any home built before 1978

The ones people forget

• ·Mello-Roos and other special tax or assessment districts, if your property is in one
• ·The Megan's Law database notice, included in the purchase agreement
• ·Smoke detector, carbon monoxide, and water-heater bracing compliance
• ·Known material facts a buyer would reasonably want to know

Why this is not where you cut corners

Disclosure mistakes are one of the most common sources of post-sale disputes. Incomplete or careless disclosure can follow a seller long after closing. This is exactly the work a full-service brokerage is for, and it is the work a flat fee does not skip.

At Guided Home Realty, a licensed broker and a dedicated transaction coordinator prepare and track every required disclosure with you, the same way a 6 percent brokerage would. The price is flat. The standard is not.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your specific sale may require more, and your broker walks you through exactly which forms apply to your property.