have some problems. The more forthcoming you are about those potential problems, the more relaxed they will become about buying your house. If you see something, say something. Most states don’t compel you to discuss issues if you have no knowledge of them. Don’t run out and hire an inspector to nit-pick every little detail of your home and find problems that might not even affect property value. The problems you must report are the ones that you know about: leaky pipes, rotting wood, basement flooding—basically anything about your property that has bothered you and that you know will bother the new residents. However, you can’t be cavalier about the unknown issues. In some scenarios, turning a blind eye could get you in hot water. Depending on the state in which you’re selling your house, you could be held responsible for not discovering unknown potential problems. Educate yourself about the specific disclosures your state requires. To get an idea of what you might be up against, let’s look at the regulations in California, one of the most stringent disclosure reporting states in the nation.
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS:
• Any significant defects regarding walls, ceilings,
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