I wrote a piece on the Seattle Real Estate Professionals blog about the death of newsprint advertising for real estate and as things usually go in the blogging world the conversation in the comments drifted to the number of forms now used to list a home in Washington State.  The list of forms has grown exponentially just recently because of the new distressed sale law and further clarifications about the disclosure form. So here’s the list of the forms and information pamphlets that I now use when listing a home:

1. Agency pamphlet:  Explains The Law of Agency and agency representation.
2. Listing agreement: 5 pages includes  2 pages are the actual contract and 3 pages are the information forms to input the data.
3. Disclosure form, Form 17:  5 pages in which sellers are to disclose anything and everything they know about their home.  Additional pages can be added if further explanations are needed.  Accompanied with a form letter explaining the disclosure form.
4. Explanation form regarding seller’s disclosure rights: 2 pages
5. Lead paint disclosure for all homes built before 1978:  2 pages
6. Lead paint booklet from the Federal Government explaining the form.
7. Utility addendum:  1 page listing all the utility companies and their addresses.
8. Distressed sale form:  1 page ( Windermere company form)
9. Distressed sale pamphlet explaining the Washington distressed sale law.
10. Legal description: 1 page to be initialed by the seller.
11. Business affiliation disclosure form: 1 page
12. Have a septic system? In King County there are forms that must be completed and recorded regarding the care and “feeding” of the system.
13. Facts about your home: 4 pages (my own form I use to get all the facts about a home)

There’s a lot to review and a lot to absorb. If you plan to sell your home, allow time to review and complete all these forms. 

What other forms have you seen for listing a home in a county other than King County?

 (*There are some forms that may vary from county to county.)