How do we fill out seller disclosures for a house we never lived in?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
You disclose what you actually know — the law doesn't ask you to invent knowledge you don't have. Minnesota's disclosure rules run on actual knowledge of the property, and the law treats certain fiduciary and estate sales differently from a homeowner selling the house they live in. Exactly which rules apply to your sale is a question for the estate's attorney. I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
Whatever the legal floor turns out to be, two things serve you. Honesty about what you do know — the basement leaked in 2019, the furnace is original. And often, a pre-listing inspection. Buyers trust an estate sale that comes with a fresh inspection report far more than a blank shrug, and that trust tends to show up in the offers.
I prepare these sales regularly. I'll walk the forms with you and the attorney. Just call.
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What people in this spot usually ask next.
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- Inheritance & probateDad died without a will. Can we still sell his house?Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateWhat does a personal representative actually do when there's a house to sell?Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateCan we sell the house before probate is finished in Minnesota?Read the answer
- Divorce & separationDo we have to tell buyers we're selling because of divorce?Read the answer
- Rules & representationWhat do I legally have to disclose when I sell my house in Minnesota?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
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