One of the first conversations I have with a seller in San Jose is not about price. It is about disclosures. California puts the burden on the seller to tell the buyer everything they know about the property that could affect its value or desirability. Done well, disclosures protect you. Done carelessly, they are the most common reason a sale turns into a dispute months after closing.
The two forms every seller fills out
Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). This is the state-mandated form. It asks what the home has (appliances, systems, features), whether those items work, and whether you are aware of any defects, additions without permits, easements, neighborhood nuisances, or past problems such as flooding, settling, or fire.
Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ). This is the longer, more detailed companion form used with most California contracts. It goes deeper: insurance claims, repairs you have made, water intrusion, pests, neighbor disputes, HOA issues, and more. If the TDS asks "is there a problem," the SPQ asks "tell me the story."
Other disclosures you will likely sign
- Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD): a third-party report on earthquake fault, flood, wildfire, and liquefaction zones. Many parts of San Jose, from Evergreen to Almaden, sit in or near a mapped zone, so expect this to come up.
- Lead-based paint for homes built before 1978, which covers much of Willow Glen, Cambrian, and older Berryessa.
- Water heater and smoke/CO detector compliance, plus any city or county point-of-sale requirements.
- HOA documents if you own a condo or townhouse.
How I coach sellers to fill them out
- When in doubt, disclose. Over-disclosing has never cost one of my clients a sale. Under-disclosing can cost far more later.
- Answer what you know, not what you guess. If you are unsure whether the garage conversion was permitted, say so. "Unknown" is an honest answer.
- Attach the paperwork. Roof invoices, termite clearances, permit finals. Buyers trust documents more than memory.
- Do it before you list. I send the forms early so they are ready for buyers alongside the pre-listing inspections. Serious buyers write stronger offers when they can read everything up front.
- Update if something changes. If a pipe leaks during escrow, that becomes a disclosure too.
A note for my Vietnamese families
Many of my sellers have owned their home for twenty or thirty years and did repairs themselves or through relatives. That is fine. Just tell me what was done and when, and we will write it clearly. The forms are in English, but I go through every question with you in Vietnamese so nothing is signed without understanding it. For legal questions about liability, I will always point you to a real estate attorney.
Thinking about selling this winter or in the spring? Let's start with the paperwork, not the pricing. Contact Ken for a no-pressure conversation, or request a home valuation to see where you stand.
Tóm tắt tiếng Việt
Ở California, người bán nhà có trách nhiệm khai báo (disclosure) mọi điều mình biết về căn nhà. Ken tóm tắt cho anh chị:
- TDS (Transfer Disclosure Statement): mẫu bắt buộc của tiểu bang, hỏi về các hệ thống trong nhà, hư hỏng, xây thêm không có permit, và các vấn đề đã xảy ra.
- SPQ (Seller Property Questionnaire): mẫu chi tiết hơn, hỏi về sửa chữa, claim bảo hiểm, nước dột, mối mọt, tranh chấp với hàng xóm, HOA.
- NHD: báo cáo về vùng động đất, lũ lụt, cháy rừng; nhiều khu ở San Jose nằm trong vùng này.
- Nhà xây trước 1978 cần thêm khai báo về sơn chì.
Lời khuyên của Ken: không chắc thì cứ khai; biết gì nói nấy, không biết thì ghi "unknown"; đính kèm hóa đơn sửa chữa; làm hồ sơ trước khi đăng bán. Ken sẽ ngồi cùng anh chị đi qua từng câu hỏi bằng tiếng Việt. Câu hỏi về pháp lý, Ken sẽ giới thiệu luật sư địa ốc.
Liên lạc Ken để bắt đầu chuẩn bị bán nhà đúng cách.
