Seller's Seller's Disclosure

Are 2 Seller's Disclosures Better Than 1?

By law, Minnesota home Sellers must provide prospective Buyers with a disclosure detailing the condition of their home.

If one Seller's Disclosure is good, is a second -- the previous Seller's disclosure -- even better?

If the owner has been in the home a relatively short time -- say, less than 2 years -- definitely. That's especially true if the previous owner had a long tenure in the home and/or made major changes.

However, as the previous Seller's disclosure recedes in time, so does its significance.

Which isn't to say that it's not welcome if the current Seller provides a copy, for two reasons:

1) it telegraphs that the Seller has nothing to hide; and
2) from experience, I've found that Sellers who are meticulous about their record-keeping also tend to be conscientious about things like home maintenance.