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Permit questions to ask the seller

Tick what looks off. Get short, polite questions in English to send the listing agent, and the date your answers have to come in by.

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17 days is the usual default on the C.A.R. purchase agreement when no other number is written in. Check the number in your own offer.
Message to the listing agent (English)

      
What these questions mean (Tiếng Việt)
    Where to look in the disclosures

    Next steps

    1. Pull the permit history yourself while you wait: T281 Look up permits by city. Look for "Finaled".
    2. Score what you see: T282 Is part of this home unpermitted?
    3. Answers came back "no permit"? Price it and ask for a credit: T283 Cost and risk.
    4. A permit shows "Issued" or "Expired" but never final? T285 Open or expired permit.

    Many people get this wrong: "The SPQ has a box for unpermitted work, so the seller already told me." Not quite. The SPQ (6/24) asks about alterations and repairs in general. Only a seller who bought within 18 months must list permits and unpermitted work. The TDS asks about work done without permits, but only what the seller knows. Ask in writing anyway.

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