A buyer should consider the disclosure statement to be

• A. A contract
• B. Disclosure statement only
• C. A sales brochure
• D. An environmental report

Answer: (B)

Disclosures are information about known property conditions. The seller’s disclosure statement should be treated as information provided to inform the buyer about issues the seller knows about, not as a contract or a guarantee of conditions. It isn’t marketing material like a sales brochure, and it isn’t a formal environmental report, which would come from separate inspections or assessments. The buyer’s best use of the disclosure is to guide due diligence—combining it with inspections and independent investigations to assess risk and decide what, if any, repairs or negotiations are warranted. In short, treat the disclosure statement as information to inform your decision, not as a binding agreement or a stand-alone report.