https://soldoribuy.com/blog/ Plain answers for Washington sellers: Form 17, septic in Pierce County, excise tax, tenants, probate and unpermitted work, from Austin Hellickson. en-us Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 https://soldoribuy.com/blog/form-17-selling-as-is-washington https://soldoribuy.com/blog/form-17-selling-as-is-washington Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Usually, yes. Selling as-is or to a cash buyer does not exempt you from Washington’s seller disclosure law (RCW 64.06), so you owe the buyer a completed Form 17 unless the buyer waives it in writing or the sale fits one of the statute’s exemptions, such as a sale by the personal representative of an estate or a foreclosure. Even with a waiver, the environmental section still has to be delivered if any of its answers would be yes. https://soldoribuy.com/blog/pierce-county-septic-inspection-selling https://soldoribuy.com/blog/pierce-county-septic-inspection-selling Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson In Pierce County, a house on septic is expected to have a current Report of System Status from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department when it sells. A septic company certified to work in the county pumps and inspects the system, the Health Department reviews the application and inspects the property, and the report it issues is good for one year. Starting February 1, 2027, a new statewide rule adds a time-of-transfer inspection requirement across Washington, King County included. https://soldoribuy.com/blog/excise-tax-selling-house-washington https://soldoribuy.com/blog/excise-tax-selling-house-washington Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson In Washington the seller normally pays the real estate excise tax, collected by escrow at closing. For sales through December 31, 2026, the state rate is 1.1% on the first $525,000 of the price, 1.28% on the portion up to $1,525,000, 2.75% up to $3,025,000 and 3% above that, plus a flat local rate set by your city or county. On January 1, 2027 the state brackets move up to $551,000, $1,551,000 and $3,051,000, and the rates stay the same. https://soldoribuy.com/blog/selling-house-with-tenants-washington https://soldoribuy.com/blog/selling-house-with-tenants-washington Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson You can. The buyer takes the house subject to the existing lease, deposit and all. If you want it empty for the sale, state law lets you end the tenancy of a single-family house to sell it, with at least 90 days’ written notice and a genuine intent to sell, and cities such as Tacoma and Seattle add rules of their own. https://soldoribuy.com/blog/sell-house-in-probate-washington https://soldoribuy.com/blog/sell-house-in-probate-washington Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Often you can. Once the court appoints a personal representative and issues letters, that person can sell the house for the estate, and in Washington a personal representative with nonintervention powers can typically do it without asking a judge to approve the sale. The rest is practical: keeping the empty house safe and insured, keeping the heirs informed, and deciding whether to list it or take a cash offer. https://soldoribuy.com/blog/unpermitted-work-selling-house-washington https://soldoribuy.com/blog/unpermitted-work-selling-house-washington Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Yes, and nothing in Washington law makes you permit old work first. The catch is Form 17: the seller disclosure asks about conversions, additions and remodeling and whether permits and final inspections were obtained, so you answer with what you know. After that you have three choices: get the work permitted, take it out, or disclose it and let the price account for it.