Yes, you can sell a house as is in Maryland without making repairs, as long as you give the buyer the state disclosure or disclaimer statement before the contract is signed and tell the buyer about any latent defect you know of. The buyer then takes the house in its present condition and pays for every repair after settlement, whether the house needs a new roof, a foundation repair or nothing more than paint.
Selling as is trades a lower price for a faster, simpler sale. A Maryland owner choosing that route has three buyers to sell to, a financed retail buyer, a renovation buyer and a cash home buyer, and each one prices the missing repairs differently. This guide sets out the Maryland disclosure rules, the buyers who purchase as is houses, the cost of skipping repairs and the five steps of an as is sale.
What Does Selling a House As Is Mean in Maryland?
Selling a house as is in Maryland means the seller makes no repairs and gives no promise about condition, and the buyer accepts the house with all of its defects. In Maryland the phrase has a legal meaning as well as a practical one. A seller who signs the state disclaimer statement declares that the buyer receives the property as is, with all defects, including latent defects, unless the contract says otherwise.
As is does not mean silent. The disclaimer covers condition and repairs, and it never covers hiding a known safety problem. It also does not stop the buyer from inspecting the house, and a buyer who inspects keeps the right to walk away inside an inspection contingency if the contract contains one.
What Must a Maryland Seller Disclose When Selling As Is?
A Maryland seller of a house with one to four units must give each buyer either the residential property condition disclosure statement or the disclaimer statement, on the form from the Maryland Real Estate Commission, before both sides sign the contract. That rule sits in section 10-702 of the Real Property Article, and three more disclosures apply to many as is houses.
The disclosure statement or the disclaimer statement
The disclosure statement lists the condition of the roof, the foundation, the plumbing, the heating, the electrical system and the other parts of the house as the seller knows them. The disclaimer statement makes no representation about condition and is the form most as is sellers choose. The buyer signs a receipt for whichever form is used, and the receipt goes into the contract.
Latent defects you know about
A seller who uses the disclaimer still discloses any latent defect the seller actually knows of. Maryland defines a latent defect as a material defect that a buyer would not reasonably find through a careful visual inspection and that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of the buyer or an occupant, such as a hidden electrical fault or a known structural failure behind a finished wall.
A late statement and the five day right to cancel
When the buyer receives the statement before signing, the buyer cannot cancel the contract because of what it says. When the statement arrives late, the buyer has the right to cancel in writing before receiving it or within five days after receiving it and gets the deposit back at once. That right ends at closing or at occupancy, whichever comes first.
Lead paint and local notices
A house built before 1978 also needs the federal lead based paint disclosure, and the buyer receives the chance to test for lead before the contract binds. Local law adds its own notices, such as the written notice of a Vacant Building Notice in Baltimore City and the radon test required before settlement on most houses in Montgomery County.
Several transfers sit outside the state statement altogether. Sales by a fiduciary administering an estate, sheriff, tax and foreclosure sales, sales by a lender that took the house through foreclosure and the first sale of a new home are all exempt.
Who Buys a House As Is in Maryland?
Three kinds of buyers purchase as is houses in Maryland, and the condition of the house decides which of them can close.
- Financed retail buyers purchase as is houses that need cosmetic work, because the lender appraisal still has to support the price and FHA and VA loans add minimum property requirements that a house with a failing roof or peeling paint on a pre 1978 house does not meet.
- Renovation buyers purchase houses that need a kitchen, bathrooms or systems, often with a renovation loan that sets its own inspection and draw schedule.
- Cash home buyers purchase houses in any condition, including houses with fire damage, a failed septic system, tenants or code violations, because no lender sets a condition on the sale.
The worse the condition, the smaller the first two groups become, and a house that no lender finances is left with cash buyers alone.
How Much Do You Lose Selling a House As Is?
A house sold as is loses roughly the cost of the repairs a buyer sees, plus a margin for the buyer taking on the risk and the work, so the loss grows with the size of the repair list. A house that needs only paint loses little, while a house that needs a roof, a heating system and a kitchen loses far more than the bills themselves, because a buyer prices the uncertainty as well.
The three routes compare like this for a typical Maryland seller.
| Cost or step | Repair first, then list | List as is with an agent | Sell as is for cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair money before the sale | Paid by you before listing | None | None |
| Agent commission | Commonly 5 to 6 percent of the price | Commonly 5 to 6 percent of the price | None |
| Price | Highest, once the work is done | Reduced by the repairs buyers see | Resale value less repairs, costs and margin |
| Inspection renegotiation | Low risk | High risk | None after the offer |
| Time to settlement | Repair months plus the listing period | The listing period plus 30 to 45 days | 30 days or less |
| Transfer and recordation taxes | Divided by the contract | Divided by the contract | Often paid by the buyer |
The repair first route pays most only when the repairs return more than they cost and the owner has the money and the months to manage them. Maryland homes sold for a median of 455,000 dollars in July 2026, according to Maryland REALTORS, and that figure describes houses ready for a financed buyer rather than houses sold as is. The full comparison of repairing, listing and selling for cash, with the repair types that pay back, is set out for owners who want to sell a house that needs repairs in Maryland.
What Are the 5 Steps of an As Is Sale?
Selling a house as is in Maryland takes five steps, from pricing the repairs to signing the deed at a title company.
- Price the repairs with one contractor estimate or a pre listing inspection, so you know the number every buyer is going to subtract.
- Choose the disclaimer or the disclosure statement and list every latent defect you know of before any buyer signs.
- Pick the buyer type that the condition allows, a financed buyer for cosmetic work and a cash buyer for a house no lender finances.
- Compare net figures, not prices, by subtracting commission, repairs, carrying costs and the taxes each offer leaves to you.
- Settle at a Maryland title company, which pays the mortgage and any liens from the price and records the deed.
Selling a House As Is in Harder Maryland Situations
Some as is sales carry a problem beyond condition, and each of these four has its own rules in Maryland.
An inherited house sold as is
A personal representative administering an estate sells without the state disclosure or disclaimer statement, because the sale is an exempt fiduciary transfer. The representative still signs the contract and the deed for the estate, and the steps to sell an inherited Maryland house as is follow the appointment by the Register of Wills.
A house with open code violations
Open citations, unpermitted work and condemnation orders follow the house to the buyer, and most financed buyers refuse them. The ways to sell a house with code violations in Maryland include a sale where the buyer takes over the open cases.
A Baltimore City house with a Vacant Building Notice
Baltimore City law requires a seller to disclose a Vacant Building Notice to the buyer in writing on or before the contract of sale, and failing to do so is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to 1,000 dollars. A cash sale to buyers who buy houses in Baltimore City includes that notice in the contract.
Is selling as is different from selling to a cash buyer?
Yes, selling as is describes the condition of the sale, while selling to a cash buyer describes how the buyer pays. A financed buyer can buy as is, and a cash buyer can buy a renovated house, and the two overlap only when the house is too rough for a lender. The three routes side by side, listing, repairing first and a direct cash sale, sit on the page to sell your house in Maryland.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling As Is in Maryland
Can I sell my house as is without an inspection?
Yes, a seller is not required to order an inspection before selling as is in Maryland. Most buyers still inspect, and a cash buyer usually buys after one walkthrough instead.
Does anyone buy a house that needs major repairs?
Yes, renovation buyers and cash home buyers purchase houses with major repairs in Maryland, including houses that no lender finances because of a failing roof, structural damage or a failed septic system.
Do I still disclose problems if I sell as is?
Yes, a Maryland seller using the disclaimer statement still discloses every latent defect the seller knows of, and a house built before 1978 also needs the federal lead paint disclosure.
Is selling as is better than making repairs?
Selling as is is better when the repairs cost more than they add to the price or when you lack the money or time to manage them. Repairing first is better for cosmetic work on a house in a strong market.
Can a buyer back out of an as is sale?
Yes, a buyer with an inspection or financing contingency can withdraw inside the contingency period, and a buyer who received the state statement late can cancel within five days of receiving it.
How long does an as is sale take in Maryland?
A cash sale of an as is house settles in 30 days or less, and a financed as is sale takes the listing period plus 30 to 45 days for the loan.
What repairs can be skipped by selling as is?
Every repair can be skipped, from roofing, foundation, plumbing and electrical work to mold remediation and cosmetic updates, because the buyer takes the house in its present condition.