Free Washington Purchase Agreement for Real Estate

A Washington purchase agreement is a written contract in which a buyer agrees to buy, and a seller agrees to sell, real estate on set terms. It names the parties and the property, and it records the price, the earnest money deposit and the closing terms.

Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Washington law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.

Washington real estate purchase contract form

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In a sale of residential property, state law also requires the seller to give the buyer a completed disclosure statement, unless the buyer waives it or the transfer is exempt.[1] Fill in this free Washington real estate purchase agreement online, or download it as a PDF or Word file.

Washington Residential Purchase and Sale Agreement

A Washington residential purchase and sale agreement is the contract for the sale of a home. This printable form is written for residential property, so it has check boxes for the type of home. It puts the buyer, the seller, the price, the earnest money deposit and the closing terms into one document.

The form also has a check box for homes built before 1978. If the property is older, the form tells both parties to sign the attached lead-based paint disclosure.

After you download the PDF, you can fill it in with the online PDF editor. Our fillable real estate purchase agreement pages cover other states, and the general purchase agreement page covers other kinds of sales.

Items that are not part of the home sale can move with a Washington bill of sale.

Have a Washington attorney or a licensed real estate agent read your draft before you sign. A short review can catch blank lines, mismatched names and unclear dates.

What Does the Washington Purchase Agreement Form Cover?

The Washington purchase agreement form has 38 numbered sections. They run from the parties and the property to the seller disclosure statement. Together they record who is buying and selling and what comes with the home. They also cover the price, the earnest money deposit, the conditions that let a buyer back out, and the closing.

Part of the formWhat it records
Sections 1 to 4The parties, the type of home, the tax parcel number, the legal description, personal property, fixtures and appliances
Sections 5 and 5AThe earnest money deposit and the purchase price
Sections 6 and 7Financing and sale-of-another-home contingencies, and the buyer's loan application
Sections 8 to 11Due diligence, title, property condition and appraisal
Sections 12 to 14Closing costs, the closing date and funds at closing
Sections 15 to 18Mineral rights, damage or destruction, indemnification and required documents
Sections 19 and 21 to 26Termination, time limits, default by the buyer or the seller, earnest money disputes, dispute resolution and governing law
Sections 27 to 32Terms of the offer, binding effect, business days, severability, offer expiration and the seller's acceptance
Sections 33 and 34Possession after closing and the buyer's walk-through
Sections 35 to 38Real estate agents, a swimming pool or spa, lead-based paint and the property disclosure statement

Earnest Money and Contingencies in a Washington Purchase Agreement

Earnest money is a deposit the buyer pays to show good faith. In this agreement, the buyer deposits the amount with the escrow agent by a date written on the form (Section 5). The deposit is credited in full to the purchase price at closing.

The agreement returns the deposit to the buyer in several cases. One example is a title defect the seller will not fix. Another is a repair dispute the parties cannot settle. A third is a home that appraises below the purchase price when no new price is agreed.

Write the earnest money amount and the due date into Section 5 before you sign. The earnest money figure should match what the buyer and the seller negotiated.

Buyer Contingencies

Section 6 gives the buyer two pairs of check boxes. The buyer marks whether the purchase depends on getting financing, and whether it depends on selling another property. For a financed purchase, Section 7 adds more terms:

  • The buyer makes a good faith loan application within a reasonable time after signing.
  • The buyer gives the lender the information it needs. A failure that stops the loan counts as a default by the buyer.
  • By a set date, the buyer gives the seller a lender letter that confirms the source of the down payment and the funds to close.
  • If that letter does not arrive, the seller may end the agreement by written notice within five business days of the date. The deposit then goes back to the buyer, unless the buyer is in default.

Inspection, Title and Appraisal

  • Inspection: The buyer orders a property inspection by a set date, then lists the repair items. The parties have a stated number of business days to agree on a price change, a credit at closing or a repair. If they cannot agree, the agreement ends and the full deposit goes back to the buyer.
  • Title: The seller orders a title report after signing and delivers it to the buyer. The buyer has a set number of business days to object. The seller conveys title by a warranty deed or an equivalent instrument.
  • Appraisal: The buyer's obligations depend on an appraisal at or above the purchase price. If the home appraises lower, the parties have a negotiation period to settle on a price.

Closing, Costs and Possession in a Washington Purchase Agreement

The agreement sets one closing date, and the parties can move it by mutual agreement. Closing takes place at the office of the escrow agent, unless the parties choose another place. Count business days with the deadline calculator before you write dates into the blanks.

  • Closing costs: The buyer and the seller share escrow agent fees, recording fees and other title company costs that are customarily shared. The buyer pays for the owner's policy of title insurance and for any loan policy in favor of the buyer's lender.
  • Funds at closing: The buyer makes sure all funds reach the escrow agent by the closing date. Real estate taxes, rents, dues and fees for the year of the sale are prorated as of the closing date, and the seller pays taxes due for prior years.
  • Walk-through: The buyer may walk through the home within 48 hours before closing. If the home is damaged in a way the agreement does not allow, the buyer may require an extension of the closing, and the seller repairs the damage promptly.
  • Possession: The buyer takes possession at closing. The home must be free of tenants, occupants, debris, trash and vehicles, and in the same condition as on the effective date, apart from nominal wear and tear.

Default, Termination and Disputes in a Washington Purchase Agreement

The agreement spells out what happens when a deal goes wrong. It treats a buyer default and a seller default differently, and it sends most disputes to mediation first. Each remedy below is tied to a numbered section of the agreement.

  • Buyer default (Section 22): The seller's sole remedy is liquidated damages in the amount of the earnest money deposit.
  • Seller default (Section 23): The buyer may ask for specific performance. The buyer may also treat the agreement as cancelled, get the deposit back and recover the costs incurred in reliance on the agreement.
  • Termination (Section 19): When the agreement ends under one of its own terms, the deposit goes back to the buyer in full, unless the buyer is in default.
  • Damage before closing (Section 16): If the improvements are materially damaged or destroyed before closing, the buyer may terminate and receive a full refund of the deposit.
  • Condition of the home (Section 17): The buyer takes the home as is, with no implied warranty, except as the agreement or any seller property disclosure document states. The seller agrees to indemnify the buyer for damages from a materially inaccurate or misleading express representation.

For disputes, the buyer and the seller agree to mediate first and to share the mediation costs (Section 25). A dispute that mediation does not settle goes to neutral, binding arbitration. Foreclosures, evictions, mechanic's liens and matters for a probate, small claims or bankruptcy court are excluded. Section 21 adds that time is of the essence for every date, and that any amendment must be in writing and signed by both parties.

The Seller's Duties in a Washington Purchase Agreement

In the Washington form, the seller agrees to keep the home in its current condition until closing and to order a title report for the buyer. The seller also conveys title by warranty deed, or an equivalent instrument, and gives the buyer the disclosure statement that state law requires for a home sale.

  • Condition (Section 10): From the effective date through closing, the seller maintains the home in its current condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
  • Mineral rights (Section 15): The seller transfers all rights under the soil to the buyer at closing, including water, gas, oil and mineral rights.
  • Authority (Section 32): By signing, the seller warrants that the seller owns the property or has the authority to sign the agreement.
  • Taxes (Section 14): The seller pays real estate taxes due for prior years.

Washington Commercial Purchase and Sale Agreement

A commercial purchase and sale agreement covers the sale of business or investment property, such as an office, a store or a warehouse. The form on this page is written for residential property. Commercial deals often need extra terms, so ask a Washington attorney or a title company to review a commercial draft.

Many commercial agreements spell out:

  • The price, the deposit and how the payments are made
  • The closing date and any date by which the offer expires
  • An inspection or due diligence period
  • Title, survey and environmental terms

The seller disclosure rules in the next section are written for the sale of improved residential real property.[1]

Required Seller Disclosures in Washington

In a transaction for the sale of improved residential real property, a Washington seller must deliver a completed seller disclosure statement to the buyer. Improved property is land with buildings or other improvements on it.

Two exceptions apply. The buyer may have expressly waived the right to receive the statement. Or the transfer may be otherwise exempt under RCW 64.06.010.[1]

Delivery Deadline for the Statement

Delivery of the disclosure statement must occur not later than five business days, unless otherwise agreed, after mutual acceptance of a written contract to purchase between a buyer and a seller.[1] The clock starts when both sides have accepted the written contract.

The Buyer's Right to Rescind

The statement gives the buyer a right to cancel. The statute puts this notice on the statement itself:

Unless you and seller otherwise agree in writing, you have three business days from the day seller or seller's agent delivers this disclosure statement to you to rescind the agreement by delivering a separately signed written statement of rescission to seller or seller's agent.

Wash. Rev. Code § 64.06.020

To rescind means to cancel the agreement. The buyer has three business days after the seller or the seller's agent delivers the statement, and the buyer cancels by delivering a separately signed written statement of rescission.[1]

The three business days run from the day the statement is delivered, not from the day the contract is signed. The buyer and the seller can agree in writing to something different.[1]

Scope and Limits of the Statement

  • It is for disclosure only, and it is not part of any written agreement between the buyer and the seller of residential property.
  • It is only a disclosure made by the seller, not by any real estate licensee involved in the transaction.
  • It is not a warranty of any kind by the seller or any real estate licensee involved in the transaction.[1]

Exempt Transfers and New Construction

Some transfers are exempt from the disclosure rule. Those exemptions are listed in RCW 64.06.010.[1]

New construction has its own limit. If the statement is completed for new construction that has never been occupied, it does not have to contain, and the seller does not have to complete, the questions in item 4 (Structural) or item 5 (Systems and Fixtures).[1]

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

The statutory disclosure form asks whether the property has carbon monoxide alarms. A note on the form says the seller must equip the residence with carbon monoxide alarms as required by the state building code. The form also asks about smoke detection devices. If the property is not equipped with at least one smoke detection device, at least one must be provided by the seller.[1]

Frequently Asked Questions

These short answers explain what a Washington seller must disclose about a home. Both come from the state's seller disclosure law, RCW 64.06.020, and they apply to the sale of improved residential real property.

What Must a Seller Disclose About Property Defects?

The seller must deliver a completed seller disclosure statement to the buyer. The rule covers the sale of improved residential real property, unless the buyer has expressly waived the right to receive the statement or the transfer is otherwise exempt under RCW 64.06.010.[1]

What Are Home Sellers Required to Disclose in Washington?

A home seller must complete the statutory disclosure statement and deliver it to the buyer. These are the main rules:

  • Delivery is due within five business days after mutual acceptance of a written contract, unless the parties agree otherwise.
  • The buyer has three business days after delivery to rescind in writing.
  • The statement is for disclosure only, so it is not a warranty and not part of the written agreement.
  • New construction that has never been occupied skips the structural and systems questions.
  • The seller must equip the residence with carbon monoxide alarms as the state building code requires, and must provide a smoke detection device if there is none.

[1]

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General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

  1. Revised Code of Washington § 64.06.020.
Published: Jun 10, 2022

Jennifer M. Settles
Jennifer M. Settles
Author & Attorney
With over 25 years of experience as a business and transactional attorney, Jennifer has mastered the craft of closing highly successful deals for her clients. Through her wide-ranging expertise in commercial contracts, real estate transactions, M&A and corporate law, Jennifer secures results that are second-to-none.