Maryland
The moment a Maryland REALTORS Residential Contract of Sale is signed, Ratifyly reads it and confirms the required paperwork is present and signed — the §10-702 Property Disclosure or Disclaimer, the agency 'Understanding Whom Real Estate Agents Represent' form, lead-paint disclosures on pre-1978 homes, and any ground-rent, deferred water/sewer, or HOA/condo addenda the deal calls for. It flags anything missing before it becomes a problem, then tracks every deadline the contract runs on — the disclosure-delivery and rescission window, inspection and financing contingencies, and settlement — keeping the brokerage, the agent, and the client on one live view of the same transaction.
The contracts we read
Most Maryland deals run on the Maryland REALTORS Residential Contract of Sale, refreshed into seven sections in the 2022-23 forms update, plus its standard addenda (Property Inspections Addendum, HOA/condominium disclosures, "As Is" Addendum, and the newer ATU/BAT septic disclosure). Local boards add their own riders — for example the Southern Maryland Addendum to the state contract. Maryland is a settlement (title-company) state rather than an attorney-close state, so closings are typically handled by a title or settlement company. Ratifyly reads whatever document actually governs the deal — statewide form, local-board addendum, or attorney-drafted — not just one association's paperwork.
But Ratifyly isn't limited to those. Because it reads the document itself— not a fixed template — it handles whatever version an agent actually uses: the statewide association form, a regional or local board form, an attorney-drafted contract, or a brokerage's own paperwork. And it reads the whole packet, not just the contract — disclosures, addenda, the closing disclosure, title commitment, inspection reports, wire instructions, and more — so nothing in the file goes unreviewed.
Required paperwork we check
- Residential Property Disclosure AND Disclaimer Statement — Maryland lets the seller choose to disclose known defects or sell 'as is' with a disclaimer, but one of the two must be delivered on or before the contract is signed (Md. Real Property §10-702)
- Agency disclosure — the 'Understanding Whom Real Estate Agents Represent' form (Md. Bus. Occ. & Prof. §§17-528 et seq.)
- Federal + Maryland lead-based paint disclosure and EPA pamphlet for homes built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d; Md. Environment Title 6)
- Ground rent disclosure where applicable, common in the Baltimore area (Md. Real Property Title 8)
- Deferred water and sewer charges notice where a property is subject to them (Md. Real Property §14-117)
Deadlines we track
- Property disclosure/disclaimer delivery — must reach the buyer on or before contract signing; if it doesn't, the buyer may rescind before receipt or within 5 days after receiving it and get deposits back (§10-702)
- Home inspection / property-inspection contingency — the negotiated window in the Property Inspections Addendum for inspecting and responding
- Financing and appraisal contingencies — loan-application and approval dates set in the contract
- Title examination and clearance of any liens or ground-rent issues ahead of settlement
- Settlement (closing) date — the on-or-before date the contract runs to
- HOA/condominium resale package review-and-rescission window where a community is involved
This page summarizes commonly used Marylandforms and requirements for reference only — it is not legal advice, and forms and statutes change. Always follow your brokerage's current compliance guidance, the controlling Maryland statutes, and the forms your transaction actually uses.
See Ratifyly read a Maryland contract.
Send us your Maryland purchase agreement and we'll show you exactly what it pulls out, audits, and puts on the timeline.