Estate property in Redmond

Septic inspection at time of sale

Most properties here are on public sewer, so this reaches a smaller share of homes, but where a property is on septic, the rule below governs the sale.

Where a property is served by an on-site septic system, King County Board of Health Title 13 requires a monitoring and performance inspection by a licensed On-Site System Maintainer before title transfers, with a report filed with Public Health – Seattle & King County. Before closing, the seller records the Notice of On-site Sewage System Operation and Maintenance Requirements (OSSM), NWMLS form 22U, unless it is already on title.

This is independent of the Form 17 seller disclosure exemption: a personal representative exempt from the disclosure statement is still subject to the county inspection, filing, and recording requirements.

Underground oil tanks and lead paint

Redmond has a small older core amid predominantly newer development. Where a home here predates 1978 or once ran on oil heat, a buried oil tank and lead-based paint become Environmental-section items on Form 17, and under RCW 64.06.010(7) the buyer may not waive that section.

A fiduciary who never occupied the home may answer "Don't know" when it is genuinely true (RCW 64.06.050); the risk is discovery during the buyer's inspection, so it is worth checking before listing.

Washington estate tax

Washington taxes estates above a state exclusion of $3,000,000 for deaths on or after July 1, 2026. That threshold sits far below the federal filing level, so an estate can owe Washington tax without ever filing a federal return. The return and payment are due 9 months after the date of death, which is why liquidity often matters more than price.

This is informational, not tax advice. Confirm the estate's exposure and the current figures with its CPA or attorney.