What do TDS, SPQ, AVID and NHD mean in a California home sale? They are different disclosure documents: the TDS and SPQ include the seller's information, the AVID records an agent's visual observations, and the NHD addresses mapped natural hazards. They do not all answer the same question about a property.
This is educational information, not legal advice or a determination of a property's condition. Required documents and disclosure duties depend on the transaction, agreement and current law.
What does each abbreviation stand for?
| Abbreviation | Full name | Main subject |
|---|---|---|
| TDS | Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement | The statutory property-condition disclosure, including seller information and agent disclosure sections. |
| SPQ | Seller Property Questionnaire | A C.A.R. form gathering additional information within the seller's actual knowledge. |
| AVID | Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure | A C.A.R. form documenting the agent's visual inspection observations. |
| NHD | Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement | Whether the property is within specified mapped hazard areas. |
The California Department of Real Estate, Civil Code and C.A.R. references below explain the documents' different roles. This table is a vocabulary reference, not a complete disclosure checklist.
How are the TDS and SPQ different?
The TDS is the disclosure form specified in California's transfer-disclosure law. The seller's portion addresses property features, conditions and known issues. Its agent sections serve a different role. The TDS is not a property warranty or a substitute for inspections. DRE: Disclosures in real property transactions (2005 background).
The DRE booklet explains the TDS's basic purpose, but its 2005 edition is not a current disclosure checklist. The current Civil Code and applicable agreement govern requirements.
The SPQ supplements the TDS with questions about the property's history and condition. C.A.R.'s explanation describes answers based on the seller's actual knowledge, not a guarantee about everything that might exist. Whether a particular agreement requires the SPQ is a contract question; the form should not be described as universally optional or universally required by statute. C.A.R.: Seller Property Questionnaire.
An answer about what the seller knows is different from a technical conclusion about the building. Neither form turns the seller into an inspector.
Is the AVID a home inspection report?
No. The AVID documents an agent's visual observations. California Civil Code 2079 establishes an inspection-and-disclosure duty for real estate licensees in covered residential transactions. That role differs from a home inspector's examination of building systems or a specialist's evaluation. Civil Code 2079.
C.A.R. provides the AVID as a way to document the agent's inspection; the statutory duty is not simply the name of a form. An observation in an AVID does not by itself diagnose its cause or establish repair cost. C.A.R.: Agent visual inspection and disclosure.
Does the NHD tell me whether a home is safe from natural disasters?
The NHD identifies specified mapped hazard designations, such as flood, fire and seismic zones. The statutory statement expressly distinguishes those maps from a prediction that a particular property will or will not experience a disaster. It is also not an insurance quote or a building-condition inspection. Civil Code 1103.2.
Are these the entire disclosure package in the East Bay or San Francisco?
No. These abbreviations name only part of the information that may accompany a sale. Local building records, utility certificates, association documents and other required notices have separate purposes. Our Bay Area seller-disclosures reference covers those local distinctions, including Berkeley, EBMUD and San Francisco records, without treating every address as subject to the same requirements.
Professional boundary
This reference does not establish an exemption, a delivery deadline or the legal effect of a signature. It does not instruct anyone how to complete a form or respond to a disclosure. Westin can explain the terminology in your transaction; questions about legal duties belong with the appropriate broker or qualified attorney, and condition conclusions belong with qualified inspectors or specialists.