Selling a property "as is" is a contractual term indicating the seller's intent not to make any repairs or improvements to the property. The buyer agrees to purchase the property in its present condition at the time of the contract, accepting all existing faults, whether apparent or not. While the buyer retains the right to conduct inspections to understand the property's condition, the "as is" clause signals that the seller will not negotiate or pay for any repairs based on the inspection findings. This term, however, does not relieve the seller of their legal obligation under Virginia law to disclose any known material defects.

A. In Virginia, the Residential Property Disclosure Act requires sellers to disclose all known material defects, and an "as is" clause does not waive this legal duty.

B. The term "as is" refers to the condition of the property and the seller's unwillingness to make repairs; it has no connection to plans for demolition.

D. An "as is" sale often implies the property may have issues the seller is unwilling to address, which is the opposite of claiming it is in pristine condition.

1. Code of Virginia, Title 55.1, Chapter 7 - Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act. Specifically, § 55.1-703 requires the owner of residential real property to furnish the purchaser with a written disclosure statement prior to the acceptance of a real estate purchase contract. The act does not provide an exemption for "as is" sales concerning the disclosure of known material defects.

2. Virginia REALTORS®, Residential Contract of Purchase (Form 600). The standard contract forms and associated addenda used in Virginia, such as an "AS IS" Property Addendum, explicitly state that the seller will not be responsible for making any repairs to the property. For example, the language in such clauses typically states, "Purchaser agrees to accept the Property in its present physical condition" and "Seller will make no repairs to the Property." This is considered official vendor documentation for the real estate profession in Virginia.

3. Goolsby, W. C., & S. N. Waller (2019). Real Estate Principles. University of North Texas Press. Chapter 11, "Real Estate Contracts," discusses "as is" clauses, clarifying that they relate to the property's condition and the seller's repair obligations but do not typically protect a seller from liability for fraud or failure to disclose known defects as required by state law. (p. 215).