How to Sell a House by Owner in Minnesota: The FSBO Purchase Agreement (2026)

Updated November 2026. For Minnesota owners selling a house by owner who need a purchase agreement, and the paperwork around it, that holds up.

To sell a house by owner in Minnesota, price it, hand the buyer written disclosures on defects, wells, sewage and radon, sign a purchase agreement, and close through a title or closing company. As of November 2026, the seller’s deed tax is 0.33% of the price: $1,221 on the $370,000 state median.

The purchase agreement is the piece that decides the price, earnest money, financing, inspection terms and closing date, so most of this guide is about getting it right. Want buyers’ agents to see the home first? List on NorthstarMLS from $99, with $0 due to Beycome at closing.

Jump to: 📋 7 steps · 🪜 What goes in it · 📍 Minnesota disclosures · 💲 Deed tax and costs · 🏠 Where to get forms · ❓ FAQ

You don’t need an agent to write a valid Minnesota contract, but you do need the right pieces in the right order. Here’s what goes in the agreement, what you must hand the buyer first, and what the sale costs.

How do you sell a house by owner in Minnesota?

In seven steps, and the contract sits in the middle. Here’s the order we’d follow, with the paperwork each step needs.

1. Price the home from recent sales nearby, not from list prices.
2. Check city rules: Saint Paul needs a Truth-in-Sale of Housing evaluation before marketing.
3. Fill out the seller disclosure and the well, sewage and radon statements.
4. List it, by owner or on NorthstarMLS through a flat fee broker, and book showings.
5. Give the buyer your disclosures, then negotiate and sign the purchase agreement.
6. Open the file with a title or closing company and deposit the earnest money there.
7. Close: sign the deed, pay the deed tax and prorated taxes, hand over the keys.

The listing side and the timing are covered in our guides to selling a Minnesota home without a realtor and selling FSBO in Minnesota. The rest of this page is the contract.

What goes into a Minnesota FSBO purchase agreement?

Most Minnesota sales use a standard residential purchase agreement, often with addenda. If the buyer has an agent, that agent usually drafts the offer and you accept, counter or decline. If not, either side can start from a standard form and have a Minnesota real estate attorney review it.

“As is” sales

You can sell as is, meaning you won’t make repairs. That doesn’t remove your duty to disclose what you know. Write the as-is terms into the agreement, and keep the buyer’s right to inspect clear.

Counteroffers

Every change goes in writing, signed and dated by both of you. A phone call doesn’t change a real estate contract. Keep each version in one folder.

What must a Minnesota seller disclose before signing?

General disclosure of material facts

Under Minn. Stat. 513.55, before signing an agreement to sell residential property, you must give the buyer a written disclosure. It covers all material facts you know of that could adversely and significantly affect an ordinary buyer’s use and enjoyment of the property.

Some items are excluded under section 513.56. Under section 513.60, you and the buyer can waive this general disclosure in writing. A waiver doesn’t cancel the well, sewage, radon or lead rules.

Wells

Minn. Stat. 103I.235 requires a written statement about the status and location of all known wells before signing. If you know of none, you say so in writing.

Sewage

Minn. Stat. 115.55 requires a written statement on how sewage is handled: city sewer, or a private septic system with more detail.

Radon

The Minnesota Radon Awareness Act, Minn. Stat. 144.496, requires you to disclose any radon tests and results, any mitigation system, and a radon warning statement. You also give the buyer the Department of Health publication “Radon in Real Estate Transactions.”

Lead paint and city rules

Most homes built before 1978 need a federal lead paint disclosure and pamphlet, per the EPA. Some cities add their own step. In Saint Paul, single family homes, duplexes, condos and townhomes need a Truth-in-Sale of Housing evaluation before the home is marketed. Ask your city before you list.

What does a Minnesota FSBO sale cost?

Without a listing agent, there’s no listing commission. You still have deed tax, title and closing fees, and prorated property taxes.

Deed tax rates are from the Minnesota Department of Revenue, read October 22, 2026, and Minn. Stat. 287.21. The $370,000 figure is the statewide median sale price for August 2026 from Minnesota Realtors. Your agreement says who pays each item.

If the buyer has an agent, their pay is a separate topic. You choose whether to offer anything. See our guide on whether sellers pay the buyer’s agent.

Is there free paperwork for selling a house by owner in Minnesota?

Yes, most of it. The statutes that set your disclosure duties are free on the Revisor of Statutes site. The radon pamphlet comes from the Minnesota Department of Health, and the lead paint pamphlet from the EPA, both at no cost. What’s rarely free and good is the purchase agreement itself, which is why the next section matters.

For how a by-owner contract works in any state, see our for sale by owner purchase agreement guide.

Where do you get a Minnesota for sale by owner contract?

Skip random free templates that weren’t written for Minnesota. They often miss the well, sewage and radon pieces. Better options are a Minnesota real estate attorney, your closing company, or state forms from a licensed brokerage.

With a Minnesota flat fee MLS listing, your home goes out to the major home search sites and NorthstarMLS from $99, with $0 at closing. State forms are in your dashboard under Legal Forms, and offers come in through the offer dashboard with e-signature. The Artur AI assistant helps you read and answer offers.

Want people next to you? With Concierge (see the current price there), experts negotiate with you, always on your side, and help manage the paperwork, and you keep the final say on every term. 22,000+ homeowners have used Beycome, saving over $225 million (Beycome internal data, October 2026).

For the full list of papers, read our paperwork checklist for selling without an agent. Need your parcel number for the agreement? Here’s how to find your Minnesota property ID.

What if you’re buying a Minnesota home directly from the owner?

The same rules protect you. Ask for every disclosure before you sign, have the title checked, and put your earnest money with a neutral closing company. The Beycome buyer program works on homes listed by other agents; it doesn’t apply to FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers. There’s no upfront fee; when a buyer-agent commission is offered, Beycome keeps 1% of the price (minimum $1,499) and credits the rest to you at closing, with lender approval.

What mistakes do Minnesota FSBO sellers make with the contract?

We see the same few slips again and again. Each one can delay a closing or give the buyer a way out.

• Handing over the disclosures after the agreement is signed, instead of before.
• Forgetting the well statement because the home is on city water.
• Leaving the inspection or loan deadline blank, or writing “soon”.
• Holding the earnest money check yourself instead of using a closing company.
• Not saying who pays the deed tax and the owner’s title policy.
• Marketing a Saint Paul home before the Truth-in-Sale of Housing report is done.

A quick fix for most of these: build a one-page checklist from the table above and tick each line before you sign.

How do other states’ FSBO contracts compare?

The structure is similar, but disclosures and taxes change by state. Florida adds a flood disclosure and a radon notice; see our Florida FSBO contract guide. California uses its own set of forms; see the California FSBO contract guide.

Frequently asked questions