Which TREC form applies?
Promulgated contract forms are the most-missed content area on the Texas exam. Read each scenario, pick the right form or addendum, and get the reason instantly.
Your buyer is purchasing a previously owned single-family home in a subdivision. Which contract form starts the deal?
On the Texas exam, matching the transaction to the right TREC form is a pattern you can memorize. The base contract depends on the property type. The financing addendum depends on how the buyer pays. An addendum adds terms at formation, an amendment changes an executed contract, and a notice exercises a right one party already holds.
Form recognition is memorization with patterns. Drill both.
Learn the situation-to-form map, then test it under exam wording. Move into the app for full topic practice on promulgated forms and contracts.
The map behind every scenario.
Most form questions reduce to a handful of triggers: property type picks the base contract, financing method picks the addendum, and timing picks between an addendum, an amendment, and a notice.
Adds terms, usually at formation.
An addendum attaches supplemental terms to the contract, like the Third Party Financing Addendum, the HOA addendum, or a temporary lease. It becomes part of the agreement the parties sign.
Changes a contract already signed.
An amendment changes a term of an executed contract, such as the price, the closing date, or repairs. Both the buyer and the seller sign it for the change to take effect.
Exercises a right one party holds.
A notice is a one-party communication, like the Notice of Buyer's Termination delivered during the option period. It does not need the other side's signature to be effective.
Read next on Texas forms.
What is the difference between an addendum and an amendment in Texas?+
An addendum adds supplemental terms to a contract, usually attached when the contract is formed, such as the Third Party Financing Addendum or an HOA addendum. An amendment changes a term of a contract that is already executed, such as moving the closing date or adjusting the price. Both parties sign an amendment.
When do you use a notice instead of an amendment or addendum?+
A notice communicates a one-party action or election, not a mutual agreement. The Notice of Buyer's Termination of Contract is delivered to end the contract under a right the buyer already has, such as terminating during the option period. It does not require the other party's signature to be effective.
Which TREC form is used to buy a resale home?+
A previously owned one- to four-unit residential property uses the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale). New construction uses a New Home Contract, vacant land uses the Unimproved Property Contract, and agricultural tracts use the Farm and Ranch Contract.
Do TREC form version numbers matter on the exam?+
The exam tests which form applies to a situation, not the version number. TREC revises form versions periodically through its Broker-Lawyer Committee, so always use the current promulgated version in practice, but focus your study on matching the right form to the scenario.
Can a sales agent choose which promulgated form to use?+
A license holder must use the appropriate TREC promulgated form when one exists for the transaction. Agents fill in the blanks and attach the correct addenda, but they do not draft contract language or alter the promulgated terms, which would be the unauthorized practice of law.