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TREC Form 25-17

Texas Farm and Ranch Contract (TREC 25-17): What Makes It Different

Livestock, surface leases, crops, and a federal disclosure the resale contract never mentions.

By Heath Shepard, Texas REALTOR® Updated 2026-08-06

The Farm and Ranch Contract (TREC No. 25-17) is dated 05-04-2026 on the form itself; TREC's landing page lists an Effective Date of 07/01/2026. It replaces TREC No. 25-16. The form's own notice reads: "Designed For Use In Sales Of Existing Farms Or Ranches Of Any Size. Not For Use In Complex Transactions."

The Property definition is much broader

Paragraph 2 defines Property as Land, Improvements, Accessories, and Crops — with sub-lists not found on other TREC contracts:

Surface Leases — a paragraph the other contracts don't have

Paragraph 4D defines a "Surface Lease" as "an existing lease for the surface only of the Property (for example, grazing leases, hunting leases, agricultural leases, recreational leases, wind leases, solar leases, timber or forestry leases)." The parties check which applies: seller has delivered copies of all written Surface Leases; seller has provided notice of specific oral Surface Leases (type, tenant, rental amount, and term); or seller hasn't yet delivered them and must within a negotiated number of days, with a buyer termination right (earnest money refunded) if they aren't delivered in time.

Exception Documents get their own upfront table

Paragraph 6E lists Exception Documents the seller has already provided prior to signing — with columns for Document, Date, and Recording Reference — and states these are permitted exceptions in the Title Policy, not subject to a later objection. This runs alongside, not instead of, the standard title-objection process in Paragraph 6D.

A fourth survey option: "No survey is required"

Paragraph 6C offers four choices instead of the usual three: seller furnishes an existing survey, buyer obtains a new survey, seller furnishes a new survey — or "No survey is required." That fourth option doesn't appear on the Unimproved Property Contract (9-18) or the New Home Contracts (24-20/23-20).

The Seller's Disclosure Notice gets its own explicit paragraph

Paragraph 7B is titled "Seller's Disclosure Notice Pursuant to §5.008, Texas Property Code" and gives three checkbox options directly on the contract: buyer has received it; buyer hasn't received it yet (with delivery deadline and termination-right mechanics); or "The Texas Property Code does not require this Seller to furnish the Seller's Disclosure Notice." This dedicated paragraph doesn't appear the same way on the Unimproved Property Contract.

Rentals get their own proration rule

Paragraph 13A adds a sentence not present on TREC's other current contracts reviewed here: "Rentals which are unknown at time of closing will be prorated between Buyer and Seller when they become known" — a direct consequence of farm and ranch properties commonly carrying surface leases.

AFIDA — a federal disclosure unique to this contract

Paragraph 20C cites the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978: a foreign person who acquires, disposes of, or holds an interest in United States agricultural land must file an FSA-153 with the Farm Service Agency Service Center where the land is located, within 90 days of the transaction. Failure to report is subject to a civil penalty of up to 25% of the fair market value of the land, and the form directs the parties to consult an attorney or tax professional.

A broker-fee ratification page the other contracts don't include

Page 11 of the form is a standalone "Ratification of Fee" section, with its own signature lines for buyer's broker and seller's broker, plus a separate "Broker Contact Information and Agreement for Payment of Brokers' Fees" block. TREC's other current contracts reviewed here handle brokerage compensation entirely within Paragraph 12B and don't carry this extra page.

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Frequently asked

What makes the Farm and Ranch Contract different from a standard resale contract? +
A broader Property definition covering farm/ranch improvements, accessories, and crops; a dedicated Surface Lease paragraph; an upfront Exception Documents table; a fourth survey option (no survey required); an explicit Seller's Disclosure Notice paragraph; a proration rule for unknown rentals; the federal AFIDA disclosure; and a standalone broker-fee ratification page.
What is a Surface Lease under TREC 25-17? +
Paragraph 4D defines it as an existing lease for the surface only of the Property — grazing, hunting, agricultural, recreational, wind, solar, timber, or forestry leases are the form's own examples.
Does the Farm and Ranch Contract always require a survey? +
No. Paragraph 6C gives four choices, and one of them is "No survey is required" — an option not present on TREC's Unimproved Property Contract or New Home Contracts.
What is AFIDA and why does it appear on this contract? +
The Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. Paragraph 20C notes that a foreign person acquiring, disposing of, or holding an interest in U.S. agricultural land must file an FSA-153 with the Farm Service Agency within 90 days, or face a civil penalty of up to 25% of the land's fair market value.
Is there a Seller's Disclosure Notice requirement on the Farm and Ranch Contract? +
Paragraph 7B is its own dedicated section titled "Seller's Disclosure Notice Pursuant to §5.008, Texas Property Code," with checkboxes for buyer has received it, buyer hasn't received it yet, or the Property Code doesn't require this seller to furnish it.