How to Fill Out CAR Form RRRR: Seller Response and Buyer Reply

CAR Form RRRR, the “Seller Response and Buyer Reply to Request for Repair,” is filled out in two stages: the seller completes Section 1 by checking one of four response options (agree with exceptions, offer a closing credit, reduce the price, or “other”) and writing in the specific terms, then the buyer completes Section 2 by accepting, accepting with modifications, or withdrawing the original request.¹ The form pairs with the buyer’s Form RR and handles any seller response more nuanced than a flat yes or no.

When You Actually Need RRRR

Form RR itself has three seller checkboxes at the bottom: agree to everything, refuse everything, or respond in detail on an attached RRRR.² You need RRRR when your answer is anything in between — agreeing to some items but not others, offering money instead of doing the work, or proposing something the buyer didn’t ask for.

One thing worth knowing before you start writing: you aren’t required to respond at all. Paragraph 14B(2) of the CAR Residential Purchase Agreement says the seller has no obligation to agree to or respond to the buyer’s repair requests.³ Silence functions as a “no.” Most sellers still respond in writing because it gives the buyer something concrete to react to before the contingency deadline.

Filling Out Section 1: The Seller Response

Start at the top with the identifying information: property address, buyer’s and seller’s names, and the number and date of the Form RR you’re answering. Match the request number and date exactly to what the buyer sent. A mismatch creates confusion later about which set of demands you were addressing.¹

Then check the box or boxes that describe your response and fill in the details:

Paragraph 1A, agree with exceptions. You accept all of the buyer’s requests except those you specifically list on the blank lines. Identify each excluded item clearly enough that no one has to guess which request you’re rejecting.
Paragraph 1B, closing credit. Instead of making repairs, you offer the buyer a dollar amount credited at close of escrow. Enter the exact figure.
Paragraph 1C, price reduction. You lower the purchase price to a stated amount. This changes the contract price itself, which affects the buyer’s loan-to-value ratio and the appraisal math, so check with the buyer’s agent before using it as a substitute for a credit.
Paragraph 1D, other. A catch-all for anything that doesn’t fit above: agreeing to hire a specific contractor, committing to complete work by a certain date, splitting a repair cost, or any combination of terms.

The form specifies that any credit in Section 1 is separate from other credits already in the purchase agreement unless both sides specifically agree otherwise in writing.¹ If there are multiple credits floating around the deal, the escrow officer needs to know whether they stack.

Check the Credit Against Lender Concession Caps

Before writing a number into Paragraph 1B, confirm it fits within the buyer’s lender concession limits. A repair credit counts toward those limits, and a credit that exceeds the cap can derail the loan.

Conventional loans: 3% of the sale price if the buyer puts down less than 10%, 6% with 10 to 24.9% down, and 9% with 25% or more down.
FHA loans: 6% of the sale price regardless of down payment.⁴
VA loans: the seller can pay all of the buyer’s closing costs plus up to 4% of the reasonable value of the home in concessions beyond standard closing costs.⁵

On FHA specifically, every dollar over 6% gets subtracted from the sale price before the lender calculates loan-to-value.⁴ Confirm the number with the buyer’s lender before committing it to writing.

Filling Out Section 2: The Buyer Reply

After the seller finishes Section 1, the same form goes to the buyer. Section 2 gives the buyer three checkboxes:¹

Paragraph 2A, accept. The buyer accepts the seller’s response as written. Both sides now have a binding agreement on the repairs or credits.
Paragraph 2B, accept with modifications. The buyer accepts the seller’s response but proposes changes on the blank lines. This functions as a counter-offer; the seller has to agree to the modifications before they become binding.
Paragraph 2C, withdraw and start over. The buyer withdraws the original Request for Repair entirely and submits a new one with a different request number, resetting the repair negotiation.

One thing Section 2 does not do: cancel the deal. A buyer who wants to walk based on inspection findings does so on a separate cancellation form (CAR Form CC), not through the RRRR.

Timing and Delivery

The seller’s response has to reach the buyer within the investigation contingency period, which defaults to 17 days after acceptance of the purchase agreement under Paragraph 14B(1) of the CAR RPA.³ There is no separate response clock. The hard deadline is contingency expiration, and missing that window leaves the seller exposed to a last-minute cancellation with no chance to negotiate.

Agents generate the form through CAR’s electronic forms platform, and electronic signatures are legally valid on the completed RRRR. The listing agent should request written acknowledgment of receipt from the buyer’s side. That acknowledgment creates a verifiable record if contingency-removal deadlines get disputed later.

What the Buyer Does Next

Once the buyer has the seller’s response, the contingency clock is still running. The buyer needs to do one of three things before it expires:

Remove the contingency by signing a Contingency Removal (CAR Form CR), which accepts the property’s condition along with whatever the seller offered. At that point the buyer gives up the right to cancel over inspection issues.
Keep negotiating, either through Section 2 modifications or a new Request for Repair. The contingency period does not extend automatically just because negotiations are ongoing.
Cancel using CAR Form CC. Canceling within the contingency period protects the buyer’s earnest money deposit.

If the buyer does nothing at all, the seller can issue a Notice to Buyer to Perform (CAR Form NBP), which gives the buyer at least 24 hours to act before the seller gains the right to cancel.

A Warning on FHA and VA Deals

Rejecting every repair request works with conventional financing, but FHA and VA loans require the property to meet minimum standards before the lender will fund. If the appraiser flags a problem, the repair is not optional. Conditions that commonly trigger mandatory FHA repairs include major foundation cracks, roof damage, faulty plumbing or electrical systems, broken stairs, nonfunctional smoke detectors, lead-based paint hazards, and heating systems that can’t maintain at least 50°F in all living areas.⁶ Rejecting one of those items on the RRRR can kill the deal because the lender won’t approve the loan until the work is done. When you fill out Section 1 on a government-backed transaction, separate the appraiser’s mandatory fixes from the home inspector’s preferences.

Rejected Items Still Have to Be Disclosed

If the buyer cancels after the repair negotiation, the defects that surfaced during inspection don’t disappear from your disclosure obligations. California Civil Code Section 1102.1 requires sellers to disclose facts that materially affect the value or desirability of the property, including physical conditions and previously received inspection reports. Once you know about a problem, the knowledge carries forward to every future buyer. Failing to disclose a defect learned about through a previous inspection can create liability for actual damages under Section 1102.13.⁷ The issue follows the property regardless of what you write on the RRRR.

1
California Association of REALTORS. Seller Response and Buyer Reply to Request for Repair
2
California Association of REALTORS. Request for Repair
3
California Association of REALTORS. California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions
4
FHA.com. FHA Seller Concession Rules and the Six Percent Limit
5
Chase. VA Seller Concessions – A Complete Guide
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Chase. FHA Minimum Property Standards
7
Justia Law. California Civil Code 1102-1102.17 – Article 1.5 Disclosures Upon Transfer of Residential Property