Everything you need to know about opening, operating, buying, or selling an Adult Family Home in Washington State — organized by topic so you can go straight to what matters most.
New here? Start with Washington Adult Family Homes: The Complete Guide, and keep the AFH Glossary open for the acronyms.
AFH Resource Library
All Topics
Washington Adult Family Homes: The Complete Guide
Start here: what an AFH is, who licenses it, what the owner and the house need, how homes are paid, and what happens in a sale, with a path to the right guide.
Explore Topic→Washington AFH Rules Have Changed
Every rule change since 2023, old requirement beside today's, with effective dates, who is affected, citations, and proposals that are not yet law.
Explore Topic→Getting Started
What it takes to open an Adult Family Home in Washington State — licensing basics, qualifications, and first steps.
Explore Topic→Licensing & Certification
DSHS licensing requirements, application steps, and what certifications are required to operate.
Explore Topic→Training & Education
Required training hours, continuing education, and how to meet Washington State caregiver standards.
Explore Topic→Building & Inspection
WABO building requirements, fire safety standards, and what inspectors look for before licensing.
Explore Topic→What Is WABO?
A simple overview of WABO and the WABO inspection process — what it is, who inspects the home, and why it matters before buying.
Explore Topic→WABO Checklist & Technical Requirements
The technical deep-dive: what the WABO checklist covers, common delays, and why passing does not mean licensed.
Explore Topic→Is It Really an Adult Family Home?
How to read 'AFH', 'AFH-ready', 'WABO-approved' and 'potential AFH' in a listing, the five labels AFH Club uses, and the documents to request before you buy.
Explore Topic→How to Check DSHS Violation History
How to use the DSHS Adult Family Home Locator to check inspection reports, deficiencies, and enforcement history.
Explore Topic→Costs & Fees
Startup costs, licensing fees, and ongoing operating expenses for running an AFH.
Explore Topic→How to Finance an AFH
Residential, SBA 7(a), SBA 504, or commercial — which loan fits, what the lender checks, and lenders that work with adult family homes.
Explore Topic→Can You Get a DSCR Loan for an AFH?
How lenders count an adult family home's income, gross or after expenses, why it changes the answer, and what to ask before you borrow.
Explore Topic→Hiring a Management Company
What a management company can do for an adult family home, what stays with you as the licensed owner, and the DSHS filing that comes first.
Explore Topic→Do AFHs Pay Taxes?
Washington's B&O exemption for licensed homes, the sales tax AFHs still pay, and the federal live-in Medicaid income exclusion with its limits.
Explore Topic→Leasing to an AFH Operator
When an adult family home runs in a rented house: who holds the license, what happens on a move, sale or closure, and what the lease has to settle.
Explore Topic→Getting Paid
How an adult family home gets its Medicaid contract, bills ProviderOne and gets paid, collects the resident's share, and qualifies for ECS or SBS.
Explore Topic→Which Tier? The AFH Payment Field Guide
A–E classifications, CBHS tiers, specialty contracts and private-pay levels are four different systems. Who sets each one, and which survive a sale.
Explore Topic→A Through E: CARE Classifications
How a Medicaid resident's CARE classification sets the daily rate, why one bed can be worth very different revenue, and what buyers should verify.
Explore Topic→CBHS Tiers Explained
The six supportive-supervision tiers behind some AFH income: who qualifies, how tiers are reviewed and re-tiered, and what to check before relying on it.
Explore Topic→Buying or Selling an AFH
The CHOW process, what transfers to a new owner, and real estate considerations for AFH transactions.
Explore Topic→Regulations & Compliance
Ongoing compliance obligations, inspections, and how to stay in good standing with DSHS.
Explore Topic→The Dos and Don'ts of Operating an AFH
Fourteen topics every operator faces, from admissions and staffing to medications, emergencies, inspections, finances, and succession, each marked as a Washington requirement or a best practice.
Explore Topic→Washington AFHs by the Numbers
Every licensed adult family home in Washington, counted from DSHS records: homes and beds by county, home size, Medicaid, specialty designations, and ECS and SBS contracts. Free CSV download.
Explore Topic→Find a Professional
Connect with attorneys, CPAs, lenders, and brokers experienced in Adult Family Home transactions.
Explore Topic→AFH Ownership: Individual or LLC?
Should you buy an Adult Family Home as an individual or through an LLC? A guide to financing, liability, and Washington State licensing considerations.
Explore Topic→What Is an Adult Family Home?
The definition, how it differs from assisted living, and what the same small care home is called in every other state.
Explore Topic→How to Choose an Adult Family Home
For families: building a shortlist, reading the DSHS record, 20 questions to ask on a tour, and a worksheet for comparing two homes.
Explore Topic→Professional Disclosure
Real Property Planning is an educational and connection hub. It does not provide legal, tax, accounting, financial, brokerage, or appraisal services. Professionals referenced on this site are independently licensed and operate through their own separate businesses. Real estate brokerage services are provided by David Stein, a licensed Washington broker, through eXp Realty. Appraisal services are provided by David Stein through Stein Appraisal. Read the full disclaimer.