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HSM Condo Collection — Smart Condo Living
Buyer resources

Understand condo ownership before you offer.

HSM buyer resources are educational only. They are not legal, lending, tax, insurance or investment advice.

Condo document review

Condominium ownership is governed by documents, not by the unit alone. Review these before an offer becomes binding, and confirm the review period that applies in your state with your own attorney.

Bylaws and declaration

Defines what you own, what the association owns, and how the building is governed.

What to look for: Use restrictions, pet and rental limits, alteration approvals, parking and storage rights.

Operating budget and current fee schedule

Shows what the monthly fee funds and how much goes to reserves.

What to look for: Fee amount and frequency, utilities included, reserve contribution, any approved fee increase.

Reserve study

Estimates the cost and timing of major building repairs.

What to look for: Funding level, roof/elevator/facade/mechanical timelines, funding shortfalls.

Insurance certificate

Shows what the association's master policy covers and where your own policy starts.

What to look for: Deductible responsibility, walls-in versus bare-walls coverage, loss assessment.

Recent meeting minutes

The most current record of what the association is actually dealing with.

What to look for: Planned special assessments, litigation, deferred maintenance, rule changes.

Resale certificate / association disclosure package

The statutory disclosure package delivered in a resale.

What to look for: Delivery date, statutory review period, outstanding violations or unpaid assessments.