HOA documents, translated.
Plain-English answers to the HOA questions real estate agents, buyers, investors, and lenders actually ask. Written by ClearHOA.
Deeded vs Assigned Parking: What Agents Should Verify First
Deeded vs assigned parking decides whether a condo space can be sold, reassigned, or taken back by the board. Here is where to verify it before the offer.
Who Pays HOA Fines for Tenant Violations? What Landlords Owe
HOA fines for tenant violations usually land on the owner, not the renter. Here is where the documents set your exposure and what investors should check first.
Small Condo Association Risks: What to Check Before You Buy
A small condo association runs on the same documents as a large one, with far fewer owners to split costs and votes. Here is what to check before you buy.
Buying a Condo With an HOA Loan: What Investors Should Check
Buying a condo with an HOA loan means inheriting your share of the repayment. Here is where to find the loan terms and what investors should check first.
Condo Flooring Restrictions: What to Check Before You Buy
Condo flooring restrictions can ban hard floors, require an underlayment, or mandate carpet. Here is where to find the rule and what to check before you buy.
Fannie Mae 15% Reserve Requirement: What Lenders Check in 2027
The Fannie Mae 15% reserve requirement hits condo loan applications dated January 4, 2027 or later. Here's how to test the HOA budget and reserve study early.
Master Association vs Sub-Association: Two Sets of Dues
Master association vs sub-association: the master governs the development, the sub governs your building, and in a two-tier HOA you pay both. Verify early.
Leasehold Condo Financing: What the Ground Lease Decides
Leasehold condo financing turns on one number: the years left on the ground lease. Here is where that clock is written and what to verify before you commit.
Mandatory Club Membership: The HOA Cost Buyers Miss
A mandatory club membership ties your home to a club you cannot quit. Here is where that obligation is written and what to verify before you write the offer.
Condo Critical Repairs: How Deferred Maintenance Blocks a Loan
Condo critical repairs make a whole project ineligible for conventional financing until the work is done. Here is how to read for the flag in the documents.
Condo Maintenance Responsibility: Who Fixes What Before You Buy
Condo maintenance responsibility is set by the declaration, not by the usual inside-outside rule. Here is where to find the owner versus association split.
Mixed Use Condo Financing: The 35% Commercial Space Rule
Mixed use condo financing fails when non-residential space exceeds 35% of project floor area. Here is how the percentage is calculated and where to verify it.
Can an HOA Deny a Buyer? What to Check Before the Offer
Can an HOA deny a buyer? Only if the governing documents grant that power. Here's where transfer approval lives, how long the board gets, and what to check.
HOA Rental Waiting Period: Can You Rent Right After Buying?
An HOA rental waiting period stops new owners from leasing for a set term, often 12 months. Here is where the clause sits in the CC&Rs and how to verify it.
HOA Fees and Debt to Income Ratio: What Lenders Count
HOA fees and debt to income ratio are linked: lenders count dues inside your monthly housing expense. Here is which dues figure they use and where to find it.
Can an LLC Buy a Condo? What the HOA Documents Decide
Can an LLC buy a condo? Usually yes, but the declaration may bar entity ownership and conventional financing will not follow the LLC. What to check first.
HOA Violation Before Closing: Who Fixes It, Who Pays
An HOA violation before closing follows the property, not the seller. Here's who has to fix it, who pays the fines, and how to verify it before you close.
Condotel: Why Lenders Treat Your Condo Like a Hotel
A condotel is a condo project that operates like a hotel, which rules out conventional financing for every unit. Here is how to spot one in the documents.
Can an HOA Change the Rules After You Buy? What to Check
Can an HOA change the rules after you buy? Yes, but which document changes decides how hard it is. Here is where the amendment threshold lives in the CC&Rs.
HOA Tenant Approval: How the Process Works and What It Costs
HOA tenant approval applies only if the governing documents create it. Here is where the clause lives in the CC&Rs, what it costs, and when a board can deny.
How Much Can HOA Dues Increase? What to Check Before Buying
How much can HOA dues increase? In most states there is no legal cap, so the real limit is written into your CC&Rs. Here is how to find it before you close.
Condo Questionnaire: What Lenders Ask and Why It Stalls Deals
A condo questionnaire is the form a lender sends the HOA to confirm the project is financeable. Here's what it asks, why it stalls, and what to check first.
HOA Document Review Period: How to Protect the Deadline
The HOA document review period is the contract window to read the HOA documents and cancel. Most run three to 10 days. Here's how to protect the deadline.
HOA Right of First Refusal: What It Means Before You Buy
An HOA right of first refusal lets the association buy the unit on the same terms you agreed to. Here's how it delays a closing and blocks VA loans on exit.
HOA Capital Contribution: Who Pays It and How Much
An HOA capital contribution is a one-time buy-in the buyer usually pays at closing to fund the HOA's reserves. Here's how much, who pays, and where to find it.
HOA Minimum Lease Term: What Investors Should Check Before Buying
An HOA minimum lease term is the shortest lease you can sign, often 6 or 12 months. Here's where to find it in the CC&Rs and what it means for investors.
HOA Architectural Review: What to Check Before You Buy
HOA architectural review is the approval you need before changing a home's exterior. Here's what the CC&Rs control and how to check the limits before you buy.
Condo Master Insurance: The Warrantability Flag Lenders Check
A condo master insurance policy covers the HOA building and common areas. Here is what lenders check for condo warrantability and where the docs set it.
HOA Pet Restrictions: What to Check Before You Buy
HOA pet restrictions can limit your dog's breed, weight, and number of pets. Here's how to find the rules in the governing documents before you write the offer.
HOA Litigation and Condo Financing: What Lenders Flag
HOA litigation and condo financing collide when a lawsuit makes a condo non-warrantable. Here's what Fannie Mae flags, what lenders ask, and how to check.
How to Read HOA CC&Rs Before Buying: 5 Key Sections
How to read HOA CC&Rs before buying: the five sections that decide the deal, when to review them during escrow, and what to do when the language is unclear.
Owner-Occupancy Ratio: The Condo Financing Flag Investors Miss
The owner-occupancy ratio is the share of condo units lived in by their owners. Too many rentals and financing falls through. How to read for it early.
Can My HOA Stop Me From Renting on Airbnb? What to Check First
Can my HOA stop me from renting on Airbnb? Yes, if the CC&Rs say so. Here's how to find the short-term rental rule and the minimum stay before you buy.
HOA Reserve Fund: How to Read It Before You Buy a Condo
An HOA reserve fund pays for big repairs without a special assessment. Read percent funded, the 10% lender rule, and the reserve red flags before you buy.
HOA Estoppel Certificate: What It Is and Who Pays It
An HOA estoppel certificate is a binding statement of what a unit owes the association at closing. Here's what it includes, who pays, and why it stalls deals.
Non-Warrantable Condo: How to Spot the Flag Before the Offer
A non-warrantable condo fails Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines, so conventional financing is off the table. Here's how to spot the flag in the docs first.
HOA Special Assessment Before Buying: Spot the Risk Early
Worried about an HOA special assessment before buying a condo? Here's how to spot the risk early in the reserve study, CC&Rs, and board meeting minutes.
HOA Transfer Fee: Who Pays It and Where to Find It
An HOA transfer fee is a one-time charge at closing to move ownership records. Here's who pays it, what it costs, and where to find the number in the CC&Rs.
HOA Rental Cap: What Buyers and Agents Need to Check First
An HOA rental cap limits how many units can be rented at once. Here's how to find it in CC&Rs, what waitlists mean, and what to verify before the offer.
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