How To Review A Condominium Resale Certificate
One of the most important things you can do when buying a condo is your review of a resale certificate. I’m going to walk you through some of the important steps. Let’s first start with the definition of what a resale certificate is:
A resale certificate is a set of documents that a Seller provides to a Buyer when making an offer on a condominium unit. These documents contain important information about the Homeowners Association (HOA), total number of units, budget, meeting minutes from the HOA’s most recent meeting, outstanding debt against the unit, rental policy and procedures, monthly assessments and the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) for the building in which the unit is exists
The resale certificate typically includes a summary. Look at this first – it will highlight a lot of the important items and acts as a summary for the rest of the documents.
Look For The Reserves
The reserves are the bank account for the building and often times the safeguard when something unexpected arises and needs attention. Knowing the amount of reserves a building has is critical. The reserves help you estimate how often the building will receive special assessments (when owners help to pay for major expenditures based on their percentage of ownership). The more adequate the reserves, the higher percentage that you will spend less out of pocket when the building needs an upgrade (example…windows, new carpet, new roof, etc…)
Reserve Study
This is a licensed and professional report that gives an overview of the financial health of the building and will list the projected maintenance schedule for the next 30-50 years. This is helpful as you can see what the upcoming projects will include during the time that you own the unit. If there is a major siding replacement planned in the next 4 years, you may want to avoid making a purchase. It’s very important to look this over carefully. As your real estate agent or your attorney to review it with you!Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes are important to review. The minutes give insight to the current topics of discussion in the building. The will often reference current issues, plans for building updates can give insight to legal disputes and more. Make sure to take the time to review each set of minutes.Rules And Regulations
Rental caps, pet policy, guest suite policy and more are found in the rules and regulations. You need to know if your yellow lab meets the 50 pound pet limit. You may also want to know if the project allows Air B&B or other short term vacation rentals. Is there a minimum lease? Look at these in detail so you are prepared and can follow the rules of the building.Declaration
The declaration is full of important information but one item in particular you may want to reference is the percentage of ownership. The square footage of your unit and the percentage that you own, not only helps you calculate what you pay in monthly dues, but also what you may expect to pay if there is a special assessment levied. You may also find your parking and storage number in the original declaration as well.Annual Financial Statements & Budget
What is the currently operating budget? How much does the concierge cost per year? Are there enough reserves to cover upcoming maintenance? How quickly is the HOA building reserves or are they running over budget and having trouble building the reserves? These can all be found in the annual financial statement and the operating budget. Pay attention to the details. If you can’t or don’t want to, hire an accountant to make sure the building is in good health!Confused?
Still need help? Confused? Don’t be. This is exactly why you hired an expert to help with your purchase. Lean on the important people in your life to ensure that you are making a good decision. I recommend working with your broker and potentially an attorney to ensure you have thoroughly reviewed the resale. Contact us if you have any questions or would like us to help you!Here are a few other posts you might find useful:
