1. The unit and building
Inspect the unit independently. Ask about water intrusion, plumbing, electrical systems, air conditioning, windows, water heater, permits, and recent repairs. Confirm who must maintain each item under the declaration.
Three layers of due diligence
2. Your association
Each condominium has its own board, budget, rules, and building needs. Review finances, insurance, reserves, contracts, recent minutes, planned projects, and the quality of day-to-day management.
3. The wider village
UCO coordinates listed village-wide services such as buses and vehicle access. WPRF manages recreation and resident IDs. Verify the current services, fees, and agreements that apply to the unit. [2]
Judge the specific association, not only the village name.
Similar-looking units can carry different assessments, rules, repair obligations, and future costs. Request written answers before relying on a listing or a conversation.
Request the documents early
For a condominium resale, Florida law gives a buyer under contract rights to current governing documents, an annual financial statement and budget, the association FAQ document, and applicable inspection and reserve-study material. Ask the seller and your real-estate professional to provide these promptly. [1]
Buyer document checklist
0 of 8 reviewed
Checks stay on this page only; they are not stored or transmitted. Print the page to keep a copy.
Protect your review time.
Florida’s resale-disclosure law has short document-delivery and contract-voidability periods, with additional provisions for applicable inspection and SIRS material. Ask a Florida real-estate attorney or qualified agent to calendar the deadlines in your actual contract before closing. [1]
Look beyond the unit’s interior
| Area | Ask for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Building systems | Roof age, plumbing history, electrical work, exterior maintenance, water-damage history, and permits. | Deferred work can affect safety, insurance, assessments, and disruption during repairs. |
| Inspections and reserves | Applicable milestone inspection and SIRS, findings, funding plan, and repair timetable. | Florida’s milestone and SIRS rules generally apply to buildings with three or more habitable stories. Shorter buildings still need careful condition and funding review. [3] |
| Association finances | Operating cash, reserve balances, current assessment, debt, delinquencies, special assessments, and insurance deductibles. | A low assessment can conceal deferred work; a high assessment alone does not prove good management. |
| Board and management | Recent minutes, open projects, manager’s scope, reporting schedule, and emergency contact process. | Find out whether problems are documented and resolved without relying on one volunteer director. |
An independent unit inspection is useful, but it does not replace professional review of the building reports or association finances.
Estimate the full ownership cost
Ask for every recurring charge and known special assessment. The seller’s current property-tax bill may reflect exemptions that do not belong to the next owner; obtain your own estimate. Get insurance and financing answers for this condominium before assuming a quoted monthly cost is complete. [4]
Enter your estimates above.
This worksheet adds the items shown; it cannot predict future assessments.
Estimate excludes mortgage payments, closing costs, repairs inside the unit, future fee increases, and any other charges you have not entered. Confirm taxes with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, the parcel’s flood zone, and coverage with an insurance agent. [4–5]
Make sure the rules and daily life fit
Read your association’s rules
- Age and occupancy rules, household members, and guests
- Rental limits and application procedures
- Pets, parking, vehicles, and storage
- Renovations, floors, windows, and contractor access
- Unit-owner and association maintenance responsibilities
Ask whether the documents contain approval or right-of-first-refusal provisions. Do not assume every association uses the same rules.
Experience the place
- Visit the building and common areas at different times.
- Talk with residents about maintenance response and board communication.
- Check the current bus routes and recreation offerings you expect to use.
- Consider noise, stairs or elevators, parking, laundry, and seasonal activity.
Use current UCO bus schedules and theater information rather than a listing description.
Understand the purchase sequence
- Start with the association. Get its current application, governing documents, deadlines, and written approval requirements.
- Then follow UCO’s process. UCO says completed purchase applications must have association board signatures before UCO will accept them. [2]
- Arrange access after approval. Ask WPRF about the resident ID and UCO about vehicle barcodes or gate passes, using their current requirements. [2]
Leave adequate time in the purchase contract for association and UCO processing. Confirm the exact sequence and fees in writing.
Official sources
- Florida Statutes § 718.503 — condominium resale disclosures and buyer document rights.
- UCO Forms & Resources — application sequence, barcodes, and WPRF’s recreation and ID role.
- Florida DBPR: Inspections and SIRS — building inspection and reserve-study overview.
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser FAQ — property-tax and homestead information.
- Palm Beach County flood-zone information — address-specific flood-zone lookup.
Board Synergy Club prepared this independent educational guide. It is not a substitute for the actual contract, association documents, inspection reports, or advice from qualified real-estate, legal, tax, insurance, and building professionals. Reviewed October 17, 2026.
Turn unanswered questions into a pre-closing review list
Board Synergy recommended practice
Keep a dated list of each unanswered question, the document requested, who will provide it, the expected response date, and the professional who should assess it. Calendar contract deadlines separately.
- Confirm financing and insurance: Ask the lender about this association’s eligibility and required questionnaire. Obtain unit coverage advice and review association deductibles and assessment exposure.
- Read the obligations: Review recreation and village agreements, maintenance boundaries, rental restrictions, current assessments, loans, planned work, and effective management—not just the asking price.
- Complete the handoff: Confirm the written approval documentation, closing requirements, emergency contacts, resident ID, and vehicle access with the responsible offices. A gate credential does not establish ownership or association approval.
Connected Board Synergy guides
- Condominium lender questionnaires
- Condominium insurance
- Why effective management matters
- Long term recreation lease
- Common limited common elements
- Request for Occupancy: the linked process
These checklists are recommended practices. Florida law, governing-document requirements, UCO procedures, and contractual duties have distinct authority. Verify the controlling requirement for your association.