Buying a Condo: Will listing agents send me HOA docs if I ask?

[Tom Smith]

I am buying a Condo soon. 

Will listing agents send me HOA docs if I ask? Will listing agents be happy to forward me all HOA documents? I also gathered from books, podcasts, etc. a list of questions that I need to find out before purchasing the condo. How possible is it to get all of these questions answered? Will the listing agent answer all of these questions if I email them? Below are some of the questions:

1. What are the HOA rules?

2. What do HOA fees include?

- Is it just amenities? What amenities?

- Is it water?

- Is it part of electricity?

3. Is it worth the cost?

4. Are other owners current?

5. Is the HOA financially sound?

6. What is the condo's Repair Fund?

7. What are the delinquency rates on monthly dues?

8. Any past/future special assessment fees?

9. Any flooding in the past?

10. What type of parking?

11. What does the insurance cover?

- Does the insurance have flood insurance included?

- Does the insurance have fire insurance?

12. Is there any litigation?

13. What is the management team like?

[Chris Mason]

Originally posted by @Tom Smith:

I am buying a Condo soon. 

Will listing agents send me HOA docs if I ask? Will listing agents be happy to forward me all HOA documents? I also gathered from books, podcasts, etc. a list of questions that I need to find out before purchasing the condo. How possible is it to get all of these questions answered? Will the listing agent answer all of these questions if I email them? Below are some of the questions:

1. What are the HOA rules?

2. What do HOA fees include?

- Is it just amenities? What amenities?

- Is it water?

- Is it part of electricity?

3. Is it worth the cost?

4. Are other owners current?

5. Is the HOA financially sound?

6. What is the condo's Repair Fund?

7. What are the delinquency rates on monthly dues?

8. Any past/future special assessment fees?

9. Any flooding in the past?

10. What type of parking?

11. What does the insurance cover?

- Does the insurance have flood insurance included?

- Does the insurance have fire insurance?

12. Is there any litigation?

13. What is the management team like?

 Hi Tom,

I think you will find that most listing agents will not even respond to that e-mail in the context of their inbox ALSO having multiple actual offers coming in, if these condos are in Sacramento and the year is 2018 and the condo wasn't priced horribly high. If something in your email address or signature block indicates that you're an investor rather than an agent bringing a retail client who doesn't ask such pesky questions, the odds of getting a response will be even less. 

The way you navigate this is with an inspection contingency & keeping your mouth shut about being an investor. "Inspect" the HOA paperwork to your satisfaction during that period, and back out if you don't like what you see. Sacramento is only a lukewarm market, so offers with most/all contingencies in place are the norm. Since you can write offers with most/all in place, step 0 is basically to go ahead and write an offer assuming everything is as presented and/or in tip top shape, knowing you can negotiate the price down based on undisclosed things you discover and/or back out entirely later if you wish. It's a little tougher in the Bay Area.