Guide
Condo Financing Requirements
Getting a mortgage on a condominium is not the same as financing a single-family home. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the FHA, and the VA each maintain their own condo project approval criteria, and a building that fails any one of them can limit your financing options, your buyer pool when you eventually sell, and in some cases make a purchase impossible at conventional rates.
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Understanding what lenders look at — and catching project approval problems early — is a practical step in condo due diligence that most buyers skip until it is too late.
Why condo projects are underwritten differently
When a lender finances a single-family home, the collateral is the property itself. When a lender finances a condo unit, the collateral is the unit plus a fractional interest in the association's common elements, reserves, financial health, and governance. A unit in a financially distressed association, or one where deferred maintenance has compromised the building's structure, is worth less than its interior condition implies — because the buyer inherits the association's problems. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which purchase the majority of U.S. conventional mortgages in the secondary market, publish project eligibility criteria designed to protect that collateral. Those criteria are not fine print — they are the conditions under which lenders will fund the loan. A building that does not meet them will not qualify for a conventional conforming mortgage, which affects your rate, your down payment requirements, and the depth of your future buyer pool.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac warrantable project criteria
A condo project is generally considered warrantable — eligible for conventional financing through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac — when it meets a set of project-level criteria evaluated at the time of each loan. Key requirements include: the association must generally budget at least 10 percent of assessments to reserves; no single entity (individual, investor, or developer) can own more than the allowable concentration of units (generally 10 percent or more triggers scrutiny; for smaller projects the thresholds differ); commercial and non-residential space must generally remain below 35 percent of total building square footage; the project must carry adequate insurance coverage; there must be no active special assessment that raises concerns about financial stability; and the project must not be subject to litigation that could materially affect the value or insurability of units. Projects with significant deferred maintenance, low reserve funding, or recent structural findings may also be flagged for additional review or denied approval. These are not hard rules that apply identically in every situation — lenders apply them with judgment — but they represent the categories that trigger project ineligibility.
FHA and VA approval: different programs, different rules
FHA-insured loans require the condo project to be on HUD's approved condominium project list. FHA approval is a formal application process, and many buildings — particularly smaller associations, older buildings, or those with high investor concentration — are not on the approved list. An FHA-ineligible building limits your buyer pool to conventional or cash purchasers, which can meaningfully affect price and marketability. VA loans follow a similar approval framework for veteran borrowers. Losing either program means a large category of qualified buyers cannot purchase in the building. Before you close on a unit you intend to sell in the future, confirm whether the building currently carries FHA and VA approval and ask whether there are any conditions that could cause that approval to lapse. FHA approval must be renewed periodically, and a lapse is not always publicized.
What makes a project non-warrantable
The most common reasons a project fails warrantability review include: reserve funding below lender thresholds, meaning the association has not set aside adequate capital for long-term maintenance; a single investor or entity controlling more than the allowable percentage of units; a high ratio of non-owner-occupied units indicating heavy investor concentration; active litigation involving the association, the developer, or the building itself; commercial or mixed-use space exceeding the allowable percentage; a recent problematic structural inspection or engineering report; and deferred maintenance that is visible and material. In Florida, post-2021 legislation and subsequent lender scrutiny of coastal condo buildings added a new layer: buildings with overdue milestone inspections, unresolved structural findings, or non-compliant SIRS reserve plans have faced conventional financing restrictions. This is not limited to Florida — the principle applies wherever structural or financial risk is elevated.
How to check a building's lender approval status
For FHA approval, you can search HUD's public condominium project approval database using the building's address or project name. For Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac warrantability, there is no public approval list — eligibility is determined at the time of each loan application based on the project questionnaire submitted by the lender. Your lender will typically order a condo project questionnaire from the association's management company, which asks for financial, legal, and structural information that the lender then evaluates against current guidelines. Ask your lender early in the process whether they have previously originated loans in the building, whether they see any potential approval issues based on what they know, and what documentation they will need. For buildings with known issues — ongoing litigation, recent structural findings, low reserves — getting a preliminary project review before going under contract can save you significant time and negotiation capital.
Portfolio loans, non-warrantable options, and their trade-offs
If a building does not qualify for conventional financing, portfolio lenders — banks and credit unions that hold loans on their own balance sheets rather than selling them into the secondary market — can sometimes offer financing outside the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines. Portfolio loans typically carry higher interest rates, lower loan-to-value ratios, and shorter terms than conventional financing, and not every lender offers them for every non-warrantable situation. In some cases, the only available financing for a non-warrantable unit is a substantially higher down payment, a materially higher rate, or a cash purchase. The financing constraint also affects exit: if you cannot get a conforming loan when you buy, neither can most of your future buyers. A non-warrantable building purchased with a portfolio loan may need to be sold at a discount to cash or portfolio-loan buyers when you are ready to exit.
Reviewer's checklist
- Ask your lender early in the process whether they have approved loans in this building before
- Search HUD's condo project approval database to confirm FHA approval status
- Ask whether the building carries current VA approval for veteran borrowers
- Request a copy of the most recent condo project questionnaire the association has submitted to lenders
- Confirm the reserve funded percentage and compare it to the general 10 percent budget-to-reserves threshold
- Identify whether any single owner or investor entity controls more than 10 percent of units
- Determine the ratio of owner-occupied to investor-owned units
- Identify any pending litigation involving the association, the building, or the developer
- Confirm commercial space occupies less than 35 percent of total square footage
- Ask the listing agent or association whether any buyers have had financing fall through in the past 12 months and why
- If the building has had a recent structural inspection or engineering finding, ask how lenders have responded
- If the building appears non-warrantable, ask your lender about portfolio loan options and compare terms
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State-specific resources
The framework on this page applies nationally. For state-specific statutes, disclosures, and the documents associations are required to provide, see your state hub.
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Frequently asked questions
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Get Your Free Condo Risk Report
Upload condo or HOA documents for a free risk review. We read reserve studies, budgets, meeting minutes, insurance summaries, and assessment exposure — every finding linked to the exact page.
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Need a real estate lawyer or mortgage specialist?
We can connect you with vetted real estate lawyers, mortgage brokers, and insurance brokers familiar with the specifics of condo and HOA transactions.
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