No, for the buyer, the same rules that apply to any mortgage apply to a condo buyer. Keep in mind that in calculating your debt-to-income ratio for the loan, lenders will count your condominium fees as part of your total monthly expenses.
A condo mortgage is different because the building itself has to qualify for the loan.
Generally, lenders won’t make a loan on a condominium that is in poor financial shape or poorly maintained. It has to be a properly run residential building.
The lender looks at the condo association records to make sure it is sufficiently insured, isn’t being sued, and residents are paying their dues (no more than a 15% delinquency).
Lenders also want to make sure the building is residential, with at least 50% owner-occupancy. They don’t want to see stores or hotel rooms. They don’t want to see condo units sold as time shares.
Finally, at least 90% of the units have to be occupied.
If the condominium project is established and known to meet guidelines, and you are a credit worthy borrower, you will probably have little difficulty getting a conventional loan.
You might want to do a little extra research, however. Remember that when you buy a condo, you are buying into the Homeowners Association and you are sacrificing some privacy for convenience. It’s a good idea to take a look at the minutes from the HOA meetings to see the sorts of issues being discussed.
When the building qualifies and you find the property suitable, financing a condo should be much the same as a conventional home.
