Selling a Condo With a Pending Special Assessment in Florida

4 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Joseph Mena, CFO of Cash Flow Deals. · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)

Cash Flow Deals gives you a choice when selling a Florida condo while a special assessment is still pending, before the vote happens or the invoice lands: the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your home as-is and close, or the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. Florida's SIRS law, under Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g), now requires reserve studies covering seven structural categories, and associations can no longer waive those reserves for budgets adopted after December 31, 2024. Cash Flow Deals considers the disclosed pending assessment when preparing both offers.

Factor	Traditional Listing	Cash Flow Deals
Timeline	Financed buyers and their lenders often pause once a pending special assessment shows up on the condo questionnaire or estoppel letter, sometimes requiring it resolved or disclosed in writing before the loan clears.	Cash Flow Deals underwrites the property with the pending assessment already priced in, so the vote or invoice does not reopen the closing date.
Repairs	The assessment itself is often for a structural repair, like a roof, waterproofing, or load-bearing wall project under Florida's SIRS categories, that the seller may still owe money toward even after listing.	You can compare the Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer before the pending SIRS-related repair is finished. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens.
Fees / Costs	Seller may owe their share of the special assessment at closing, on top of negotiable listing commission and standard closing costs, and lenders may require proof the association's reserves are funded.	With your Premium Cash Offer, Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement, and your home may be listed through Silver Door Realty. Your disclosed pending assessment is considered when preparing your offer. Costs are settled from the sale proceeds, with Premium costs coming from our share rather than your agreed number. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. You can compare this with your Fast Cash Offer and choose.

Why More Florida Condos Are Facing Special Assessments Now

Florida's structural integrity reserve study law, known as SIRS, comes from Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g), most recently amended in 2025. It requires condo and cooperative associations with buildings three or more habitable stories to commission a reserve study covering seven structural categories: roof; structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members; fireproofing and fire protection systems; plumbing; electrical systems; waterproofing and exterior painting; and windows and exterior doors, plus any other item over $25,000 that affects those systems. Associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 had to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025, with a possible extension to December 31, 2026 for associations pairing it with a milestone inspection. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners can no longer vote to waive or reduce the reserves a SIRS calls for, which is why more associations are turning to special assessments to fund the gap.

What a Pending Assessment Does to a Financed Sale

A pending special assessment shows up on the condo questionnaire a buyer's lender requires before funding a loan. Once it shows up, some lenders pause underwriting until the assessment amount is finalized or the association confirms funding, because they need to know the true monthly cost the buyer is taking on. A seller stuck between a scheduled board vote and a buyer's rate lock can watch that financing window close before the assessment even gets decided.

Cash Flow Deals' Process for Selling With the Assessment Still Pending

Cash Flow Deals' Process: 1. Request a walkthrough and disclose your pending or proposed special assessment. 2. Cash Flow Deals considers that assessment when preparing your Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer, so you can compare and choose. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. 3. With Premium, your home may be listed through Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage, with a licensed agent and scheduled showings. Your pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer buys directly from you, with the disclosed assessment subject to their lender's underwriting. 4. With Premium, title transfers once, directly from you to that buyer. Your closing date depends on the sale requirements, including any lender or association requirements related to the assessment.

What Cash Flow Deals Actually Is

Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor offering you the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your home as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. For Premium, we cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. Only what your buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with repair costs settled from the sale proceeds out of our share. With Fast Cash, you sell as-is without making repairs. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. Cash Flow Deals is not itself a brokerage; your Premium sale may be listed through Silver Door Realty, its licensed Florida brokerage partner. You should still confirm your exact disclosure duty around a pending assessment with a licensed Florida real estate attorney before signing, since the specifics depend on how far along the assessment vote is.

The One Exception That Can Move the Number

The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. Since a pending structural-reserve assessment like this is often exactly the kind of structural issue this exception exists for, it gets priced into the number up front instead of surprising anyone later.

Common questions

What is Florida's SIRS law and does it affect me as a seller?

SIRS stands for structural integrity reserve study, required under Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g) for condo and co-op buildings three or more stories tall. It affects sellers because associations can no longer waive reserve funding for budgets adopted after December 31, 2024, which is pushing more associations toward special assessments to close the gap.

Do I have to pay the special assessment before I sell my condo?

That depends on the association's payment terms and whether the assessment has been finalized, but sellers often remain responsible for their share unless the sale contract states otherwise. Confirm the exact allocation with the association and a licensed Florida real estate attorney.

What if the assessment vote has not happened yet?

A proposed but unvoted assessment can still concern your financed buyer's lender, since the eventual cost is unknown. Cash Flow Deals considers the pending vote when preparing your Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer. If your Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number.

Does Cash Flow Deals buy condos with SIRS-related repairs still pending?

Yes. Cash Flow Deals prices the pending SIRS finding or assessment into the net number at the walkthrough, so the repair does not have to finish before a sale can move forward.