Selling a Condo With a Pending Special Assessment in Florida
2 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
Cash Flow Deals is one option for selling a Florida condo while a special assessment is still pending, before the vote happens or the invoice lands. 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 locks a net price around the pending assessment instead of after it hits.
| 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. | Cash Flow Deals locks the net price before repairs are scoped, so the pending SIRS-related repair does not have to finish before a number exists. |
| 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. | Cash Flow Deals is paid as one separate line item on the closing statement through Silver Door Realty, and the pending assessment gets factored into the locked net number instead of subtracted at the last minute. |
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 net-price walkthrough, and disclose the pending or proposed special assessment as part of that conversation. 2. Cash Flow Deals factors the assessment into the locked net number instead of waiting on the vote or the final invoice. 3. Cash Flow Deals' licensed brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty, connects the property with a real FHA or conventional buyer whose lender underwrites around the disclosed assessment. 4. Title transfers once, directly from seller to that buyer, on a closing date that does not wait on the association's own timeline.
What Cash Flow Deals Actually Is
Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor that locks in a net price for a seller's house before repairs are scoped, using a novation-based, flat-fee process arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty — not a traditional listing, and not a brokerage itself. Sellers should still confirm their 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 spook a financed buyer's lender, since the eventual cost is unknown. Cash Flow Deals factors the pending vote into the locked net number instead of waiting for it to finalize.
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.