Read the HOA papers first.
Every Denver condo comes with a building budget, a board and a stack of documents. Here's what I read in every HOA packet, and how long you have to walk away.
You're buying a home, and a share of the building.
The roof, the elevators, the boiler and the hallways belong to every owner in the building. Your HOA dues pay for them. When the savings run short, owners get a bill.
Colorado's standard contract lets you read the HOA documents and walk away by a set deadline if something in them doesn't sit right with you. Here's how I use that time with every condo buyer.
Jess
My 3 checks in every HOA packet
Most of the packet is rules and bylaws. These three are where the money is.
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How much is saved for big repairs
Find the reserve fund in the financial statements. That's the building's savings for roofs, elevators, boilers and paint. Colorado doesn't require a reserve study, but every HOA has to adopt a reserve policy, and many buildings have a study anyway.
AskIs there a reserve study, and when was it last updated? -
Is a special assessment coming
A special assessment is a bill on top of your dues, usually for a big repair the savings can't cover. Read the last year of meeting minutes for talk of a roof, elevators, siding, windows or a lawsuit. Big unfunded repairs can also make some loans unavailable in a building.
AskHas the board passed, or talked about, any special assessment? -
What the building's insurance covers
The HOA's master policy covers the building and the shared spaces. Your own policy, called an HO-6, covers the inside of your unit and your things. If the master policy falls short, the HOA can pass the cost to owners.
AskWhat's the master policy deductible, and does my HO-6 include loss assessment coverage?
How the HOA documents fit your contract
The dates are set in your contract. Our transaction manager tracks every one of them for you.
- Offer acceptedYour contract sets an HOA documents deadline and an HOA documents termination deadline.
- Seller sends the HOA documentsAt the seller's cost, by the HOA documents deadline.
- We read them togetherReserves, minutes, insurance and the budget, using the 3 checks above.
- Your walk-away dateIf anything in the documents isn't right for you, you can end the contract in writing by the HOA documents termination deadline.
"Anytime you see an objection or termination deadline, you can terminate the contract in writing by that deadline, for that contingency, and get your earnest money back."
Jess's rule of thumb
Everything in the HOA packet
Tick items off as they arrive, or print this list for your HOA document review.
What the seller sends you
What else I ask
Looking at a specific building?
My Denver condo pages cover each building: the HOA, the amenities and the units for sale right now.
Browse Denver condo buildings
Found a condo you love?
Send me the address. I'll read the HOA documents with you before your deadline.
★★★★★5.0 from 103 Google reviewsSources: Colorado Division of Real Estate, Buying a Home in a HOA · HOA Information and Resource Center · HOA Center forum on special assessments and reserve studies (Nov 2025) · Colorado Real Estate Commission Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), section 7 · C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(8) and 38-33.3-317 · Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-2.1-03 · Colorado Legislative Council, HOA and property insurance (Nov 2024) · City and County of Denver, short-term rentals. This page is general information, not legal advice. Your contract and your HOA's documents control. Checked October 2026.