FHA Condominium & Spot Approval Rules: The Uncensored Truth

Unlike single-family homes, buying a condominium requires the Federal Housing Administration to approve the entire building, not just your individual unit. Why? Because if the roof caves in or the foundation crumbles, it affects your unit's value, and the HOA's ability to fix it dictates whether FHA's collateral is safe.

What if the whole project is approved?

In the past, the only way to get an FHA condo loan was if the Homeowners Association (HOA) submitted a massive application to HUD to get the entire project certified. You can check if a condo is fully certified by searching the public FHA Condominium Roster online.

Can just my unit get approved on its own?

Many HOAs refuse to spend the money to get fully certified. To combat this, FHA reintroduced the Single-Unit Approval (SUA), frequently called the "Spot Approval." This allows an FHA underwriter to approve your specific unit in a non-approved building, without the HOA having to submit to full HUD certification. However, the building must still pass a rigid set of financial and structural tests.

To obtain a Spot Approval, the Mortgagee must collect a specialized condo questionnaire directly from the property management company. FHA will instantly deny the SUA if the building fails any of the following mathematical limits:

How many FHA loans can one building hold?

FHA does not want to insure too many units in a single unapproved building. For projects with 10 or more units, no more than 10% of the total units can currently be financed by FHA loans. For buildings with fewer than 10 units, no more than 2 units can be FHA-financed.

How many units have to be owner occupied?

FHA views renter-dominated buildings as high-risk. To pass an SUA, the condominium project must have an owner-occupancy rate of at least 50%. This means at least half of the units must be occupied by the actual owners, not tenants or short-term vacation renters.

Is my building big enough?

Single-Unit Approvals are only permitted in established condominium projects that contain a minimum of five (5) total units. Furthermore, the project must be fully complete and not subject to further phasing or construction.

What if there are shops downstairs?

It is common for high-rise condos to feature retail shops or restaurants on the ground floor. FHA permits this, but the commercial (non-residential) space cannot exceed 35% of the project's total floor area.

FHA will not insure a condo if the Homeowners Association is on the brink of bankruptcy or facing massive legal liabilities. The HOA must prove it is collecting enough dues to maintain the building.

How much does the HOA need in reserves?

The HOA's operating budget must demonstrate that they are allocating and funding at least 10% of their annual budget into a reserve account. This ensures they have the cash to fix roofs, elevators, and structural issues without hitting owners with massive special assessments.

What if other owners are behind on dues?

If too many owners stop paying their HOA dues, the building cannot survive. FHA dictates that no more than 15% of the total units in the project can be more than 60 days past due on their HOA assessments.

What if the building is in a lawsuit?

If the HOA is currently involved in active litigation (being sued or suing someone else), the FHA underwriter must evaluate the lawsuit. If the litigation involves severe structural defects or threatens the financial solvency of the HOA, the FHA loan will be denied until the lawsuit is fully resolved.