Licensed Florida real estate brokerage
Where can I find a condo building's milestone inspection report before making an offer?
A straight answer from a licensed Florida real estate brokerage — then what you can check yourself and when to bring in a licensed professional. Free consultation: (888) 440-3766.
Start with the condo association. It holds the milestone inspection report, and your agent can request it through the listing agent, the seller or the association's manager. Also ask for the structural integrity reserve study (SIRS), because the two documents are meant to be read together.
The report is not a public listing you can pull up on a portal. Florida requires a milestone structural inspection for condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller once they reach 30 years (s. 553.899, F.S.), but whether a building needs one yet depends on its age and height. Ask for the report before you offer, or write the offer so you can review it before your inspection period ends.
Why it comes up in Florida
Florida has a very large condominium inventory, much of it on the coasts and in urban cores. A lot of it dates from the 1970s–1980s boom. In older mid-rise and high-rise buildings, milestone inspections and the SIRS can lead to repair work and reserve funding that the owners pay for. That can mean special assessments or changes to association fees.
For an investor, that matters twice. It affects your carrying costs, and it can affect how financeable and insurable the unit is. Lenders and insurers may ask questions about a building's condition, and the answers vary by lender and insurer. We can't say how any one building's report will affect your purchase.
What you can check yourself
Ask the listing agent for the reports
Request the milestone inspection report, the SIRS, the current budget and recent board minutes in writing. Sellers and listing agents often already have the association documents.
Contact the association or its manager
The association keeps the building's official records. Ask what has been completed, what is scheduled and whether any repairs or assessments have been approved or discussed.
Check the building's age and height
Milestone rules apply to buildings three stories or taller that reach 30 years (s. 553.899, F.S.). Your county property appraiser's records generally show the year built. Confirm with the association whether the building is covered.
Ask the local building department
Building officials may have information on file about a building's inspection status. What is available and how to request it varies by city and county, so ask the one that covers the property.
Read the condo documents and budget
Association documents and budgets are part of due diligence. Look for reserve funding, planned work, pending or recent assessments and any rental restrictions that affect your investment plan.
When to bring in a licensed professional
Getting the report is the easy part. Interpreting it is harder. If a report notes substantial repairs, the SIRS shows a funding gap, or the association is slow to respond, talk to a licensed real-estate professional before you offer. Call us at (888) 440-3766 for a free consultation, with no obligation. A licensed professional, either Premier Real Estate Group Inc or a licensed agent we refer you to, will contact you by phone or email.
For questions about what the report means structurally, bring in a licensed inspector or engineer. For legal questions about the contract, your rights to association records or assessment liability, use a Florida real-estate attorney. We are a brokerage, not a law firm, and the contract and association documents control.
Premier Real Estate Group Inc is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage (broker license BK3314523). Verify at Florida DBPR.
What a licensed real-estate professional will do
- Request the building documentsWe ask the listing side and the association for the milestone report, the SIRS, budgets and association rules, and track what has and hasn't been delivered.
- Build the timeline into your offerWe help you write the contract so you have time to review condo documents and the reports during the inspection period. Whether the seller agrees is negotiable.
- Check rental rules and approvalsWe review association rental restrictions, short-term rental limits and any buyer or tenant approval and estoppel requirements. We can't promise any approval.
- Compare sales and rentsWe prepare comparable sales and rents so you can weigh the building's condition and fees against your plans. A free comparative market analysis is an opinion of value, not an appraisal.
Related questions
- What is a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS)?
- It is a study required for condo associations with buildings that fall under Florida's structural rules (s. 718.112(2)(g), F.S.). Buyers should ask for it along with the milestone report. Your attorney or the association can explain how it applies to a specific building.
- Can a milestone inspection lead to a special assessment?
- It can. Repairs identified in inspections and reserve funding requirements can lead to special assessments in older mid-rise and high-rise buildings. Ask the association about any assessments approved, proposed or likely.
- What if the seller or association won't provide the report?
- Ask in writing and make your offer contingent on reviewing the documents during your inspection period. If you still can't get them, talk with your agent and a Florida real-estate attorney about your options before you commit.
- Do milestone and SIRS reports affect insurance or financing?
- They can be part of what insurers and lenders look at for a condo building. Requirements vary by company, so ask your insurance agent and lender early, before your inspection period ends.
- Do I need an estoppel certificate from the association?
- Associations may require estoppel certificates, and they are commonly part of closing. Who pays for them is set by the purchase contract. Your agent or the title company can tell you how to order one.
Tell us what you're looking for
Budget, property type and area. A licensed real-estate professional will contact you.
Licensed brokerage
Premier Real Estate Group Inc
Broker of record Maxim Bohadana, Florida broker license BK3314523
(888) 440-3766