Conventional Condo Review Services - Get Your Condo Project Approved Fast

We help lenders, HOAs, buyers, and agents sail through the condo project review process — with faster turnaround, lender-ready documentation, and zero surprises at closing.

The Hidden Risk Behind Condo Financing

Most conventional mortgage rejections for condos don’t come from the buyer – they come from the project itself.

If the condo building doesn’t meet Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines, lenders won’t approve the loan. The most common causes?

  • Not enough HOA reserves
  • Insurance coverage too low
  • One investor owns too many units
  • Pending litigation or structural issues
  • Non-warrantable designation from past deals

And worst of all – most people don’t find out until the underwriter says “denied.”

Complete, Compliant, Condo Reviews

At Condo Approval Professionals, we specialize in fast, accurate Conventional Condo Review Services – helping clients nationwide confirm whether their condo project meets current Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lending standards.

We take the guesswork out of condo financing eligibility. Our experienced team handles:

  • Full or Limited Reviews
  • Financial & legal document analysis
  • Occupancy and reserve ratio verification
  • Commercial-use evaluation
  • Litigation and bylaw red-flag checks

Whether you’re a lender, buyer, HOA, seller, or real estate agent, we’ll help you uncover issues early and fix them fast.

Why Our Clients Trust Us – Real Benefits, Real Results

We don’t just understand the rules – we anticipate lender expectations. With our insider knowledge of Fannie Mae Form 1076 and Freddie Mac condo guidelines, we help you prepare a complete, compliant review package from the start. That means fewer document requests, faster underwriting turnarounds, and fewer stalled closings.

From underfunded reserves to missing insurance coverage or excessive rental ratios, we know what underwriters flag – and we catch it before they do. Our proactive review approach gives you time to resolve issues early, so you’re not blindsided late in escrow.

Whether you’re working with a non-warrantable building, a mixed-use development, or a condo conversion with outdated bylaws, we’ve likely seen it – and solved it. Our team has helped hundreds of challenging condo projects pass conventional review requirements without needing to re-apply or switch loan types.

No matter where your condo is – from Miami Beach to Minneapolis – we offer coast-to-coast coverage with detailed knowledge of regional lender expectations and HOA documentation practices. We tailor our reviews to meet both national guidelines and local lender preferences.

Who We Help

We assist clients across the real estate and lending ecosystem:

  • Mortgage Lenders & Loan Officers – Get clean documentation and faster approvals
  • Real Estate Agents & Brokers – Avoid mid-escrow surprises
  • HOA Boards & Property Managers – Ensure the project is marketable and compliant
  • Buyers & Sellers – Protect your deal before issues arise

Choose the Right Type of Condo Project Review

Understanding which review your condo project needs is crucial to getting approved, and avoiding costly delays. At Condo Approval Professionals, we offer both Limited and Full Review services, guided by your financing scenario, down payment, occupancy type, and lender requirements.

Ideal for primary residence purchases with at least 10% down (or 25% for investment) and strong borrower credentials.

This streamlined review focuses on essential factors like:

  • Insurance coverage (master hazard and liability)
  • Single entity ownership is analyzed on limited/streamline reviews, so we will evaluate concentrated ownership.
  • Basic financial and project eligibility elements are still checked to ensure conformity with agency standards.

Because it requires fewer documents and limited scrutiny, it’s faster and less costly – but only available for certain loans.

Best for: Borrowers with larger down payments and conventional, low-risk loan scenarios.

If your loan doesn’t qualify for Limited Review, you’ll need a Full Review, which applies detailed Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac project eligibility rules.

Our Full Review includes a complete audit of:

  • HOA financials: budget, year-end statements, and reserve funding (10% minimum)
  • Insurance declarations: hazard, liability, fidelity bond, flood (if applicable)
  • Bylaws & governing docs: to ensure no lending conflicts exist
  • Litigation & legal risk: active lawsuits, construction defects, violations
  • Occupancy and ownership concentration
  • Delinquency rate: no more than 15% of units 60+ days past due
  • Commercial space ratio: typically must be ≤25%

We use current Fannie Mae Form 1076 (or Freddie equivalent) and walk you through everything your lender will look for—before they ask for it.

Best for: Purchases with <10% down, second homes, investment properties, or any condo where lender is requesting a full eligibility review.

Not Sure Which One You Need? We’ll Tell You.

Whether you’re an agent, buyer, or loan officer, we’ll help you identify the correct review type upfront—and handle every document and detail for you.

What's Included In A Condo Review

Your Conventional Condo Review includes:

  • HOA budget and reserve funding analysis
  • Master insurance and liability policy evaluation
  • Fidelity bond verification
  • Owner-occupancy and investor concentration analysis
  • Commercial-use and litigation screening
  • Review of CC&Rs, bylaws, articles of incorporation
  • Summary report with lender-ready checklist

Red Flags We Help Identify & Fix

Avoid condo project financing failures by addressing:

  • Less than 10% of HOA income allocated to reserves
  • Over 15% of units with >60-day delinquency
  • Inadequate insurance (e.g., no fidelity bond)
  • 20% of units owned by one entity
  • 35% commercial space use
  • Ongoing litigation or unresolved structural defects
  • Short-term rental conflicts in bylaws

We give you a roadmap to correct these before submission.

Evaluate Critical Repairs, Deferred Maintenance & Special Assessments

One of the most important components of a Conventional Condo Review is evaluating the physical and financial condition of the condominium project beyond the basics — including critical repairs, significant deferred maintenance, and any special assessments that may impact marketability or eligibility.

We analyze whether the project has outstanding issues that could materially affect the safety, structural soundness, or habitability of the buildings. This includes reviewing inspection reports or engineer analyses (if available) to identify any serious problems — such as roof failure, water intrusion, load-bearing deficiencies, or other conditions that lenders consider critical. Projects with unaddressed critical issues or widespread deferred maintenance may be deemed ineligible until those concerns are resolved. 

Special assessments are additional charges levied by the homeowners association to fund major repairs or projects not covered by standard dues. Our team reviews whether those assessments are tied to critical repairs or significant deferred maintenance and evaluates:

  • The purpose and scope of the assessment
  • Amount approved vs. amount remaining to be collected
  • Whether the assessment has been paid in full or remains outstanding
  • Potential impact on unit owners and lender underwriting

If a special assessment is associated with a critical repair that hasn’t yet been completed, it could affect the project’s eligibility for conventional financing.

By thoroughly evaluating these areas as part of the condo review, we help ensure your project meets lender expectations — not just on paper, but in real-world financial and physical condition.

For Condo Developers: Build With Confidence + Maximize Marketability

As a condo developer, your project’s marketability hinges not just on design and construction – but on whether lenders will finance the units you sell. Conventional condo project reviews aren’t just a closing hurdle for buyers – they’re a critical determinant of your project’s success in the marketplace.

A conventional condo review evaluates the entire development against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines – not just the individual units. If your project doesn’t meet standards, buyers may be stuck seeking more expensive financing, delaying sales or shrinking your buyer pool.

Why Developers Should Care

Most buyers seeking conventional financing will walk away if the project is deemed non-warrantable because their lender can’t issue a conforming loan.

  • Developer-controlled associations (especially in new builds) often trigger a full review, which requires complete documentation and strict adherence to guidelines.
  • Missing or incomplete HOA setup, outdated bylaws, or lack of reserve funding are common deal blockers.

Lenders look for owner-occupancy ratios typically ≥50% before approving conventional loans – something that can be hard to demonstrate early in new developments unless planned for.

What Our Team Helps You Get Right

We help you structure your project before it goes to market so that it meets the standards lenders will check, including:

We review your CC&Rs, bylaws, articles, and HOA formation documents to ensure they meet conventional lending criteria.

A funded reserve that satisfies industry requirements is critical – not having one is a top reason projects fail conventional review.

We advise on how developer unit ownership and investor concentrations could impact review outcomes.

Confirming that master hazard, liability, flood (if applicable), and fidelity bonds are in place and appropriately structured.

We flag items like excessive commercial space, short-term rental provisions, or pending litigation risk before lenders do, saving you time and rework.

Developer Benefits

  • Faster sales and closings – Buyers with conforming financing options expand your market.
  • Stronger lender confidence – Reduced underwriting pushback, smoother approvals.
  • Competitive advantage – A project prepped for conventional eligibility is more attractive to Realtors and investors alike.

How Our Condo Review Process Works — Simple, Clear, and Fast

We make the condo project review process smooth and stress-free. No confusing paperwork. No chasing down obscure forms. Just clear steps, expert guidance, and lender-ready documentation – fast.

Once you get started, we’ll send you a simple checklist tailored to your project and review type (Full or Limited). Most of the documents can be obtained from your HOA, property manager, or developer.

Common documents include:

  • Current HOA budget & year-end financials
  • Master insurance certificate & liability coverage
  • Fidelity bond (for 20+ unit buildings)
  • HOA’s governing documents (CC&Rs, bylaws, articles)
  • Reserve study (if available)
  • Occupancy breakdown (owner vs. renter units)
  • Details of any ongoing litigation or special assessments

Don’t worry – if you’re missing something, we’ll help you track it down.

Our team reviews your documents using the latest Fannie Mae Form 1076 and Freddie Mac project eligibility standards. We analyze:

  • Reserve contributions (10% rule)
  • Insurance compliance
  • Owner-occupancy and investor concentration
  • Commercial-use ratio
  • Financial stability and delinquency rate
  • Legal risk and bylaw conflicts

We don’t just fill out a checklist – we flag issues, explain what they mean, and prepare your project for a smoother lender review.

You’ll receive a detailed report with:

  • A summary of compliance status
  • Any items that require correction or clarification
  • A checklist you can give directly to your lender or underwriter
  • Guidance on how to fix any disqualifying issues

This final step gives you the confidence to move forward — or take corrective action before you’re stuck in escrow limbo.

What Our Clients Have To Say

Kim Casbon
Mortgage Operations Manager / Colony Bank
Wendy and Amy, are amazing!
By the way, your team, Wendy and Amy, are amazing!
Tracy Geer
Sr. Loan Officer / First State Bank Mortgage
 Thank you again SO much!
Amy wow, I cannot thank you enough for all your help on this file.  And the patience and kindness…just everything that you were during all this, and the other files too that we’ve worked on, was just absolutely amazing.  Even if this one hadn’t worked out, which I am so glad it did but was due mostly to you and Tracy working so hard, I still would have appreciated your patience and kindness.  With all my questions and confusion, you never lost your patience with me, and were always so helpful.  I’m copying my manager, because I want her to know how amazing you are.  Thank you again SO much!
Liza Fletcher
Loan Processor / All Western Mortgage
I love working with you!!!!
Wow!!!!  I think that is the shortest list I have ever gotten.  Thanks soooooooooooooo much Wendy!!!!  I love working with you!!!!  You are such a Doll!!! Thanks so much!!!
Sarah Barnabei
Underwriter Coordinator / Envoy Mortgage
You all have been wonderful to work with
I’m so excited about the portal,  it should make the process much cleaner! You all have been wonderful to work with, we’re very grateful for your guidance, patience, awesome attitudes, and efficiency! Thank you!
Colleen Thomure
Vice President, Underwriting / First State Bank Mortgage
Thank you so much
Thank you so much.  By the way, I’ve been hearing great things from the staff about CAP.  They have been very complimentary of the turn times and have also mentioned how much they like working with Amy and Wendy.
Barbara Steward
Vendor Coordinator / Colonial Home Loans
Thank you, Steve
Thank you, Steve.  Your company has always been extremely easy to work with.
Heather Giordano
Underwriting Manager / United Home Loans
THE BEST!!!
Thank you, you are legit – THE BEST!!!
Lori Gray
Underwriting Manager / Axia Home Loans
Your company’s service far exceeds the companies we previously used. 
Your company’s service far exceeds the companies we previously used.  You are getting 100% of what we have as Linnie directs who gets our business. Thank you and your staff for being awesome, we appreciate it.
Issabel Perez
Scenario Desk Specialist / American Pacific Mortgage
Thanks for being so great!
Every time I jump back into condos I realize how little I know, but I learn something new every time I am here.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate how patient and kind you all are! I wanted to make sure and thank you guys for always making me feel comfortable enough to ask questions. Thanks for being so great!
Devrim Rich
Capital Markets Administrator / American Pacific Mortgage Corp.
He makes you feel like you are his only client
My Company, American Pacific Mortgage, has been working with Steve Stenger at Condo Approval Professionals, LLC since April 2012. Over that time we have built a strong working relationship. His quality of work is excellent. He is my go-to person for any of my condo questions. I trust his opinion, due to his vast knowledge of the agencies’ guidelines. Steve is willing to work with us if we have a file that needs to move quickly. No matter what he is in the middle of he makes you feel like you are his only client.
Diane McNulty
Vice President Underwriting / Peoples Bank
I can’t tell you how much
I can’t tell you how much working with you has made our underwriting lives easier. Just knowing we have someone with your knowledge and expertise on our side makes a huge difference.
Rosa M. Lopez
CMCA Manager / Accounting Chicago Property Services
Wow!!! 1 million thanks to you and your expertise!
Wow!!! 1 million thanks to you and your expertise! One of our clients used a "free" service but it's been over 2 months since the file was submitted to HUD and they keep coming back to me with the same questions that you and I would normally handle prior to filing. You really get for what you pay for. I always highly recommend you to our clients. Thank you, once again!
He is so good at explaining the process
He is so good at explaining the process and provided excellent reference materials in the sessions he conducted on conference calls and in-person classes. I look forward to teaming up with him again in the future.
Steve has been a real asset
Steve has been a real asset to our team by giving us an edge with condo approvals and training. Because of his expertise and exceptional authority as a Fannie-approved project specialist, we closed deals others could not adding value for our loan officers and their clients.
Leslie L.
Branch Manager/Mortgage Banker / New South Federal Savings Bank
Steve’s expertise and knowledge
Steve’s expertise and knowledge is invaluable to anyone in the retail mortgage banking industry. Time and again Steve not only guides myself and my clients through the process of obtaining Fannie/Freddie and FHA approvals on condominium projects, but without his direction many of the projects would never have been considered for approval. In this rapidly changing industry, having someone like Steve on your team is essential.
Steve S
Branch Manager / New South Federal Savings Bank
Steve Stenger’s expertise
Steve Stenger’s expertise in the Condo Industry has directly impacted my business. I endorse Steve completely because of his expertise in the industry and the integrity he shows while working with our business partners.
Timothy O
Mortgage Sales Manager / Home State Bank
I referred Steve
I referred Steve to a Realtor that needed help getting a condo association approved. What a wealth of knowledge. I highly recommend Steve. He also came to one of my loan officer sales meetings and educated us on the updated FHA condo approval process. What a great resource for us and our clients. Thanks Steve!
Steve and his firm
Steve and his firm are the go to folks for not only obtaining project approvals for condominium projects (with FHA and Fannie Mae) but also for training loan officers on how to leverage HIS service into relationships for the LO. Great value and I will always highly recommend Steve and his firm to everyone that can use his expertise.
Brent Burns
Wintrust Mortgage
Wintrust Mortgage and myself personally have had the opportunity to work with Steve and his company. His knowledge of the condominium industry as it relates to the many new lending rules has been invaluable in my business. More importantly, Steve, through his work, has helped me to foster new relationships with consumers, homeowner’s associations and Realtors. His knowledge is without equal in this very complicated

Ready to Get Approved? Let’s Make It Happen – Fast.

Avoid last-minute loan denials, underwriter delays, and the stress of non-warrantable condos. Whether you’re a lender, agent, buyer, or HOA, we’ll help you clear the financing hurdle with confidence.

Fast, nationwide condo project reviews

– Full & Limited reviews for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

– Clear, lender-ready documentation – no back-and-forth

At Condo Approval Professionals, we stand behind every review!  Upon completion of the Condominium Project Review, a signed warranty is issued for the Condominium Project (if the Condominium Project meets associated governmental guidelines.)

Guidance on fixing red flags before they stop your deal

We’ve helped thousands of projects get approved and closed – let’s get yours across the finish line.

Call us at 847-293-2962 or click the button below to get started.

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Conventional Condominium Review Services FAQs

It’s a required evaluation of the entire condominium project — not just the unit — to ensure it meets financing guidelines.

Typical turnaround is 3–5 business days. Expedited service may be available.

Yes. We regularly work with HOA boards and management companies to help them meet review standards.

Yes. We help identify causes of non-warrantability and provide a clear roadmap to address them.

We are an independent provider. While we are not Fannie/Freddie, our documentation meets the standards lenders use for project review.

Yes. You’ll receive a PDF summary outlining compliance and any required changes.

  • Reserve funding (10%)
  • Occupancy (≥50% owner-occupied)
  • Insurance requirements (including fidelity bond)
  • Litigation and commercial-use limits
  • Delinquency thresholds

You’ll receive a list of action steps and recommendations to resolve deficiencies.

Buyers, sellers, lenders, real estate professionals, and HOAs can request a project review.

Yes — our review services are available nationwide.

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