Condos in South Florida.

Florida law passed after the Surfside collapse requires older multi-storey buildings to complete milestone structural inspections and structural integrity reserve studies, with the thresholds depending on the building's height, age and distance from the coast. Ask for the reports and for what the association did in response.

Associations are far more constrained about underfunding or waiving reserves for the structural items a reserve study covers. That is good for buildings and hard on budgets, which is why dues have moved sharply in some associations.

Read the last several years of minutes and financials for special assessments already levied, voted or being discussed. A pending assessment is a real cost and is negotiable in the right circumstances — but only if you know about it before closing.

Many associations screen buyers, cap the number of rentals, impose a waiting period after purchase before you may lease, and restrict pets. If you intend to rent the unit out, confirm the rules in writing first.