Difference between revisions of "Buying a Condominium"

#::iv.'''Insurance Deductibles'''. Many Strata Corporations will charge an owner for insurance deductibles or other charges arising from sources of damage originating within a strata lot.

#:Consider reviewing the financial statements and budget of the strata corporation to assess the financial well-being of the Strata Corporation, where money is being spent, and the balance of the contingency reserve fund and other accounts. Review what special levies and other funds have been assessed and expended on major expenses such as repairs.

#:'''The physical condition of the project'''—The general rule is that every owner in a strata corporation must contribute to common expenses, such as repairs, unless an exception to the rule applies. If the development is in poor repair, you will have to pay your share of the cost to fix it, even if the repairs do not involve your strata lot or the part of the project where your unit is located. You may have to pay for special levies that have been previously approved, with future installments.

#:Review the minutes of meetings to see if any major repairs have recently been made or are planned. If the strata lot is part of something called a '''section''', you also need to check the minutes of general meetings of the section as well as minutes of the meetings of the section’s executive. In each case, ask for complete copies of the relevant minutes for at least the past 2 years.

#:Ask to see the Strata Corporation’s depreciation report, and carefully review it for expensive replacements, repairs or upgrades which have been recommended, particularly those which are likely to be costly, required in the near future and for which no contingency reserve funds have been set aside.

#'''3. Is the community right for you?'''—Review the minutes carefully for issues which might concern you. If you are on a fixed income, or borrowing heavily to purchase a strata lot, then watch for discussions which might indicate expenses, such as ongoing or threatened litigation, water ingress, building envelope, structural or major repair concerns.

#:A careful review of the minutes can tell a great deal about the Strata Corporation. You might note noise complaints relating to an adjacent strata lot, or very strict enforcement of the bylaws, recurring disputes, the existence of factions or similar trends which may or may not concern you. Are the minutes a well-organized and well written record which transparently records decisions, or do they resemble a gossip column? Is there a licensed strata manager involved in meetings? Do they appear to have difficulty electing a full strata council? Does the Council meet monthly or infrequently?