Dallas Towers / Guides / Documents
The document
checklist
Seven documents decide condo deals. Kitchens don’t.
The resale certificate § 01
The single most important document. Texas requires the seller to deliver it; it states current dues, special assessments (levied AND under consideration), lawsuits, insurance, reserve balance, and violations on the unit. Read the reserve balance against the building's age: an older tower with a thin reserve is telling you about future assessments.
The declaration (CC&Rs) § 02
The building's constitution, recorded at the county. It controls leasing caps and minimum lease terms, pet rules, right of first refusal, what's a common element vs. yours (that balcony door matters when it fails), and how the declaration itself can be amended.
Bylaws & current rules § 03
Bylaws govern the board; the rules change by board vote and won't all be in the declaration. Move-in fees, renovation approval, flooring requirements in stacked buildings, and short-term-rental enforcement usually live here.
Budget & reserve study § 04
The budget shows whether dues cover operations; the reserve study shows whether the building is saving for the roof, elevators, garage membrane, and windows. In a conversion, demand the most recent study—original-era systems are the whole risk.
Meeting minutes (12–24 months) § 05
Minutes reveal what owners argue about, what's breaking, and what assessments are being discussed before they're levied. The resale certificate is a snapshot; minutes are the movie.
Insurance certificate § 06
What the master policy covers vs. what your HO-6 must cover (walls-in, deductible assessments). Lenders check this; investor-heavy buildings sometimes carry policies that complicate financing.
The county statement § 07
Free and public: the unit's assessed value, exemptions, and taxing entities. Cross-check the seller's tax claims here—and check the building's homestead rate on its registry file for the ownership texture.
Use it with the registry § 08
Every building file states what we’ve verified and what’s pending — start there, then read these documents against the file. Converted buildings get extra homework: the conversion guide covers it.