HOA Finances & Reserves

Last verified: August 25, 2026 · See updates

Money is where self-management is won or lost. This hub collects everything on the financial side of the operating desk: budgets that set honest dues, reserves that meet the roof on schedule, and a clear-eyed comparison of what self-managing saves. Post-Surfside, several states have turned reserve planning from good practice into law, so the state citations are here too.

Guides

The Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac 15% Condo Reserve Requirement

The 10%-to-15% replacement reserve change, read from the primary documents: which two provisions are already in force, the exact formula both GSEs use, why the reserve line has to reach 17.65% of operating expenses to score 15%, and a worked 24-unit example.

HOA Insurance Renewal: What to Ask and What It Does to Dues

The board side of a master policy renewal: the three numbers that drive the quote, 14 questions for your broker, the Fannie Mae replacement cost and deductible rules that sit above state law, and a premium increase carried through the budget workbook.

HOA Audit vs Review vs Compilation

What each engagement is, which of 12 states requires which one and at what threshold, every audit fee figure we could source and why no average exists, and a written checklist that makes three CPA quotes comparable.

Reserve Studies for Small Associations

What a reserve study is, what it costs, when your state requires one, DIY vs. professional, and the questions to ask providers. With a 12-state statute table.

Self-Managed vs. Management Company: The Real Cost

An honest framework, management fees, volunteer time, hybrid options like outsourced bookkeeping, with a worksheet-style comparison and a free cost calculator you can fill in.

Accounts, Controls & the Monthly Close

The finance chapters of the complete guide: two-bucket account structure, volunteer-protecting controls, and the 30-minute monthly routine.

Tools & templates

HOA Reserve Fund Calculator

Free HOA reserve fund calculator: component-level, straight-line full-funding estimate with percent funded and per-unit monthly output. No signup, every assumption explained.

Management Cost Comparison Calculator

Free calculator comparing the annual cost of self-management, a hybrid bookkeeping model, and a full management company, including the volunteer hours nobody quotes you.

Annual Budget Workbook

Back-calculates the monthly dues per unit your budget implies, with a 12-month cash-flow view.

Dues Tracker Spreadsheet

Per-unit ledger with automatic aging, the receivables side of the monthly close.

Chart of Accounts and General Ledger

54 numbered accounts with the operating and reserve funds kept apart, and a ledger whose trial balance and fund summary calculate as you post.

Where the law comes in

Reserve requirements are the fastest-moving area of association law. Examples from the 22 states we track: Virginia and Nevada require reserve studies every five years; Washington requires annual updates with a professional study every third year; California requires a study at least every three years with annual review; Florida requires structural integrity reserve studies for taller condo buildings; Illinois requires budgets to include “reasonable reserves” unless owners vote to waive. Many states require none of this. Every claim, citation, and caveat is on the state requirements hub.