Process & approval

Showing 9 guides of 11

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  Process & approval

  Use December to Prepare, Apply First Thing in January

  December is the best preparation month in the HOA lending calendar. Lending desks, board calendars, management companies and accountants all run short-handed through the holidays, so a file submitted then moves slowly. A file assembled in December and submitted the first week of January moves fast. Here is what to gather, what your board should settle offline, and why the conversation should start now rather than in January.

  Larry Kirschner · October 22, 2026

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  Process & approval

  The HOA Loan Timeline: From First Call to Funding

  A realistic HOA loan timeline runs 30 to 90 days from first consultation to funded loan, and some take longer for a variety of reasons. This deep-dive walks each phase week by week: consultation, document collection, lender RFP, term sheet negotiation, board vote and opinion letter, and closing. Common delays get named. Accelerators get named. Four-question FAQ addresses the questions boards ask most about pacing. The point: boards who understand the timeline plan around it. Boards who do not, chase it.

  Ben Kirschner · October 22, 2026

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  Process & approval

  Consultation for HOA Financing: What to Expect Before You Book

  An HOA financing consultation should give you a clearer picture of your options, at no cost, with no obligation. This post walks through what happens on the first call: the 8 questions we ask, the documents that speed things up, when we can give a rough rate range and when we cannot, who should join from the board, and what comes next. Written to help boards decide whether to book.

  Larry Kirschner · October 22, 2026

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  Process & approval

  Spring Capital Projects: A Treasurer's Loan Planning Guide

  A planning guide for HOA treasurers with a spring capital project on the books. We map the timeline backward from a June construction start to show why the loan application needs to be in by early April at the latest. The guide covers the documentation checklist, when the rate gets set, and four questions treasurers ask us every March.

  Larry Kirschner · October 13, 2026

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  Process & approval

  How to Time an HOA Loan Around the Fiscal Year

  HOA loan fiscal year timing determines whether spring construction happens on schedule. Most HOA fiscal years are calendar, project seasons are spring, board terms flip in January. Start applying 3 to 6 months before you need the cash or break ground. Here is the full timing analysis with the mistakes we see boards make.

  Ben Kirschner · October 13, 2026

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  Process & approval

  HOA Loan Documentation Checklist: What Lenders Ask For

  Seven steps to get your association ready before you talk to a lender, then the documents most HOA loans call for at three stages: getting started, the full application and closing.

  Ben Kirschner · October 9, 2026

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  Process & approval

  The 5 Financial Red Flags That Kill HOA Loan Applications

  Five specific red flags kill HOA loan applications, and they tend to show up in the same order. Elevated delinquency, reserves that look thin against the study, active litigation, recent board turnover, and an incomplete financial package. Each one has a fix. Written by Larry Kirschner, who has spent 30+ years in commercial banking and 20+ years serving on HOA boards, from watching HOA loan files get declined for reasons boards could have solved 90 days earlier.

  Larry Kirschner · September 25, 2026

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  Process & approval

  HOA Loan Approval: What Underwriters Really Look For

  HOA loan underwriting is not a mystery, but it is a sequence. Underwriters read the file in a specific order, and the ratios they compute are narrower than most boards expect. This post walks through what actually happens inside credit committee, the five document sets that matter most, the three ratios that decide the deal, and the recurring reasons associations get declined. Written from watching HOA loan files move through underwriting at community banks, regional lenders, and HOA-specialized shops.

  Larry Kirschner · September 24, 2026

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  Process & approval

  Reserve Studies and HOA Loans: Answers for Boards

  Short answers for boards planning a loan: what a reserve study is, how old is too old, when to start one, why current bids override its estimates, what the funded percentage measures, and how Fannie Mae's condo rules use the study.

  Larry Kirschner · September 10, 2026