HOA disclosure review service
Upload the HOA documents a seller has to give you before closing. Get a plain-English brief with a 0 to 100 risk score, a severity-ranked red-flag list, and a page citation on every finding. Most briefs are ready in under an hour.
In California the disclosure documents are set by statute, not left to the seller's discretion. Under Civil Code Section 4525, part of the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, the seller must give a prospective buyer a defined set of HOA records as soon as practicable before title transfers. Current as of the 2026 amendment (SB 410, effective January 1, 2026), that set includes:
On written request, the association has 10 days to provide these documents under Civil Code Section 4530, with itemized fees and a written estimate up front. For a full walk-through of the packet, see our California disclosure packet guide. Citations are in the Sources section below.
The financial documents are where the expensive surprises hide. An association that has set aside a fraction of its reserve target is one major repair away from a special assessment that can reach five figures per owner. Litigation, a pending dues increase, or a use restriction buried in an amendment can be just as costly. A buyer reading the packet cold, on a deadline, often cannot tell a healthy association from a fragile one. That is the gap a review closes: it turns hundreds of pages into a short, ranked read of what actually affects your decision.
Reserves and financials
Reserve funding, special-assessment exposure, and delinquency
The brief reads the budget, reserve study, and financial statements for under-funding, recent or pending special assessments, and the association's delinquency rate.
Governance and litigation
Board conduct, open litigation, and rule changes
Meeting minutes and disclosures are checked for active or threatened litigation, contentious governance, and recent amendments that change what you can do with the home.
Use restrictions
Rentals, pets, parking, and architectural limits
The CC&Rs and operating rules are read for restrictions that often surprise buyers, and each one is checked against the state rights that can override it.
State-law cross-reference
Every conflict flagged with a statute
Where a rule in the packet conflicts with state HOA law, the brief flags it with the statute citation, so you know which restrictions are actually enforceable.
Upload the full disclosure package, including any state-specific addenda. HOA Notes runs a state-calibrated analysis: every assertion in the brief points to a page in the source packet, every state-law conflict is flagged with the statute citation, and a Risk Score from 0 to 100 summarizes the overall exposure. Most briefs are delivered in under an hour. The analysis covers California plus nine more states, each calibrated to that state's HOA statutes.
Get your HOA disclosure packet reviewed.
Upload the full disclosure package and HOA Notes runs the state-calibrated analysis. Risk Score, red-flag list, 5 verbatim agent talking points, page citations on every claim, and a coverage gaps list showing what to request from the HOA. Delivered in under an hour.
$149
per packet - one-time, no subscription
It is the set of association documents a seller must give a buyer before closing on a home in an HOA. In California it is defined by Civil Code Section 4525 and includes the governing documents, the budget and reserve materials, financial and assessment statements, and recent board meeting minutes.
Most HOA Notes briefs are ready in under an hour after you upload the packet, so a review fits inside a standard contingency window.
California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, North Carolina, and Illinois. Each brief is calibrated to that state's HOA statutes.
No. HOA Notes is not a law firm and the brief is not legal advice. It is a plain-English analysis that helps you ask better questions and decide whether to involve an attorney before your contingencies expire.
$149 per packet, one time, with no subscription.
Sources
The California legal requirements on this page were verified against three independent sources on 2026-05-30. Each describes the disclosure documents required of a seller under California Civil Code Section 4525.
About this page
Last reviewed 2026-05-30. This page is a general buyer guide and a description of the HOA Notes service. HOA Notes is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. California statutes change; the citations above were verified against the current statute on the date shown. Consult a California real estate attorney before removing contingencies or relying on any legal right described here.