The Title Company's Guide to HOA Document Ordering

The Part of Closing Nobody Trained You For

Title school teaches you about liens, easements, surveys, and underwriting guidelines. It doesn't teach you how to track down an HOA management company at 4:30 PM on a Thursday when your closing is in five days.

HOA document ordering has become one of the most time-consuming parts of the closing process — not because it's technically difficult, but because the system is fundamentally fragmented. There's no single portal, no central database, and no standard process. Every management company does things differently.

This guide covers the process from start to finish, with the practical details that actually matter.

Step 1: Identify the HOA

Not every property in a planned community has an active HOA. And not every HOA is obvious from the listing or the title search.

Where to check:

• •Title commitment: Look for references to covenants, declarations, or maintenance obligations in the exceptions section.
• •Tax records: Some counties list HOA assessments or CDD (Community Development District) fees on the tax record.
• •The listing: The MLS listing should disclose HOA status and dues amount, but listings are wrong more often than you'd think.
• •County records: Search for recorded declarations of covenants for the subdivision.
• •The listing agent: Sometimes the simplest approach is best. Call and ask.

Don't assume there's only one. Check for master associations, sub-associations, and CDDs. A single property can be subject to two or three separate associations, each requiring separate document orders.

Step 2: Find the Management Company

This is where the real friction lives. You've confirmed the property is in an HOA. Now you need to know who manages it so you can order documents.

Methods, ranked by reliability:

1. 1.Management certificates (in states that require them). Texas, for example, requires HOAs to record a management certificate with the county clerk. Search county records for the most recent certificate — it should name the management company.

1. 1.Previous closings in your files. If your company has closed in this community before, check your records. This is why maintaining an internal management company database is so valuable.

1. 1.The management company's website. Some companies list the communities they manage. Search "[management company name] + [community name]" or use the company's community search tool.

1. 1.Community website or social media. Many HOAs have websites that identify the management company. Facebook groups for HOA communities sometimes list management contact info.

1. 1.The listing agent. They should know, but they don't always.

1. 1.Direct contact with the HOA board. If all else fails, contact the HOA board directly. The recorded declaration usually has a registered agent address. The county business registry may have current contact information.

Average time for this step: 5 minutes (known community) to 45 minutes (unknown, self-managed HOA with no web presence).

Step 3: Navigate the Portal

Every management company has its own ordering process. Large national firms like Associa, FirstService Residential, and RealManage have online portals. Smaller companies might use email, fax, or phone orders.

What you'll typically need to order:

• •Property address and/or lot/unit number
• •Seller name
• •Closing date
• •Buyer name (sometimes)
• •Title company contact information
• •Payment (credit card, invoice, or check)

Common portal frustrations:

• •Required account creation with email verification
• •Forms that require information you don't have yet (buyer's lender, for example)
• •Confusing product selections ("Resale Package A" vs. "Resale Package B" vs. "Estoppel Only" vs. "Full Disclosure Bundle")
• •Payment systems that don't save credit card information between orders
• •Portals that time out if you take too long filling in the form

Pro tip: When you encounter a new portal, screenshot the process and save it in your internal reference. Next time someone on your team needs to order from this company, they'll have a step-by-step guide.

Step 4: Choose the Right Products

Management companies typically offer several document "products" with different scopes and prices:

Estoppel / Status Letter Only ($100-$350) Just the financial status of the seller's account. Assessments owed, special assessments, fines, transfer fees. This is the minimum needed for closing.

Resale Package / Disclosure Package ($200-$600) The estoppel plus governing documents — CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, financial statements, insurance certificate, meeting minutes. This is what buyers need for their review.

Condo Questionnaire ($100-$350) A standardized questionnaire about the community that lenders require for condo financing. Separate from the estoppel and resale package.

Governing Documents Only ($50-$200) Just the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules. No financial information.

What to order: In most transactions, you need the full resale package (which includes the estoppel information) plus the condo questionnaire (if it's a condo). Ordering just the estoppel is tempting because it's cheaper, but then you'll need to order the governing documents separately when the buyer or agent asks for them — doubling the processing time.

Order the complete package from the start.

Step 5: Track and Follow Up

Once the order is placed, the clock starts. Most states give 10 business days. Your job is to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Set up a tracking system:

• •Log every HOA document order with: order date, management company, expected delivery date, actual delivery date, and status
• •Set a calendar reminder for day 7 (follow-up if not received)
• •Set a second reminder for day 9 (escalate if not received)

How to follow up effectively:

• •Email first — it creates a paper trail
• •Include your order confirmation number
• •Reference the statutory timeline (e.g., "This request was submitted on [date] and is due within 10 business days per [state statute]")
• •Be professional but direct

When to escalate:

• •Day 10 with no delivery: contact the management company supervisor
• •Day 12: consider the HOA board directly
• •Day 15: advise the agents and consider legal options under the applicable state statute

Most management companies deliver before the deadline. The ones that don't tend to be the same companies that are consistently slow. Track this — it's valuable intelligence.

Step 6: Review the Documents

When the documents arrive, don't just file them. Review immediately for:

Accuracy Check

• •Correct property address, legal description, lot/unit number
• •Seller's name matches the contract
• •Assessment amounts match what was disclosed on the listing
• •Estoppel effective date provides enough coverage through the closing date

Financial Review

• •Any past-due amounts on the seller's account
• •Special assessments — approved, pending, or under discussion
• •Transfer fees and capital contributions with clear indication of who pays
• •Fines or violations that need resolution before closing

Red Flags

• •Pending litigation against the association
• •Reserve funding below 50%
• •Delinquency rate above 10%
• •Missing documents (no insurance certificate, no reserve study)
• •Inconsistencies between different documents in the package

Lender Requirements (Condos)

• •Condo questionnaire completed and compliant with Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines
• •Insurance coverage meets minimum requirements
• •Owner-occupancy ratios meet lender thresholds
• •No more than 15% of units delinquent on assessments

Communicate findings immediately. If the estoppel shows a $5,000 payoff the seller didn't expect, that conversation needs to happen now — not three days before closing.

Building Your Internal System

Title companies that consistently close on time in HOA communities share one trait: they have a system. Not a person who "just knows" — a documented system that any team member can follow.

The database: Track every management company you've worked with. Include portal URL, login credentials (use a password manager), turnaround time history, fee schedule, rush fee policy, and contact information for someone who can actually help when there's a problem.

Over 12-18 months, this database becomes one of the most valuable internal resources your company has. It turns a 45-minute research process into a 5-minute lookup.

The checklist: Every HOA file follows the same process. Day 1: identify HOA(s) and management company. Day 1-2: order documents. Day 7: follow up. Day 10: escalate. Day 12-15: review. Day 20-25: confirm resolution of any issues. Standardize it. Print it. Follow it.

The metrics: Track HOA document turnaround times, late delivery rates, rush fee spending, and closings delayed due to HOA documents. You can't improve what you don't measure.

Tools like GetHOADocs can accelerate the research phase by providing a single search for management company identification and ordering portals. Combined with your internal database, this eliminates most of the detective work.

The Reality

HOA document ordering isn't glamorous. It's not technically complex. But it's one of the most common sources of closing delays, and the companies that build systems around it have a measurable competitive advantage.

The title companies losing two or three closings a month to HOA document delays are the ones without a system — where ordering depends on whoever picks up the file and whatever Google search they manage in the moment.

Build the system. Follow the process. Track the results. The HOA document problem is solvable. It just requires treating it like the operational challenge it is, rather than an afterthought.