Lavell Thompson - VellSells.com
    Condo & Townhome Seller Guide

    Selling a Condo or Townhome in LA

    The HOA controls more of your sale than you do. Here's how we get ahead of the documents, the assessments, and the lender approvals that quietly kill condo escrows.

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    10
    Days an HOA can take to produce docs
    4
    Loan types your project must qualify for
    20+
    Years selling LA County property

    Most condo deals that fall apart don't fall apart over the unit. They fall apart over the association — late documents, an open assessment, or a project a lender won't finance.

    Who does what

    The HOA paperwork is the job. That part is mine.

    You live in the unit. I chase the association, the management company, and the lender approvals.

    What you handle
    • Your own unit's condition and prep
    • Any improvements you made and whether they were approved
    • Deciding on repairs inside your walls
    • Where you land next
    • Accepting the right offer
    What I handle
    • Ordering and reviewing the HOA resale package
    • Confirming assessments, reserves, and litigation status
    • Checking FHA/VA and conventional project eligibility
    • Pricing against true in-complex comps
    • Showings, offers, negotiation, escrow
    Phase 1

    Find out what your HOA is going to do to your sale

    Before pricing, before prep, we find out what the association looks like on paper. A healthy HOA is an asset. A troubled one has to be managed, honestly and early.

    Step1
    We handle this

    Order the HOA resale package immediately

    California requires the seller to deliver a specific set of association documents. Management companies routinely take a week or more, and some charge rush fees. Ordering it in phase one instead of during escrow removes the single most common condo delay.

    I order it on day one, at my cost where I can, and I chase the management company until it lands.

    • CC&Rs, bylaws, articles, and current rules
    • Current budget, reserve study, and reserve balance
    • Twelve months of board meeting minutes
    • Assessment amount, due date, and any delinquency on your unit
    • Pending or anticipated special assessments
    • Litigation the association is party to
    LA Specific

    Older Valley complexes built in the 1960s–80s frequently carry deferred plumbing, balcony, or roof work. Recent California balcony inspection rules mean many associations are mid-project — buyers will ask.

    Step2
    We handle this

    Check whether lenders will finance your project

    A condo buyer's loan depends on the whole project, not just the unit. If the project is ineligible, your buyer pool shrinks to cash and portfolio lenders overnight — and so does your price.

    I run project eligibility before we list. If there's a problem, you'll hear it from me, not from a buyer's lender on day 20.

    • Owner-occupancy ratio versus investor-owned units
    • Percentage of owners delinquent on dues
    • Adequate reserve funding and master insurance coverage
    • Pending litigation, which can disqualify conventional financing
    • FHA and VA project approval status where relevant
    Step3
    We do it together

    Price against true in-complex comps

    Condo pricing is far more precise than house pricing. Same complex, same floor plan, same view, same floor — that's the comp. A neighboring complex two blocks away can trade meaningfully differently because its dues, amenities, or reserves differ.

    I build the comp set and defend the number; you approve the strategy.

    • Identical floor plans in the same complex first
    • Adjust for floor level, view, end unit, and parking
    • Factor the monthly dues into the buyer's payment math
    • Watch how many units in the complex are on market right now
    Get a condo valuation
    Step4
    You handle this

    Gather your unit-level paperwork

    You don't need roof or foundation records — those are the association's. You need what documents your unit, your improvements, and your dues history.

    Shorter list than a house. I'll send you exactly what I need.

    • Grant deed and your title policy
    • HOA approval letters for any remodel you did
    • Dues payment history and current statement
    • Parking space and storage assignments in writing
    • Your HO-6 policy and any loss history
    What done looks like

    Phase 1 is done when the resale package is ordered and we know the reserve, assessment, and litigation picture.

    Phase 2

    Prep what's actually yours

    In a condo, your responsibility usually stops at the paint on the inside of the walls. That makes prep cheaper and faster — but it also means what's inside has to be excellent.

    Step5
    We do it together

    Know where your responsibility ends

    Exclusive-use common area — balconies, patios, sometimes windows — is a gray zone that varies by association. Getting it wrong means you either pay for something you didn't owe, or you fail to disclose something you did.

    I'll read the CC&Rs and tell you plainly which items are yours and which are the HOA's.

    • Interior walls, floors, fixtures, and appliances: yours
    • Roof, exterior walls, and structure: almost always the HOA's
    • Windows, balconies, and patios: read the CC&Rs, it varies
    • Plumbing inside your walls versus main lines: varies by association
    Step6
    We handle this

    Order the inspections that make sense for a condo

    You don't need a sewer scope or a roof cert on a mid-floor unit. You do want a general interior inspection so nothing surprises you during the buyer's contingency.

    I order them and review the reports with you before anything gets disclosed.

    • General interior inspection of the unit
    • Pest inspection where the association doesn't already cover it
    • Appliance, HVAC, and water heater condition
    • Any evidence of prior water intrusion from above or adjacent units
    Read: What to fix and what to skip
    Step7
    You handle this

    Declutter — condos punish clutter harder

    Square footage is the thing you're selling and the thing you have least of. Target roughly 30% less than you live with, clear every closet, and get the second car out of the assigned space for photos.

    Yours to sort. I'll arrange the donation pickup and haul-away.

    Read: Donating and clearing out
    Step8
    We handle this

    Paint, light, and stage for scale

    Warm neutral paint, matched bulb color temperature throughout, and furniture scaled down one size. The single biggest condo staging mistake is a sofa that's too large for the room.

    I bring the painter and the stager and schedule it around the photo date.

    Read: Prepping the day before photos
    What done looks like

    Phase 2 is done when the unit is painted, decluttered, and every buyer-visible surface has been addressed.

    Phase 3

    Disclose the unit and the association

    Condo disclosure has two layers: your unit, and everything the association knows. Both get delivered up front.

    Step9
    We handle this

    Build the full California disclosure packet

    Everything a house seller discloses still applies, plus the association layer. Delivering it before offers shortens contingencies and reduces renegotiation.

    I walk every form with you and handle delivery and timing.

    • Transfer Disclosure Statement and Seller Property Questionnaire
    • Natural Hazard Disclosure report
    • Lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 buildings
    • HOA disclosures, budget, reserves, minutes, and rules
    • Mello-Roos or special assessment notices
    Step10
    We handle this

    Disclose assessments, litigation, and rental caps honestly

    A special assessment, active litigation, or a rental cap that blocks investors will be discovered. Discovered late, it costs you a price reduction. Disclosed early, it's just a term of the deal.

    If the association has a problem, we lead with it and price for it. That's how you avoid a retrade.

    • Any approved or discussed special assessment, with the amount
    • Construction defect or balcony litigation status
    • Rental caps, minimum lease terms, and waitlists
    • Pet restrictions, age restrictions, and short-term rental bans
    Step11
    You handle this

    Decide who pays a pending assessment

    If an assessment is approved but not yet billed, it becomes a negotiation. Paying it off at closing is often cleaner and cheaper than the price concession a buyer will demand for uncertainty.

    I'll negotiate it as a term. Your call on where you want to land.

    What done looks like

    Phase 3 is done when the full disclosure packet, including HOA documents, is assembled and ready to deliver.

    Phase 4

    Market, sell, and get through escrow

    Condos sell on photos, dues, and the story of the building. From here, it's my job.

    Step12
    We handle this

    Photograph and market the lifestyle, not just the unit

    Condo buyers buy the building as much as the unit: the pool, the gym, the secured parking, the walkability, the view. We shoot all of it and lead with what makes this complex worth its dues.

    Photography, video, floor plan, and the full rollout — mine, at my cost.

    See how I market listings
    Step13
    We handle this

    Manage showings around HOA rules

    Many associations restrict open house signage, lockboxes, and guest parking. Knowing the rules before the first weekend prevents a management complaint that shuts your showings down.

    I coordinate with management on access, elevator reservations, and signage rules.

    Step14
    We handle this

    Escrow: transfer fees, dues proration, and the lender

    Condo escrows carry extra moving parts: HOA transfer fees, document fees, dues prorations, and a lender who must approve the project as well as the buyer. We track all of it to recording.

    Showings, offers, negotiation, and escrow coordination. From here to the keys, I'm driving.

    • HOA transfer and document fees, and who pays them
    • Dues prorated to the day of closing
    • Master insurance certificate delivered to the buyer's lender
    • Project questionnaire completed by management for the lender
    Talk through your condo sale
    What done looks like

    Phase 4 is done when escrow closes, dues are prorated, and the association has recorded the transfer.

    The Numbers

    What it costs to sell a condo in LA

    HOA document / resale package$200–$500, sometimes more with rush fees
    HOA transfer fee$100–$500, set by the association
    County documentary transfer tax$1.10 per $1,000 of sale price
    City of LA transfer tax$4.50 per $1,000 (city limits only)
    Escrow feeRoughly $2 per $1,000 plus a base fee
    Owner's title policyVaries by price; customarily seller-paid
    Natural Hazard Disclosure report$100–$150
    Pending special assessmentNegotiable — often paid off at closing
    Interior paint and light stagingTypically less than a comparable house
    Brokerage compensationNegotiable — set in your listing agreement

    Estimates for general guidance only. Rates, thresholds, and customary practices change and vary by city. I'll prepare a written net sheet specific to your property before you list.

    Common Questions

    Condo seller questions

    Let's read your HOA before a buyer does.

    Send me your complex and unit number — I'll tell you what your association looks like on paper.

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