ESSB 5129 is Washington’s 2025 law concerning “common interest communities,” including condominiums and HOAs. It was signed into law as Chapter 119, Laws of 2025, and most provisions took effect July 27, 2025, with several important provisions applying beginning January 1, 2026. For condominiums and HOAs created before July 1, 2018, the biggest significance is [...]
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac finance nearly half of all U.S. home purchases. Recent changes to federal condo lending guidelines bring new flexibility to Pacific Northwest (PNW) communities—along with a major surge in reserve funding requirements. For condo boards across Washington and Oregon, taking proactive steps today is critical to maintaining financing eligibility and protecting [...]
We frequently get the question "do we have to do a reserve study" or do we have to maintain a HOA? While it is technically possible to dissolve an HOA in Washington State, doing so is a massive legal, financial, and logistical uphill battle. More importantly, completely dissolving the entity usually creates a whole new [...]
If an association is deemed "un-mortgageable" (non-warrantable) by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the impact is often immediate and structural, affecting everything from property values to the legal liability of the board. Because these two entities back the vast majority of conventional loans in the U.S., losing their stamp of approval effectively severs the community from [...]
SB 5796 rewrites the rules for every homeowner association and condominium in Washington State. Here's what board members and association managers need to know — and do — before January 1, 2028. If you serve on an HOA or condominium board in Washington State, a major legal deadline is approaching. On January 1, 2028, Senate [...]
