What should I check before buying a condo in Stuart, FL?

Review the association budget, reserves, any special assessments or association loans, the latest milestone inspection and SIRS if the building is three or more stories, rental and pet rules, approval requirements, insurance costs and whether your lender will finance in the building.

Buying a Condo in Stuart: What to Check

Q: What is a SIRS for a Florida condo?

A Structural Integrity Reserve Study estimates the remaining life and replacement cost of key building components and sets how much the association should save. It's required for buildings with three or more stories, every 10 years.

Condos make up a big share of what's for sale in Stuart, from riverfront buildings near downtown to oceanfront units on Hutchinson Island and golf-community villas. As of late October 2026, more than 300 condos with a Stuart address were listed for sale. A condo can be a great value, but when you buy one you're also buying into the association that runs the building. Here's what to check before your deadlines pass.

1. The association's money

Budget and monthly fees. What do the fees cover: insurance, water, cable, roof, elevator, pool? How much have they gone up in the last few years?
Reserves. Is the association saving enough for big items like the roof, painting, paving and structural repairs?
Special assessments. Ask about any current or planned assessments, and any loan or line of credit the association has taken out. Find out who pays an assessment that's approved before closing.
Financial statements. Florida requires associations to prepare annual financial reports, and they must be provided to prospective buyers.

2. Milestone inspections and reserve studies (Florida's newer condo laws)

After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida added inspection and reserve rules for older and taller buildings:

Milestone inspections are required for condo buildings three stories or taller once they reach 30 years old, then every 10 years.
Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS) are required for buildings with three or more stories, every 10 years. They estimate what the building's key structural items will cost to repair or replace, and set a funding plan.

Ask for the building's most recent milestone inspection and SIRS, and whether any recommended repairs are still unfunded. These are often what drive large special assessments, and they can explain why a unit is priced well below similar ones nearby. Many Stuart condos are one- and two-story garden-style buildings, which aren't covered by these two rules. The budget and reserve questions above still apply to them.

3. Rules that affect how you'll use it

Rental restrictions, such as minimum lease terms or waiting periods before you can rent the unit
Pets: size and number limits
Age restrictions in 55+ communities
Approval: many associations must approve buyers before closing, which takes time and an application fee
Parking, boats and storage

4. Insurance and financing

The association insures the building. You'll need your own condo (HO-6) policy for the inside of the unit. Get insurance quotes early, during your inspection period. If you're financing, ask your lender early whether they'll lend in the building. Some lenders won't finance units in buildings with major unfinished repairs, big lawsuits or low reserves.

5. Your right to review the documents

When you buy a resale condo in Florida, the seller provides the association's governing documents and financial information. Florida law gives you a short window after you receive them to review and, if needed, cancel. Your contract's condo rider spells out the timing. Read them, or have Wayne walk through them with you.

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Call or text 772-600-4836.

Common questions

What is a milestone inspection?
A structural inspection Florida requires for condo buildings three stories or taller once they reach 30 years old, and every 10 years after that.

What is a SIRS?
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study. It estimates the remaining life and replacement cost of key building components and sets how much the association should save. It's required for buildings with three or more stories, every 10 years.

Can I cancel a condo purchase after reading the association documents?
Florida gives resale condo buyers a short review period after receiving the required documents. Check your contract's condo rider for the exact timing.

This page is general information, not legal advice, and condo laws change often. Wayne Gebhardt is a licensed real estate broker, not an attorney. Confirm current requirements with a Florida real estate attorney.