How to check if a condo is FHA approved in Broward and Aventura (2026), and what to do if it isn't

October 31, 2026 · Zach Curtis, REALTOR®, Realty Hub

Short answer: search the building on HUD's free FHA condo lookup. If it's listed as approved, FHA financing is available for that building. If it isn't, it can still qualify through Single-Unit Approval, and some buildings that fail FHA still qualify for a conventional loan. Whether a specific unit works depends on the building's paperwork, so ask your lender before you make an offer, not after.

Check the building in two minutes

1. Open HUD's FHA condominium search.
2. Pick Florida, then search by city (for example Hallandale Beach, Hollywood or Aventura) or by the condominium's legal name. The legal name is on the listing's tax record or the declaration of condominium, and it is often different from the building's marketing name.
3. Read the status and the expiration date. FHA project approvals last three years (HUD), so an approval that expires before your closing date is a problem worth raising now.
4. Save a screenshot and send it to your lender. Your lender makes the final call, not the search page.

If you can't find the building, try shorter versions of the name, the phase name ("Phase II"), or the ZIP code. Many South Florida towers were created as several separate condominiums, and each one is approved, or not, on its own.

Not on the list? Single-Unit Approval

Since October 2019, FHA can insure a loan on one unit in a building that isn't FHA approved. HUD calls this Single-Unit Approval. The building must be complete, have at least five units, not be manufactured housing, and meet a subset of the project rules, including FHA's limits on how many units already carry FHA loans, the share of units that are owner-occupied, and the association's financial condition (HUD).

In practice, your lender sends the association a questionnaire about owner occupancy, reserves, delinquencies, insurance and lawsuits. The association's answers, and how fast management returns them, decide whether the unit qualifies. Ask the lender how long their condo review takes before you agree to a closing date.

What "non-warrantable" means

"Warrantable" is lender shorthand for a condo that meets Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac project rules, which is what most conventional loans need. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide lists project traits that make a building ineligible, including (Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-2.1-03):

• Buildings run as a hotel or motel, even when units are individually owned (condo-hotels with rental programs).
• Projects in need of critical repairs, including material deficiencies and significant deferred maintenance.
• Certain litigation involving the association, especially over structural or safety issues.
• Too much commercial space, or one owner holding too many units.
• Projects marked "Unavailable" in Fannie Mae's Condo Project Manager system.

The critical-repairs rule matters a lot in coastal Broward and Aventura right now. Florida's milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS) are surfacing repair work in older towers, and a building with open structural repairs can be ineligible for conventional financing until the work is done. See what milestone inspections and SIRS mean for buyers.

FHA and conventional are separate checks

A building can pass one and fail the other. FHA approval is HUD's own process; conventional eligibility follows Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac rules. So "not FHA approved" doesn't automatically mean "no mortgage," and "FHA approved" doesn't guarantee a conventional lender will say yes. If you're open to either loan type, ask your lender to check both.

2026 changes to conventional condo loans

Fannie Mae changed its condo rules this year (Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-03):

• Full Review replaced the Limited Review. For loan applications dated on or after August 3, 2026, the shorter "Limited Review" is gone, so an established building now needs a Full Review or, where it applies, a waiver of project review. That also ended the extra Limited Review limits Florida buildings had.
• Reserve budget rises from 10% to 15%. For loan applications dated on or after January 4, 2027, a building reviewed under Full Review must budget at least 15% of its annual assessment income for reserves (capital expenditures and deferred maintenance), up from 10%.
• Reserve studies count only at their highest recommended amount. A lender can still use a reserve study when the budget falls short, but since August 3, 2026 the building's budget must include the highest reserve amount the study recommends.

Fannie Mae says these changes are in alignment with Freddie Mac. If you're shopping now and closing in 2027, ask your lender whether the building's budget already meets the 15% mark.

If the building doesn't qualify: your options

• Ask for Single-Unit Approval if the building isn't on HUD's list and you're using FHA.
• Try a conventional loan if the building is warrantable and you have the down payment. See the income needed to buy a condo.
• Portfolio or non-QM condo loans from lenders who keep the loan themselves. These usually ask for a larger down payment and charge a higher rate than a standard loan; get the exact terms in writing on a Loan Estimate.
• Cash. Common in condo-hotels and buildings with open repairs, which is one reason some of those units are priced lower.
• A different building. Often the simplest answer. Check other buildings on HUD's list before you pick one, and confirm each one's status with your lender.

Why this shows up in the price

A unit that only cash buyers can purchase has fewer possible buyers, now and when you sell. That's part of why two similar units a few blocks apart can be priced very differently. Before you fall in love with a low price, ask: can a buyer like me finance this unit, and will the next buyer be able to? The live numbers in Hallandale Beach condos under $300K show how wide that spread is.

Questions to ask before you offer

1. Is the building on HUD's FHA list, and when does the approval expire?
2. Has a lender closed a conventional loan in this building in the last few months?
3. Are there open milestone inspection repairs, a SIRS funding plan, or a special assessment?
4. Is any part of the building run as a hotel or short-term rental program?
5. Is the association in any lawsuit about the building?
6. How long does management take to return a lender questionnaire, and what does it charge?

Browse Hallandale Beach condos, Hollywood condos or Aventura condos, run the monthly cost with the mortgage calculator, or send Zach a listing on Ready to buy and he'll check the building with your lender before you write an offer.

Zach Curtis, Realtor, Realty Hub, license SL3664129. General information, not legal, tax, insurance or lending advice.

Published October 31, 2026 by Zach Curtis, REALTOR®, Realty Hub, license SL3664129. General information for South Florida, not legal, tax, insurance or lending advice. Laws, programs and prices change; check the official sources above, and ask a Florida attorney, CPA, insurance agent or lender about your situation. Listing numbers are asking prices and rents from BeachesMLS on the date shown. Equal Housing Opportunity. Zach Curtis and Realty Hub follow federal, Florida and Broward County fair housing law. Every listing is open to everyone. We never steer anyone by race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected class.