HomeWiseDocs is updating its questionnaire templates.
These updates keep your questionnaires aligned with Fannie Mae’s current requirements and, at the same time, incorporate improvements lenders have requested to speed up turnaround and deliver more accurate, thorough questionnaires.
Why it matters to you: more complete questionnaires up front mean fewer follow-up requests, less back-and-forth, and faster completion.
Two dates to know
Why these updates are happening
Staying aligned with Fannie Mae’s project standards
Fannie Mae has updated its project standards and property insurance requirements for condominium and project developments, in alignment with Freddie Mac.
The reasoning applies to every association you manage. Fannie Mae has found that projects with underfunded reserves tend to be the same projects that fall behind on critical repairs, and that gap reaches unit owners as surprise special assessments or higher dues. The updated requirements are intended to strengthen the financial health of condo projects.
To keep your questionnaires compliant and your communities financeable, our templates need to capture the information lenders now have to verify under these standards.
Improvements requested by lenders
While we were already updating the templates for compliance, we took the opportunity to make a set of improvements lenders have requested.
We consistently see the same pattern: lenders come back after a questionnaire is submitted asking for details the template didn’t capture. Each of those follow-ups means another request, more turnaround time, and more work on your end. We’ve added and refined the questions that drive those repeat requests so the information is captured once, up front.
The result is faster turnaround, fewer back-and-forth requests, and more accurate, thorough questionnaires the first time through.
What is changing
We’ve updated the questionnaire templates with a set of new, reworded, and newly required questions across eight sections of the form. Most are new questions; some are existing questions reworded for clarity or now required where they were previously optional.
The updates are concentrated in these areas:
Project Completion
Additional detail on project status, developer/builder arrangements, and basic association identifiers.
Eligibility
Expanded questions on live/work arrangements, shared amenities, rentals, ADUs, buyer/corporate ownership restrictions, and governing-document provisions.
Structural Safety & SoundnessLargest area of change
Inspection history, critical repairs, deferred maintenance, evacuation orders, and related response options standardized for lenders.
Title & Ownership
Confirmation of HOA ownership and maintenance of common property.
Commercial
Whether residential and commercial spaces are financially independent of one another.
Legal
Litigation risk, ADR proceedings, mechanics liens, and first-mortgagee protections.
Financial
Special assessment detail, reserve account information, membership/assessment terms, and utility metering.
Insurance
Flood, liability, fidelity, and hazard coverage confirmation.
Resources
Everything referenced on this page, in one place.
Template Update Instructions
Step-by-step guidance for updating your association templates.
View instructionsTemplate updates FAQ
Common questions about the updates — timing, what’s changing, and who to contact.
Read the FAQCAI guide for boards and managers
Plain-language guidance on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac requirements. Published by the Community Associations Institute, not HomeWiseDocs.
Read CAI’s guideLender Letter LL-2026-03
The Fannie Mae source document behind these requirements.
Read the Lender LetterQuestions about the update? Contact your HomeWiseDocs representative.