If your Texas house has mandatory HOA membership, clarify the resale-document process before relying on a closing date or take-home estimate. The document order, unpaid account balance and ownership-transfer charges are separate questions. Paying regular dues does not answer all three.
This checklist is for Houston-area house sellers, including properties in Harris and Fort Bend counties. It is not a condominium guide, a fee quote or legal advice about a disputed assessment.
First identify the association and the type of property
Gather the most recent association notice, management contact and your own account correspondence. Ask the title company to confirm what association information it needs for the actual property. If you are unsure whether the property is legally a condominium, resolve that before choosing forms based on how the building looks.
TREC’s mandatory-membership HOA addendum, Form 36-11, effective July 1, 2026, expressly excludes condominium transactions. It offers different arrangements concerning delivery of subdivision information. Do not assume every sale uses the same arrangement.
Separate four items people often call the HOA fee
An itemized list is more useful than a single unexplained deduction. Use this original planning worksheet when discussing a proposed sale; it does not establish which charges are valid or who legally owes them.
| Item to identify | Ask before relying on the number |
|---|---|
| Resale-document order | Who orders, pays and follows up? |
| Regular dues or an unpaid account balance | What period does the statement cover? |
| Special assessments or violation-related items | What supporting notice should the reviewer examine? |
| Transfer-related charges or deposits | Who pays each item under the proposed agreement? |
Mark an unresolved entry as unknown. A blank is better than a made-up zero when comparing offers. Ask whether the figure is current, estimated or still awaiting confirmation, and keep the answer with the date you received it.
What the resale certificate adds
The TREC subdivision-information certificate, Form 37-5, addresses more than your most recent payment. Its fields include regular and special assessments, unpaid amounts, known restriction violations, certain association litigation information and transfer charges. The form also identifies supporting association documents.
That is why a receipt showing that you paid this month’s dues is not necessarily the complete resale packet. Send the receipt if requested, but ask what remains outstanding instead of assuming the document task is finished.
Waiving delivery is not the same as eliminating every closing question
The current Form 36-11 PDF addresses situations where the buyer does not require subdivision information but the title company still needs association information. It separately addresses document costs, transfer-related charges and regular prorated items.
Have the closing professional explain the selected provisions in your agreement. If a deadline, termination right or disputed charge matters, obtain advice from a Texas real-estate attorney rather than inferring the answer from this checklist.
Assign one owner to the follow-up
A simple handoff note can prevent the same question bouncing between the seller, buyer and closing office:
- Identify who is placing the authorized order.
- Confirm whether payment or an authorization is still needed.
- Record the expected response date as an estimate, not a guaranteed closing date.
- Ask who checks the packet for missing or changed information.
- Request an updated seller estimate when confirmed charges are available.
For example, if a proposed offer says the buyer pays certain closing costs, ask whether that wording includes association document and transfer charges. Do not assume that a broad phrase answers every item. This is a question to settle in the actual agreement, not an invitation to create your own contract language.
Compare a cash proposal with the full responsibility list
Cash As-Is can review a property with an HOA and discuss an as-is purchase. That does not promise the association will waive charges, approve documents immediately or ignore an unresolved issue. Share known notices early so the proposed process can account for them.
A listed sale may bring a higher price but involve preparation and a longer marketing process; a direct cash sale may trade some price for convenience and fewer showing demands. Compare likely net proceeds and written responsibilities—not only the headline price. Our net-proceeds comparison helps frame that decision.
If the issue involves a recorded claim or disputed ownership, move beyond this document checklist and review the title-problem guide. For what happens after an agreement, see the next closing steps. A clear document handoff strengthens either selling route.