The offering plan also goes by the name of a Prospectus. It is provided to the prospective buyer of a condominium, co-operative, or PUD (Planned Unit Development). It is basically a legal document in the form of a book. It includes, among other things, a description of the rights you will enjoy as a property owner, a description of limitations on those rights, a physical description of the property, possibly including square footages of the units, floor plans, and construction details, description of the site including metes and bounds, and a master deed for the complex. There are also lots of required disclosures and statements of risk to you the purchaser. There are also frequently "house rules" that you will have to agree to obey. There may also be descriptions of what was on the property before it was improved with the present structures. Very important as many condos are built on recovered dumps or remediated toxic waste sites.

As far as when? I WOULD NOT MAKE AN OFFER TO PURCHASE until I have had a copy of the offering plan in my posession and have had plenty of time to read it. You are entitled to a copy right up front. They are allowed to charge you for it or not as they see fit. I've seen the price range from free to $100. However, DO NOT buy until you have read it and conferred with your attorney with respect to any areas of confusion. The offering plan is a legal document and as such can be a challenge to read. However you must read it. If there is any resistance to providing it to you, that would constitute a RED FLAG.

-Marc

hmmm I have never heard of that, that sounds like something you get when you buy a mutual fund or a company is going public. Anyone?