How do you make an educated bid on co-op?

make the bid assuming everything's ok. if it's not, back to the negotiating table you go. i rather like finding modestly bad stuff, particularly if it's stuff i can live with but that others might not be so inclined. it's a great tool. but you have to know your risk aversion level, and it's a good idea to try to think through some possibilities in advance so you can have a cool, level head when confronted with whatever might arise.

There's no rule that says "no due diligence before an accepted offer". Of course, I throw in the "see, there are uses for a buyer's broker" because lots of us have the financials of LOTS and LOTS of buildings, and/or know the history of the Coops.

You can ask for the financials up front. We've had many prospective buyers do that.