Pulaski

Also in a terrace or semi, when your neighbor sets fire to his unit yours doesn't go up in flames 30 minutes later!

Ruth16

Depends on what type condo, my friend has brick ranch in Roswell GA called The Orchards, it's well built , there never vacant for more than a week with the waiting list there is to buy them.

Nutek

We had a condo befoe moving to the house we in currently.

It was a nice place and in good shape, generally but I hated (HATED) the condo board and having to beg them to do, well, anything really with MY money. If you don't want to spend it then leave it in MY bank.

Also, stop sending letters to residents about stuff like childs toys being visible on their own deck. Piss off.

I''m all ranty now.

Bob

Big issue is it there are a lot empty, foreclosed, then fees go way up and drives way down.

At our last place and locally in general, they also aren't rising mm value, friends are now finally at being $120k under water. Also the place is updating the wall facings, it is going to take two years to do them all with there budget and owners have to replace bottom panel of their garages before it can start and due to weird custom size, they're $300 a pop.

Xebedee

Homeowner's associations are exactly how Nazi Germany started.
In my back garden we have a washing line (oh, the horror!)
In my front I have a tyre with a bird-bath sticking out of it - I painted the tyre green.
Last year the "City" send me a letter saying that my 7ft hedge which runs the length and widths of my front must be at most 3ft tall.
Every time I trim it, it magically grows another 12in......now its up to 5ft and very nice. Leylands grow fast

Nutek

Suprised it isn't sat around a burning dustbin drinking tea.

FinnDiego

There are condos and condos. The townhouse "complex" I live in has all of three units, so while I undestand it's structured as a condo it doesn't really come with HOA boards, a "association" vs residents etc baggage. Even though I'm renting I generally know what's going on, who my neighbors are, we just agree between ourselves about things that need doing etc. Needless to say we don't have any facilities like a pool either...

I have also lived in a big condo complex with constant notices from "the management". Not my cup of tea!

Noorah101

I guess getting approval from HOA can be a pain. Several years ago I wanted to install a security screen door for my back patio...not really for security reasons, but just because it looks nicer and is more stable than the flimsy netting screen doors. I went ahead and ordered the doors from Home Depot, then my friend who was going to install them asked if I got the Association's approval. Not realizing I needed to, I went ahead and did the request. It took them about 3 weeks to approve the doors, but they finally did. How could they say no, really? They are specified security doors...if they said no, and then I had a break-in through my back patio door, it would be on record that they denied a security measure! Duh. LOL

They look nice!

Rene

Xebedee

The non-existant homeowners assoc of which I am not a member wouldn't allow it.
Much too blue collar.

guitarmaan

That's interesting. So there are different varieties. I saw a small row of townhouses I liked, and I did wonder what sort of set up they had. As you say, there's need for an HOA with only a few units. I suppose on the other hand you have to pray your neighbours are reasonable with a small "casual" arrangement.

FinnDiego

I believe there technically is an HOA, but with such a small building there's no "us vs the HOA" mentality - everybody effectively is the HOA. That might technically be true everywhere, but big condo complexes are more about HOA rules and "The Management" posting notices it seems to me.

And yeah the risk with a small complex is that you do want to get along with your neighbours... Happy so far!

Pulaski

I think the problems start to arise when it is no longer "us, the HOA", and a management company is contracted to run the HOA. Management companies are generally the ones that want to enforce every nit-picking rule.

RoadWarriorFromLP

To clear up some confusion, a condominium is a form of ownership, not a type of building. With a condo, you own air rights (in other words, the inside of your unit), not the land that is below the unit. This typically takes the form of attached housing, but that isn't strictly speaking what a condo is.

Condos tend to appreciate in value last, and to lose value first, in part because of this lack of land ownership. As an investment, they are typically inferior to a comparable single-family house; however, they are usually cheaper to purchase.

With any property that involves an association, whether condo or otherwise, you should make sure that the association is properly funded. Residents who don't pay their fees will impose a burden on those who do, and those who don't live there will probably be less motivated to maintain the property's upkeep or to invest in it. As a result, it's usually better to choose a complex dominated by owner-occupied units, and to avoid a complex comprised largely of absentee owners.

Also keep in mind that this association and its membership will impact you if there is some sort of disaster, such as an earthquake. You can find yourself in a situation in which one group wants to rebuild while another one doesn't, placing your financial interests in the hands of your neighbors, whether you like them or not.

Cardienscarf

That happened yesterday in the neighbourhood I just moved from. Brand new 8-plex. Someone had a grill on the upper (wooden) deck. Their unit is trashed and so is one of the neighbours. Also, the sprinklers would have gone off in all 8 units making for a soggy mess for everyone.

tnguy

I couldn't do a condo. I couldn't even tolerate living with a HOA. If I had to go small, I'd probably go for an apartment or something.