Topic: Would You Buy A Condo Or A House? (
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by Ericka on 3/7
i dont know anything about neither one, but i'd say go with the condo
I think houses are more complicated
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by suze, replying to Ericka on 08-Mar-10 02:13 PM
IN MY CONDO
Rule # 1
the curtains in my windows have to be white (no colors)
Rule #2
can not do any work with out notified the board members
My mail box lock is broken; I can not buy a new one put it myself.
they have to do it
I buy the condo In November and in January I heard they are going to do siding so I have to pay $ 16000 for the siding and now they are going to do the roof and I have to pay for that too. You know that every year you have to clean the chimney right, the board members send everyone a letter stated we have give them a key for the people to get in otherwise they have the right to break in your condo if you don’t give them a key.
Because I a first time home buyer I have 2 loans for my condo and I have to pay $300 a month for the dues. Waken up in that condo every day is kind of like wake up in a horrified dream, like I said before my condo is a nightmare.
I talk to lots of friends and the say the same things.
There is more to tell you but I m going stop here, because i can spend all day long looking for something good about condo and I will never find it.
I hope you do what best for you. If you buy a condo or house remember
BUY SMART
$1500 for mortgage/month
$300 for dues /month
$16000 for siding/ still paying
$75
for chimney cleaning /year
$ X
for the roof /I do not know how much yet
Wake up almost every day I find a letter on my door stated that they have to work on something or I have turn off my water heater because something happened in this or that or those or these units, O M G that ridiculous.
(Reply)
by woody, replying to Ericka on 08-Mar-10 09:42 AM
Well, the real complicated part of owning a home is that you have to do everything yourself or pay someone to do it
But in my experience there are some great benefits to being a homeowner
For example, when I decided to quit my job and start my own business, I was able to get a home equity loan for $32, 000.00 to keep me of afloat until business picks up
You can not do that if you live in an apartment
The reason I brought up the topic of buying a condo versus buying a house, is because I sense lot of fear from people who never really owned a condo but are quick tell you the drawbacks about of being in a condominium owner
It's been three years since I moved to my current apartment and Palm Bay Florida and now that I decide to move, guess what, I have nothing to sell or rent
I am trying to listen to everyone's comment but what I'm really looking for are the benefits of owning a condo because I never did.
(Reply)
by Getty on 3/7
It's a personal choice to buy a house or a condo.
It's depend on your age and or your lifestyle.
If you aren't ready to shovel snow or mow your lawn;or like enjoying a quiet life, a condo is probably the best for you.If you enjoy an outdoor lifestyle sometimes, the yard, more privacy, less control environment, able to maintain a house, a house could be the best. I have kids, i like to have more space so i choose a house.
For taxes purposes, i really don't know the difference betwen one vs the other.
Before you buy, think about what's really fit your needs.
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by Nativita on 3/7
Either one can come with fees. I have a house in a subdivision with association fees (HOA)home owner association fee. If you want a bachelor pad condominium is a good choice but if you have a family a house would be the first pickdue to children.
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by Zaboute on 3/7
I think a condo would be nice I understand about the fee but you don't have to worry about maintnence and cleaning the area but if you have family i rather a house you don't have to worry about the noise the kids are making that's something yopu would have to think about but remember that you the one that have to leave in that house are the condo
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by Jean Alix Jean-simon on 3/7
Woody don't forget when you live in a condominium you are became part of the condom association, being a member of that instutition you should be able to distrubiting condom all over (joke
Ten thousand reasons not to buy condominium
You don't want to put your life in the hands of a bunch of old people to dictate you what to do, when to have a party or how many people should live with you
Remember most of all we are haitian, we have family and we love them no matter what
Hundred problems with the house but you are young you could take care of that, a beautiful house with yard and trees in it make you happy seeing the other side of the grass give you pleasure
Woodring my friend stick with the house, I used to have one, it always be fun to cut my own grass.
(Reply)
by woody, replying to Jean Alix Jean-simon on 08-Mar-10 06:48 AM
Maybe this is my problem, I don't really like the repetitive tasks that come with home ownership, things like mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool, I used to pay to get it done
I figured since I used to pay for it any way, that would be included in the Condominium association fees
It's was my dream to buy a house in Florida with a swimming pool in the back yard nut once I got it, we never used it much
It became this big bucket of water in the back yard that costs money day in and day out
Not to say I don't want to buy a house with a swimming pool. when I family members come from New York, they used to live in the pool.
(Reply)
by Tuina on 3/7
Condon: you will be pay a maintenace fee that include snow removal, grass care roof repair/replacement, trash removal, window replacement and few other benefits but you most likely will share one or 2 walls with someone
House: more privacy, owner is responsible for trash and snow removal, roof repair/replacement, grass care and few other benefits I can not think of now.
What do you like?
your friends are visitors you will live there the choice is yours.
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by bernadette S., replying to Tuina on 07-Mar-10 05:50 PM
All the blogs seem to have valid points.
House vs condo.
It depends on how long you would like to keep the property.
If its less than 5 years, I would go with a house.
The real estate market is v e r y slow and it is very hard to sell a house at any income bracket.
The sale of a condo is even slower.
But like any big-purchase investment, timing is important.
It looks like your heart is already set on a condo.
I suggest that you look for a condo in the highest income bracket that you can afford, then bargain your way to the most bottom price acceptable price.
Expect to occupy this place for 10 or more years.
Since you travel a lot, and if money IS an issue, Get a condo with an extra "Guest" room, decorate it "Internationally marketable", Place your adds in the global traveling market.
This money alone will probably covers your mortgage and maintenance fee.
Well, than again you may not want to deal with the headache associated with this plan
Another plan, would be to look for an 'Up coming" neighborhood, buy dirt cheap, do the minimal repairs that is acceptable to you and the community, yes, they do come with strings attached.
Depending on your household structure, get yourself one or more bull dogs along with a shotgun (shotguns are legal in the states)
The tangible way to bring the purchase price down is via comparative historical homeowners tax analysis of the neighborhood coupled with past repairs history of the property.
The most critical arguable repairs are structural changes, plumbing and electrical work done one the premises.
good hunting,
Bernadette S.
(Reply)
by Jean-francois Turenne on 3/7
Hi Woody
I would suggest you to go for a house, because you have more freedom for your self and familly especially if you have kids and animal(s).
No matter what happen in your life such as financial problems or somes investment you'd like to do.The house have a greater value and warrenty then a condo
the more you invest in or on your house the greater could be your resale value if such think happen.
li pa dwole ditou ké voisi ap di'ou fè twop bri, a cos timoun yo et pi tou environemen pi bon pour epanouissemen'ou e fammi'w
Turenne
(Reply)
by woody, replying to Jean-francois Turenne on 07-Mar-10 03:36 PM
Even in neighborhoods with homes code enforcement can be a pain. One time they threatened to fine me if I didn't take my christmas decorations down
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by Jean on 3/7
A house is the best my friend don't even try cause people made that mistake try to drop on the orther don't know if you'll do it you will regret ok stay with the house a single but the best is the cape or clonnial you have to know what is, cape, colonial, ranch, semi, one touch and the train,
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by woody, replying to Jean on 07-Mar-10 03:00 PM
One touch and the train
Is that some type of house?
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by T . Laguerre on 3/7
Follow your heart, condo like can be stress free .
It's probably easier for someone like you who travel a lot .
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by woody, replying to T . Laguerre on 07-Mar-10 03:04 PM
You know something, these are the reasons why I am thinking about the condo, I do travel a lot
Is the condo really stress free?
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by t Laguerre, replying to woody on 07-Mar-10 03:53 PM
Also one drawback, it's HOA, home owners associatoin, it's all the fees for maintenance like garbage, yard maintenance etc. So if you can afford al that it's great for people on the go .
(Reply)
by t Laguerre, replying to woody on 07-Mar-10 03:15 PM
Nothing is really stress free, but when you live in a condo, all you have to do is hold your mail at the Post Office for the duuration of the time you'd be away, and off you go .No need to cut the grass or clean the yard etc,
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by jean-francois Turenne, replying to t Laguerre on 07-Mar-10 03:55 PM
Yeah but, it's not thegood place to raise a kid if you have any (Your own house is the freedom to enjoy life the way you want it to be).
(Reply)
by woody, replying to t Laguerre on 07-Mar-10 03:30 PM
That's why I ve been thinkne about the condo.
The house I had in mirasmar Fl cost me exttra money to pay someone to clean the pool and cut the grass
If you ever do these things yourself you will learn to apreciate when sommeone does it for you
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by james, replying to woody on 07-Mar-10 04:42 PM
Whether you want to buy a house or a condo is based on the size of your wallet and up to your individual needs.
If you had a house, you sure know how it feels to live in a house.
If you are a condo owner, you can feel that your freedom is limited and you might feel your rights violated.
You have to abide to lots of rules set forth by the (HOA)association.
My friend threw me a birthday party at my condo where a limited number(about 9) of my friends got invited.
As they were about to get their cars to head back home, 4 of their cars got booted.
Completely immobilized!
I had to pay 4 citations at $100.00 per car to release them. If I were to live in a single family home(house), I could have invited as many people as I wanted.
However, you have less to worry about if you are a condo owner than someone who owns a house.
As a condo owner you don't have to worry about outside maintenance and PMI(Private Mortgage Insurance) which usually jacks up your mortgage payment.
Do your homework and make an evaluation of your needs before you make a descision.
(Reply)
by mdangervil, replying to james on 09-Mar-10 04:29 AM
IT IS BETTER TO BUY A 2 BEDROOMS CONDO BECAUSE IT IS EASIER TO SELL.
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