Condo property taxes/fees (Leesburg, Herndon: real estate, to rent, HOA fees)

[ariadel]

I'm still trying to shop/budget for a possible condo purchase this summer, but I'm really not sure how to compare mortgages to rent. If my current rent is 1600/mo, then would a 1200/mo mortgage be about the same, once taxes and fees are rolled in, or would it be more/less?

Does anyone here have a condo valued at under 300k, or in the low 300s? If so, could you give some idea of the yearly property taxes and condo fees? I know these things will vary a great deal from town to town and development to development, but if I can get a few sample ideas it will help me a lot.

Thanks in advance.

[DavidS827]

Just as a rough estimate I would use 2100-3000/yr for taxes and 1200-4800/yr for condo fees. Keep in mind that some condo fees include some utilities and other items like cable, phone and internet. Also, make sure to note whether or not the condo has just a condo fee, or both a condo fee and HOA fee.

[lchoro]

Incorporated towns also have their own real estate taxes on top of the county assessment. Herndon, Leesburg, and Falls Church are three towns that come to mind. The piggyback tax rate seems to fall between .20 and .25. This will cost you $600 to $750 per year for a $300K property.

[eikalilos]

redfin.com gives you information on HOA fees (haven't looked at condos but I'm sure they have those too), last year's taxes paid so you can divide by 12, etc. Easy way to search too, then work with your realtor to show the properties you find interesting.

[ariadel]

Thanks a lot, everybody. The general estimates were useful, as were the reference sites.

[Judy Owen]

anybody know of senior communities in northern va.?

[DavidS827]

There are a ton. In which county do you want to live?

[lchoro]

Look in the newspaper's real estate section. There's also a free paper called the Senior Beacon that lists many ads for senior communities. You should be able to pick one up at a Border's or Barnes & Noble.