To those who live in a Condo, Co-op, or Townhouse (Arlington: HOA fees, insurance)

[rbkoreaus]

What is your monthly fee? What does the fee include? And what area do you live in?


I'm trying to better understand what I should expect to pay in certain areas, and what I should and shouldn't expect to be included with the varying fees.


Thanks!

[sonnymarkjiz]

You mean like HOA/Condo fees?


I have a townhouse in Ashburn (Brambleton) and I pay $215 a month for the association fees, that includes Verizon Fios with that payment.

[kww]

I'm in a smaller subsection of a large HOA so I have 3 technically (roughly $115 a month), includes snow removal, common area maintenance, seasonal use pool that only my smaller area has access to (there's a second pool that the whole community uses, which gets super crowded), your standard tot lot/basketball/tennis, miles of walking trails, a lake with beach, golf course (membership add't).

Co-op are fairly rare in Northern Virginia (1 community in Arlington, River Place, and 1 in Burke are the only two I can think of the top of my head). Can be harder to sell, monthly fees can get up there.

HOA typically $50-250, amount may depend on community amenities or lack thereof. $50 a month might get you snow removal (but possibly no trash), common area maintenance, but unless it is a very large community, where this lower fee is more spread out, you might not get much else. Start to exceed $100 a month and you might get a tot lot, basketball court, seasonal use pool, golf course, walking trails, community center.

Condo fee's typically start out around $200 a month and then go up, all the way up and beyond $1,000 a month (the higher fee communities will tend to be high rise (elevator) like in Alexandria/Arlington. Typical condo fee includes exterior maintenance (roof/siding etc), master insurance policy, a lot of the same HOA community things like pool/tot lot/etc, association management, usually water/sewer, although some of the buildings w/ fees above $500 might include elec and gas also. Maybe gated entry, doorman.

If you're looking at condo communities, make sure to confirm the community qualifies for the type of financing you'll be using (unless paying cash). If you are using cash, I'd still recommend checking these financing approvals, as a lack of approval for any of the various loan options for a buyer could make it difficult for you to sell in the future (with the understanding that any approval of a community right now could go away next month/year etc).

Edit* also be sure to review the HOA financials that you'd receive once under contract, to make sure the community is 'healthy'.

[Hal Roach]

I live in a mid rise condo building in Chiang Mai. I have a 341 sf studio. My HOA fee is 30 US per month, includes trash, sewer system, 24/7 security, CCTV, exterior maintenance, and building insurance. Water is 3 USD per 1000 gallons. There are no property taxes, here.

[Ffxdata]

We had a townhouse (not a townhouse-style condo which most new builds actually are). It was built in late 1970s. Our $80 a month fee went to road maintenance, snow clearing, landscaping of communal areas, electrical cost of lighting the roads, and for a while a management company until it became a self-managed HOA. We took care of our own lawns and the exterior of the homes.

[acgood]

$160/month for townhouse HOA in Fairfax area for pool, grounds, snow, trash, etc. This is fairly typical I would say, or maybe 1/4 to 1/3 lower if no pool.

[HokieFan]

Townhouse in Lake Ridge. $205 quarterly.

Twice weekly trash pickup.
Snow removal.
Access to 7 tennis courts, 5 pools, a few basketball courts, multipurpose fields, and several playgrounds.
Walking trails.
Pet waste bins stocked with bags.
Discounts at some local businesses.

[Middlin]

SFH in Bristow. Pool, trash, tennis/basketball courts, playgrounds, walking trails, internet and limited basic cable for $145/mo

[Flamingo13]

Originally Posted by HokieFan

Townhouse in Lake Ridge. $205 quarterly.

Twice weekly trash pickup.
Snow removal.
Access to 7 tennis courts, 5 pools, a few basketball courts, multipurpose fields, and several playgrounds.
Walking trails.
Pet waste bins stocked with bags.
Discounts at some local businesses.

Wow (no HOA here) - that's the cheapest I've heard anywhere in this area.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Wow (no HOA here) - that's the cheapest I've heard anywhere in this area.

That was a big consideration when we were house shopping because it does affect how much house one can afford. When we heard some of the HOA fees in Springfield, we were like

We have a lot of amenities and they are well maintained, so we're really pleased with our HOA. Which is lakeridgeva.com, if OP is interested.