Single family homes or townhome is better to buy ? (HOA fees, insurance)

[nish786]

Hi All,

I am looking at buying a house. I looked at both town home and single family home in Aldie same community (Loudoun county). I liked both. Both are same square feet (2800). Price difference is around $80000. SH has 1/2 of TH's Assoociation fee.

Single family (brick front) has 4br 2.5 bath and study room (unfinished basement)
Town home (brick front) has 3 level, 3br 3.5 bath, lower lever one full bath and rec room

I am confused which one to buy at this market situation.

Please help me in making decission (We have one kid) in terms of resale value, tax deduction, monthly payment etc.

I would appreaciate if you could give your valuable suggestion ASAP as i need to decide on thhi by today evening.

Thanks in advance

[michgc]

For me it would be a no-brainer. I would choose the SFH, hands-down. However, you have to look at what type of person you are. Do you like to maintain a lawn? You need to more so in a SFH. Do you enjoy living on several levels? Choose TH. Is privacy important to you? TH communities don't give you as much? In terms of resale, single family homes are generally more desireable. Look on Loudoun County's Tax Assessment site to compare the taxes. Go to a mortgage calculator site to figure out what your mortgage would be. Good luck with your decision.

[car54]

In my opininion, townhouses are for folks that can't afford a SFH yet. (except in places like Old Town Alex, Georgetown DC, etc)

I like being able to walk out the front door and stretch my arms out without smacking my neighbor in the kisser!

[JfromReston]

I vote for the SFH

[cdmurphy]

I can think of two issues that my friends in townhomes have dealt with - noise (particularly with home theater setups), and damage. One friend's water heater burst and flooded his townhouse and his neighbors. Sure, his insurance covered it, but his rates went up (and this was years ago - nowadays the company would probably just drop you).

[cool rob]

single family, all day long

[Denton56]

SFH hold value better than townhouses. They are also much quieter. Townhouses tend to have lots of noise from lots of little kids and often barking dogs. There's usually more car noise too and parking can be a problem for your guests. If you don't like lawn maintenance you can always buy a house with a small yard or hire someone to mow it. There are so many lawn services now that do a great job at a very reasonable price.

I would buy the single family house, no question about it.

[irisheyes13]

I have a different opinion to offer.. After years of living in single family homes while our kids were growing up, we are really enjoying townhome living. We are in an end unit so only have neighbors on one side, but we never hear them and they have a fair amount of company. Of course when we all have windows/doors open in the spring/fall, the noise does travel a bit but only if you are outside. What we really enjoy is the 20 minutes a week yard work and all of that extra free time to do something else. Your lifestyle really makes a difference in this decision in my opinion..
Good luck whatever you choose..

[slduvall]

I'm with Irish...but I also have an end unit. With a two car garage. That was a must...not for my cars, but for my junk. And to not have to do the car dance in the morning. But we learned that from the last townhouse. I also have trees on the side and in the back, so the only time I see people is when I look out the front. One thing to think about is how close the neighbors behind you are..if you don't have any ..great. I moved into this unit from a 1 story house on about 1/2 an acre. and nothing but wetlands behind us. Loved it, but I didn't know my neighbors then, and I've made some good friends on my street.

We could have easily gotten into a SFH, but I decided gardening wasn't how I wanted to spend my day. I have one very well cared for pot!

But word of warning...careful about upstairs an balcony with no access to the ground. Locked myself out the other day...on the balcony. Husband out of town. Wasn't a pretty site, climbing over the railing, walking along the fence, and dropping down into the rose bush. Still have thorns on my a**!

[Espressoo]

If you can afford a SFH, I would opt for that over a comparable TH. With the money you saved in monthly HOA fees, that should pay for any simple lawn maintenance. A lot of people stress yard work and home maintenance however it's something to take pride in. It's your home, make it your own. Years from now, you'll look back and admire the transformation.