Central Florida Townhome Owners (hoa, insurance, gated)

[Flcruzr]

Hello, we are thinking of buying a townhome as our primary home. What holds us back are the monthly fees. For those of you who own and live in a townhome community, could you let me know what you think about your home and community. Can you hear noise from the neighbors? Any other information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[GregTraub]

I live in a townhome, and I never hear a peep from my left or right neighbor, it was build with a concrete brick wall all the way up to the roofline to aid in noise abatement, poured concrete helps even more, just make sure it goes up to the roof line. I am somewhat close to UCF so we have a few students renting down the street, but they are far enough away from me that I never hear them. I know on occasion they throw parties, but they are broken up quickly since the neighborhood is mostly family.

I like living here, on occasion I miss the backyard of my old home, but I also don't miss having to deal with all the hassles of the single family.

As far as fee's go, My community isn't to bad. Unfortunately, since building insurance is commonary, we finally got hit with the insurance increases others in the state have already experienced and my dues are going up from 150/mo to 200/mo. I don't mind the HOA fee's at all because I like not having to worry about anything outside of my own walls, insurance would cost about 80-120 bucks a month if I were in a single family, I don't have to hire lawn maintenance guys (another $50+ a month), gated access, and I have access to the community pool that I don't have to maintain myself. Another benefit is I never have to worry about painting the outside of my home, replacing the roof when it needs it, or repairing the stucco. The community has reserves for all these replacements when they are needed.

I know of some newer townhome communities with HOA's in the 350-500/mo range, that I just can't see myself paying, even if they do have a "fitness center".

I attend the HOA meetings regulary so I know where my money is going, and can voice my opinion if spending gets out of control.