Which is more important? The community or location of the community?

[texdav]

Originally Posted by ipoetry

I couldn't live in a community, no matter how nice it is, if it was isolated and didn't have amenities outside the gates like good restaurants, arts, culture, medical, etc. I'd feel too controlled, sort of bought and owned by the community I live in. I'd say both. We all need to escape from 'paradise' now and then.

People differ;that's for sure.

[LauraC]

I just returned from looking at homes and here's what I discovered. I have everything I want where I live now (home and community activities) except for a support network as my health declines with age. I can't find what I have now in the place where I'd have a support network. As my real estate agent said in a 55+ community and later in a golf course condo/townhouse community, "The HOA is really high here. Are you going to use the amenities?" The answer is "NO, none of them." The things I like to do are not the amenities in any planned community 55+ or other. The cost of paying for them would take a big chunk of money away from the activities I do enjoy. The manageable housing, however, would be a good fit. Outside of the planned communities in the same town, the housing would be too difficult for me to physically manage at my age and state of health plus they might be money pits but the activities are there that I would enjoy. If I live in another town, the issue becomes living a distance from the things I like to do in an area where I'm not fond of the traffic.

I may ride this one out. It's not an easy question.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I just returned from looking at homes and here's what I discovered. I have everything I want where I live now (home and community activities) except for a support network as my health declines with age. I can't find what I have now in the place where I'd have a support network. As my real estate agent said in a 55+ community and later in a golf course condo/townhouse community, "The HOA is really high here. Are you going to use the amenities?" The answer is "NO, none of them." The things I like to do are not the amenities in any planned community 55+ or other. The cost of paying for them would take a big chunk of money away from the activities I do enjoy. The manageable housing, however, would be a good fit. Outside of the planned communities in the same town, the housing would be too difficult for me to physically manage at my age and state of health plus they might be money pits but the activities are there that I would enjoy. If I live in another town, the issue becomes living a distance from the things I like to do in an area where I'm not fond of the traffic.

I may ride this one out. It's not an easy question.

The basic condo fee (if that is what you mean by an HOA) covers exterior care of the property mostly. You might want to find out what percentage actually goes to the pool, tennis, etc (the extras beyond upkeep). The extras could turn out to be only a small portion of that monthly fee. Here, decent condo monthly fees cover all exterior maintenance including to your own unit, master insurance, and water/sewer. That typically runs $250–$350/mo. Property taxes, which are typically high here for condos, is separate, as is interior homeowner insurance. For me, a condo with its monthly fee would be like paying double property taxes. Yes I know there are annual expenses for maintenance and repair to houses, but somehow not so daunting as locked in payments you can't escape.