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Old 06-11-2014, 01:39 PM
 
1,316 posts, read 1,444,494 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
In retirement there is no way I'd want to keep up with lawns, shoveling, etc and I would want a place that isn't sitting all alone when I'm gone for months at a time. I'll take the condo.
I'm with you on this....I've lived in condos for the past 40 years....I wouldn't have it any other way....My last house I sold in the 70's was a PITA on upkeep...It was the happiest day of my life when I sold it with all the hoses and garden tools included - and also the neighbors from HELL that just moved in next door with all the barking dogs....

I would rent a free standing house but never own one...

Condos have RULES.....Strict rules that are enforced with a like minded HOA.....When I go away for 3 months, I just lock the door, pull most of the circuit breakers, and put the thermostat on set. When I come back, I just flip the switches...bingo...the condo comes to life.....CONDOS RULE....!
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Old 06-11-2014, 02:27 PM
 
720 posts, read 988,011 times
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That is a real horror story. But all condos are not alike. I live in Boston where nearly everyone (myself included) lives in a condo because not many can afford a SFH here starting at over a million dollars.

I hope those poor people can get a satisfactory outcome. Bulk buyers have really contributed to the housing bubble and bust and are continuing to do so.
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Old 06-11-2014, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Center City
7,528 posts, read 10,223,112 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertaWa View Post
That is a real horror story. But all condos are not alike. I live in Boston where nearly everyone (myself included) lives in a condo because not many can afford a SFH here starting at over a million dollars.
Some of the most expensive properties where live are condos:
A $12 MILLION VIEW The most expensive residence in the city is a penthouse near Rittenhouse Square. - Philly.com

Philadelphia’s Top 10 Luxury High Rise Condo Buildings!
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Old 06-11-2014, 03:47 PM
 
741 posts, read 762,447 times
Reputation: 577
Quote:
Originally Posted by StressedOutNYer View Post
The funny thing is that I have lived in SFHs on small lots where the next door kids were splashing and shrieking in the pool... or the teens had a garage band.... or the lady next door regularly used about 10 lbs of garlic in her cooking... and although those things annoy me they didn't produce the kind of reaction I get from people that are living within the same "building envelope" as me. I can put up with a lot as long as it's not going on in the same structure that I live in.
You lived in a poorly constructed condominium building. Maybe it was new construction not built to acceptable standards, or maybe it was a building which had been rental and at a later date the apartments were converted into condominiums ... and you were living with construction not meant for condominium living. Typically, condominiums are built better than apartments ... from what I've experienced/witnessed. Probably not all, but I think most. Condo associations typically have rules regarding offensive noise and cooking smells. Our management pays a call on owners against whom complaints have been made and they're politely asked to correct the situation. If they persist, they're invited to appear before the Board of Directors for a talking-to. Some people just don't live well close to others, I know that - and they're the folks for whom apartment/condo living is a bad choice. But for most seniors, retirees ... condo living offers more advantages than disadvantages and that's why condos are so popular with seniors.
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Old 06-11-2014, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Arizona
8,247 posts, read 8,596,826 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
I'm not making a blanket statement, I'm making one from my experiences. They aren't all that hopping. Oh sure there are yoga classes, arts classes, tennis, etc. But not the real vibrancy that an urban core with students / touring bands / art installations, etc possess. There are plenty of amazing older people, but generally those places with all older people don't have the energy a mixed age group community in a city has.
I'm not aware of any 55+ communities that do not let you leave.

I live in Sun City. The Original Active Adult Community. Besides more amenities than ANY other 55+ we are 15 miles from Phoenix. Any band on tour hits Phoenix. Students ? Art ? Got that too. Casinos bus trips leave several times a day. 5 1/2 miles from University Of Phoenix Stadium, this years home of the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, + the Fiesta Bowl and the other one I don't remember. Plus the Cardinals and trade shows and other events. The Arena almost next door. Look at their concert schedule sometime if you don't go there for hockey. Spring training, Arizona Fall League, Extended Spring Training, Instructional League, Rookie League, and The Diamondbacks. We have baseball for 10 months a year. This is only a few of the things that go on around here. Always activities at the Peoria Sports Complex or the Surprise Recreational Campus and the other venues. Or you can climb Camelback. I could fill pages of things that are here , 5 minutes away, 15 minutes away, or half an hour away.

We have the best of both worlds. We live where there are no kids. No schools so no school taxes. I bet most pay more in a month than I pay in a year. We have great facilities. And when we want to do something different there are so many choices that no one would ever be bored here.

Back to the original reason for the thread. I live in a condo. We are doing very well financially. We all get along. We socialize. We have fun. We have none of the problems other posters have put in their posts.
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Old 06-11-2014, 04:43 PM
 
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach FL
14,617 posts, read 21,434,279 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oddstray View Post
Which is why reasonable condo owners carry insurance for special assessment for repairs.
Loss assessment coverage will only cover you if the assessment is for something that is normally covered by an underlying homeowners' policy. In Florida - that wouldn't usually include things like replacement of most outdoor stuff - like pools - outdoor structures (including parking structures and things like tennis courts) - and especially - landscaping. Our post Andrew assessments were on the order of $25k+ - but $15k of those (more or less) weren't covered by our loss assessment coverage. Robyn
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Old 06-11-2014, 04:52 PM
 
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach FL
14,617 posts, read 21,434,279 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
What, may I ask, bothered you about them? I've lived in both and never really noticed much of a difference.
I'll tell you what bothered me about them. People above and below us with hard wood floors - many of whom liked to party late into the night. Blasting loud music. And be out at 1 am on their balconies making a lot of noise (when we had to be at work at 8 am the next day - or just wanted to go to sleep).

I live in the first SFH we have ever lived in now. Has its advantages - and disadvantages as well. But it is generally peaceful and quiet (one of its advantages). Robyn
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Old 06-11-2014, 05:00 PM
 
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach FL
14,617 posts, read 21,434,279 times
Reputation: 6794
Quote:
Originally Posted by StressedOutNYer View Post
It's just a personality quirk of mine, I guess. Every single noise, no matter how minor, coming from the other side of the walls from the other occupants of the building drove me nuts. Ditto the smell of other people's cooking. Those things bothered me so much that I couldn't bring myself to make any noise on my own account! LOL Seriously, I used to sit on the couch about 8 ft from my tv set with it turned so low that I could barely hear it myself because I didn't want to "bother" the other occupants! The only thing that saved my sanity was knowing that both occasions where I had to live in attached housing were temporary (no more than 6 months). But still it was like living in a lower circle of hell for me, stresswise.

The funny thing is that I have lived in SFHs on small lots where the next door kids were splashing and shrieking in the pool... or the teens had a garage band.... or the lady next door regularly used about 10 lbs of garlic in her cooking... and although those things annoy me they didn't produce the kind of reaction I get from people that are living within the same "building envelope" as me. I can put up with a lot as long as it's not going on in the same structure that I live in.
<LOL> I smoke. I cook with garlic. Sometimes I want to play a movie late at night with that big surround sound speaker system we have. Sometimes my neighbors want to do similar - but not at convenient hours for us. A detached SFH gives you space to do whatever you want to do without annoying other people near you (and vice versa). Robyn
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Old 06-11-2014, 05:14 PM
 
Location: Kaliforneea
2,518 posts, read 2,046,296 times
Reputation: 5258
I'm not thrilled by condos for just a few reasons:

1) I'm generally against any situation in which a "HOA" has leverage or inflicts rules over me
2) condos generally don't appreciate as an investment as much as a SFH would
3) as a cost-controlling issue, HOA fees rise. I cant stop them or negotiate a lower price or argue about their valuation. So it's like being a sharecropper, paying tribute to the county taxes, the bank, and an HOA all at the same time. Why have 3+ landlords?
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Old 06-11-2014, 05:41 PM
 
Location: Florida -
10,213 posts, read 14,789,658 times
Reputation: 21845
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda View Post
LOL.

Condos in my building are selling for $714 per square foot. In fact, there are a couple currently on the market at $784 & $789 psf. That sure sounds to me like some people desire to live the condo lifestyle.
Wow! That's pretty steep. In Florida - Newer, upscale condos directly on the ocean or gulf are available in most areas in the $200 - $400 sf range.
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