• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

condo vs apartment?

brianmanahan

brianmanahan

Lifer
so i'm trying to decide between buying a condo or renting an apartment.

apartment would be 500 feet from work in a downtown urban area (pretty safe) and 1200$ a month. condo would be 45 minutes bus ride from work in a subrub area (very safe and well to do) and maybe 80$k with a 250$/month HOA fee. many stores and vendors near the condo, less so for the apartment.

i am thinking that since i am having a hard time deciding, maybe i should try the apartment first for a year and see if i enjoy it. the extremely short commute would be amazing, i could roll out of bed and be at work in less than a half hour which would be unbelievably nice.

for anyone who has lived in a condo before, is it better than an apartment as far as quality of life goes?
 
For me it's all about the convenience of life/work. While a gentle stroll from home to work sounds like a no-brainer over the 45 minute bus ride, it sounds like the other important necessities of life: food and material needs, are convenient to the suburban condo. At $80k (+$3k/year on HOA) to own vs $1200/month on the rental, I think the condo is the better option.

I actually don't mind long PT (reading time), as long as it isn't too long. Buses suck compared to trains, but depending on your area, it's likely no big deal. If the bus ride means you can have walking life for your daily needs, I think the condo is the way to go.
 
Living with an HOA can be challenging, and expensive. Special assessments are the real killer. They "discover" that all of the buildings need new siding but don't have the money to pay for it, so the homeowners get billed for it. You need to study their financials and review past and pending repairs/maintenance.
I've done a lot of work for HOA's (over a million bucks) and they often have no concept of how to maintain the property they're in charge of.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top