When I was a single young financially independent woman, I lived in both condos and houses. To me, the biggest advantage to a condo was no exterior maintenance like painting etc. I don't mind, and in fact, like yardwork so I don't mean that part of exterior maintenance. The biggest disadvantages, and they were huge for me, were common walls and noise along with the fact that I never really got to know my neighbors. I also HATED having to get dressed to go downstairs to get my newspaper on Sunday mornings!

Houses had the huge advantage of no common walls and I like to garden, so a yard was an advantage for me. The disadvantage to a house was that there's more to maintain yourself. You don't have an association to rely on for things like fixing the roof, plumbing to street - stuff like that.

Overall, I preferred a house because 1)I like getting to know the neighbors and I like the feeling of being in a neighborhood; 2)I love being able to open the front door in my robe and grab the paper. 3)my money doesn't go toward fixing parts of other people's roofs and the common upkeep in a condo. I feel like I had more control over how I spent MY money.

I grew up in Royal Oak and although I haven't lived there in 20 years, I'm back there often for family commitments. I think your daughter has chosen a great location. If she ends up going the house route, she might also look at Berkley. There are alot of starter type homes there and it's really not different at all in terms of convenience.

With your daughter's indecision, thank goodness the market is on her side!

I used to be very down on condos and always when asked, I would counsel people to avoid them. I no longer feel that way. A well located condo with a well-run owner's association is a good investment and a really good living situation for someone who doesn't want to deal with commuting or yardwork. I think they are pefect for young people who want to put all of their energy into their jobs and socializing. They can be great for other people too of course, but I think it is the young who really benefit from that kind of living environment.

I am living in a condo right now, and I like it- I don't have to worry about the maintaince of the lawn, snow removal, and I also have a club house that consist of a gym and a recreation room, which I can rent out for the day/night if I want to have a party...I also have a pool for the summer.
The only problem I have is that I have two girls and its getting crowd....they want their own rooms- so my DH and I are now moving to a townhome with alot space and they also have a pool and a clubhouse with two gyms. I am looking forward to that.
I don't mind the common walls, and maybe its because of my neighbors:)they are very nice to me and my family. I will miss this place, but I can't wait to move to xomething a little bigger.
Good luck-
maria

2 words...

Condo Commandos!!!!

and that's a con.

This was my experience. I bought a condo with XH in a new building. The developer decided to rent many of the units rather than sell them, so the place was full of renters, and all that entails. Since he owned more than half the units he effectively controlled the condo board. One of the renters had a fire caused by a cigarette falling into a couch which caused the gas grill to blow up. (the couch was on the deck, no idea why).

Many, many units were basically burned to the ground. Ours did not have damage. We were the closest unit to the fire without damage. Of course we had to live through the smell and the months of rebuilding. The price of the insurance skyrocketed, so the condo fees skyrocketed. We moved out and rented our unit because I couldn't stand it there anymore. XH sold it several years later after owning it for over 10 years and got about 20% lower than what we paid for it.

I would never buy a condo.

Condos do not appreciate as well as single family houses.
Condo fees can be raised by a vote of the association.

If you can afford single family purchase it.

That was a one size fits all answer Brickeyee. Well located condos in Seattle are out-pacing many single family homes in the 'burbs. It depends on the market and the location within the market. Bell Town with its hip restaurants and clubs, and fabulous views is a favorite with the up and coming. In fact, Microsofties are actually doing the reverse commute to live there. They work in the burbs and live in the city.

In our suburbs Condos have gone up a lot with the housing boom but during the housing slide of 12 years ago they went down a lot more and were a lot harder to sell.

I think a condo is great for someone who does not plan on a family, such as empty nesters

The problem is when she needs to move on ina few years to start a family she may have trouble selling. On the plus side the amenities sound great

Noise isn't always a problem as it depends on the buildings construction. Cement walls and floors are better plus more fireproof. New build condo's generally have low monthly maintenance fees that will undoubtebly increase in 10-15 years as the building ages and repairs to common areas and infrastructure like heating, roof etc need fixing. It's a lifestyle choice, plenty of seniors also buy condos when they're downsizing out of a family home. Our neighbors did it a few years ago but ended up selling it after 2 years because they missed having a yard and the lack of privacy so they bought a one floor house in a seniors complex. BTW there are condo townhouses where you get a small back garden, all condo's are not apartment buildings.

I'm in a 2 year old condo and LOVE it. I have a very busy career and it gives me a great amount of freedom. In my old condo, I really missed having a garden - my new condo has a HUGE private rooftop terrace and i have a great container garden. I have nice neighbors, and never hear them. I'm close to everything and never have a worry when i travel that things will be kept up. Condos aren't for everyone, but for me, it's heaven. I like having my neighbors close if I need them, and for a single woman, the security is excellent. I'm 5 stories up and enjoy complete privacy with no fences or even curtains. The building is quiet, well constructed and has sprinklers and is completely handicapped accessable. I love my condo.

Any single family housing in the same market as a condo appreciates faster.
If you have the houses in two differnet markets it is apples and oranges.

I'm with brickeye on this. SFHs will appreciate more than condos IN THE SAME PLACE. (No fair saying city condos appreciate better than suburban houses.)

We own a SFH in IL and a condo on Maui. We also lived for four awful months in a furnished apartment while our house was being completed.

We are too cranky to live in "group housing". You could, of course, end up in a SFH with nutty neighbors, but they will not be merely six inches away from you.

Our experience with the Maui condo has been an eye-opener to all the nonsense that goes on whenever a committee (condo board) tries to run something.

The smaller the focus, the harder it is to get anything accomplished. A several million dollar insurance decision is made in one meeting. The debate over what owners can plant on their lanais has been continuing for years. (I've seen the same thing with cities and towns governed by volunteer council members.)

Really, people, there is no free lunch -- and no dwelling is "maintenance free". In a SFH you decide what needs doing and you pay your choice of contractor to do it. In a condo "they" decide and you pay for the contractors to make the improvements they choose. You sure don't want to fund gyms and pools and golf courses if you don't use them often.

I won't even start on "rules" that require a phone book sized tome to record them all. (Watch out for HOAs in this regard.)

We are too cranky to live in "group housing".

You have hit on the main reason why we won't even look at condos, even though many people tell us we should because we don't like to garden, do yardwork, we don't have kids (although we do have a dog bigger than a lot of condos permit), etc. I have an intense need for privacy and quiet and don't particularly like being told what to do and how and when and for no better reason than "because I [management] said so"; DH has a little more tolerance than I do but not that much. We were thrilled to pieces when we could finally get away from apartment buildings and living semi-communally with other people. The thought of going back to that makes me twitch. I don't even want to look at condexes, which are condos with only two units - I just don't want to have to negotiate with someone else (besides DH) about what color I can paint my house or whether to get the roof fixed this year or next.

I've lived (rented with an eye to buying, needless to say I didn't buy in either one) in two condos, one an apartment style and one that was all SFHs. Never again. One was managed by Big Brother and the other could best be described as Animal House. Both looked wonderful on the surface, it was only after living there for some time that the rot beneath came to light. I'm glad other people are happy with that kind of living situation but I would find it confining and frustrating.

Homes usually have a 2 car GARAGE and condos usually make you park outside. So your car is cold (snow/freezing) in the winter and hot in the summer if in a condo. And with parking outside you then get into possibly safety/theft issues for both the car and the person. (especially in a complex where there is easy pickin')

Also homes usually have more storage room than condos. Usually that storage is in the garage or a basement or even just extra space that a home usually has over a condo.

Also condos might have restrictions on how many visitors can park overnight. So if she gets a boyfriend or roomate or visitors, the condo association can get nasty about using up too many parking spots.

Also if she decides to get a dog or pets, there might be limitations. And in a condo, if you take doggie outside to go potty, you better pick it up pronto else you are in WWIII with neighbors. But if you have a home you can let the dog poop in the yard and pick it up when you have time.

I live in a townhome which is a condo development. It has an individual entrance, a large patio and a private 2 car garage. It is 2200 sf and larger than many sf homes. The development is well run and the value of my home has doubled over the past 8 years. The recent real estate decline has shown up in sales prices about 3-5% lower than they were at it's height.

I have lived in the typical high rise condo and find this lifestyle much preferred. There are questions that have to asked before moving into a development of any kind.
1. What % of units are rentals?
2. What type of separation is between units? (mine has a firewall and common walls are usually closets or the like.
3. If there are important issues to you, such as pets (having or not being bothered by others), find out about the rules before you make an offer.

I find the people who complain about the rules are the ones who never looked into them!

Brickeyee, there was an article in the Seattle Times just yesterday that said that in-city condos had appreciated more than in-city houses. People are snapping up condos of only 350 feet to be in a good location. Not apples and oranges

I lived in a townhouse for a short period not long ago. It was so well insulted for noise that I actually found it depressing that I could hear nothing whatsoever.

IF I should outlive my husband, I will go the condo route.

Here in the SF Bay Area, condo appreciation outpaced SFH appreciation for 5 years. When the market turned down, the condos lost more value, really fast. This also happened the last time the market went south, back in 1990-95. People have short memories (as witness the stock market, for example, LOL).

My nephew's fiancee bought a condo 3 yrs ago in a "hot" area where they had to camp on the sidewalk for 2 days for the opening phase. Subsequent phases raised their prices and the building sold out quickly. The first year her appreciation was close to 20%.

Last year the downturn took away every cent of that appreciation and she is now on a negative. Fortunately she will be able to rent it for enough to cover that mortgage, but she'll have to hold it for a while before she'll ever make a real profit on it.

Over a 20 yr period out here, SFH have returned on average twice the amount of appreciation as condos have.

On the downside, your maintenance on a SFH will take not only more $$ but considerable amounts of your time. You have to figure out what your time is worth - if you're going to lose paycheck $$ by having to take off work to wait for a handyman who never shows up, then a condo can be worth it even if you won't gain as much on appreciation at resale.

So, far, it seems that people are saying that condos usually attract younger owners. But, does that also hold true if you're trying to rent a condo? Does it also attract younger renters as well?

"IF I should outlive my husband, I will go the condo route."

Go for it!
If the fees go up to fast you can always move.
Condos (and even SF developments with a lot of amenities) put you at the mercy of what the MAJORITY decide they want.
A second community pool?
If it gets voted in you are stuck with paying.
No choice. No option.
Pay or move.

He who pays the piper calls the tune.
And for condo type places the majority calls the tune.

I think the problem with younger buyers is they are not settled as the person said about her niece, she is moving on to the next stage of her life and her plans are at the mercy of condo prices. There is both less fluctuation and more options with a house

In San Diego, condos are very popular with young professionals. Purchasing close to work has also become incresingly popular with the rising price of petro as it enables walking to the workplace. It's also convenient for shopping, restaurants, nitelife, and other positives associated with living in a business district.

Since SD is so large, there are many business parks with condo/apartments closeby, along with all the amenities. They seem to rent/sell very quickly.

IMO, your young daughter should enjoy her single life without the hastles of yard work, shoveling snow, or trying to find someone to do needed maintenance work. ;o)

patty_cakes

There are many new condo buildings in downtown Royal Oak and this is a good time to buy one because builders are offering deals. There are not so many houses in downtown Royal Oak and they are high priced for what you get.

I am assuming that she wants to live within walking distance of downtown. Otherwise, what would be the point of living in Royal Oak as aopposed to nearby communities? If I were in her situation, I would definitely go for a donwtown condo over a house further out.

Hi All,
Just want to say thank you for all the thoughtful and cogent comments regarding our question. Well, after all is said and done, and my daughter did check out a number of condos in R.O., Birmingham and Troy, but she agreed to look at some houses and of course, fell in love with one of them.
Patser, you may know the area, it's the Red Run Golf Sub and the house is really nice. Brand new kitchen, family room new addition, finished basement, deck, painted perfect colors for her, spotless, ready to move in. Only one bath, :0, no garage, but the price was quite reasonable and she is very happy with her choice. Closing next week, so question settled I guess. I think happiness in condos, like single homes, depends on a lot of individual things and of course we can't foresee the future, just hope for the best.
Now, somebody tell me how to get used to my house with no little daughter in it!!! Well, I still have my pets to keep me company, so guess I will survive.
God Bless you all for your considerate responses.
mh

Sure do know Red Run. I grew up in the shadows of Beaumont Hospital and went to Shrine Schools. I hope your daughter builds many happy memories in her new home!

Oh, thank you for coming back to tell us the end of the story! Don't worry, soon DD will be visiting with her DH and before you know it, a grandbaby!

Gee, chisue, that would be grand. Thanks for the encouragement!
Maybe you'll find me on the Grandparents site some day. :)

Patser, if you're still reading, just wanted to tell you that Shrine of the Little Flower has always been my beacon on Woodward Ave. I have been traipsing up and down Woodward for fifty years, and still look up sometimes and think I am lost. Ha Directionally challenged. The sanctuary is so beautiful in that church with its long and storied history. When I see the tower I go, "oh, good I am not lost after all. Here's 12 MI." Pitiful isn't it? Thanks for your good wishes too.

Mary1helen2, If you've been traipsing up and down Woodward for 50 yrs, then you must remember this....

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Of course. Ain't memories great? Seems like last week, somehow.