There are so many variables and it all depends on factors such as your region's property values, cost, resale, etc. Speaking for myself in my area, I'd prefer the condo, mostly due to the ease of maintenance. I'd want to focus on my work during the week and reserve my nesting instincts for weekends when I could return to my primary home. I wouldn't want to own a tiny house. Building is costly and almost always stressful, and you'd have to buy the lot to build on. Where would that be, that would allow such a small build but still put you close enough to the city? It would be very difficult to resell a tiny home in my area. But as I said, your own variables will apply and sway your decision. Good luck!

Are you aware that building a small house is just about as expensive as building a large one? I ask because lots of people don't realize this. The famous Little House in Little Rock, for instance, cost somewhere around 200K (including land), even with all the found, reclaimed, and gift items she used in building it. And she had a terrible time getting financing because the appraisers said the house was basically worth nothing because it was so much smaller than the other houses in the neighborhood.

One reason America abounds in giant houses is because wallboard is about the cheapest thing in a house, so giving people lots more of it is a very inexpensive marketing tool for builders.

I wouldn't go through the hassle of building a house unless you think it would be your permanent home.

Value wise, I would want to know how easy it is to sell a condo versus a small home in your area. Life situations can change in an instant, I like to have all the scenarios in place.

You are used to privacy and quiet. Will you be okay with hearing noise from the other apartments?

i would look into the option of the small home. I wouldn't call 800 square feet tiny. In my town there is a neighborhood with beach style cottages. My upscale town goes from cottages to multi million dollar homes. So, a cottage here (if you can get one) is a really good investment.

Look at the option of building first. As you stated above, this might be a challenge. Sometimes decisions are made for us i.e it might not be practical to build which would leave you with the condo option.

i would go the condo route... i wouldn't want to have to maintain another property, esp one that was purchased just to eliminate a commute... (i probably would just commute tho!)

Lock and leave - a condo with maintenance, security included in the HOA fees.

The city place sounds like a substitute for a hotel to make commuting easier. Look for the smallest, least expensive condo in a safe neighborhood that is close to your work.

I'd definitely go for the small house. I would not do well with a condo association.

I think depends on the condo. I've lived three times in apartments near work while keeping my home for the weekends. Wasn't all that great, but never regretted it, particularly being able to unload the close to work housing easily when work situation changed. If you're living somewhere just to focus on work, then focus on work. You might be able to also rent a small home or nice apt. In all 3 situations, you possibly could indulge your small home decorating impulses if you had a good relationship with the landlord/HOA.

I would look at which is a better investment. But I would also take into account the condos can be noisy and HOA's can be difficult. Not only that but there are assessments and monthly dues. For someone who is working, the noise could be an issue.

I lived in a townhouse in a small complex for a number of years before I bought my house. It was large at almost 2500 sq feet and I shared one (block) wall. I also got my own yard. It sounds great, but I would much rather live in a house. I didnt like hearing my neighbor go up and down the stairs. I could hear him flush the toilet. I could hear his air conditioner, which drove me crazy. I even paid to have someone look at it to see how to minimize the noise. I could hear people having parties at the pool. That being said, you can also have noise issues with neighbors when you live in a house. . The house I bought has regained value since before the crash, but my townhouse is still lagging. I am renting it because of this.

I think I would look at some condo units, some plots of land, and smaller homes before making a decision. I am sure there are condo situations where there is privacy and solitude. If you build, I think I would go bigger-1200 at least. It should be easier to sell or rent when you are ready to move on. I have to say that it sure would be fun to build a new home, but it is a huge undertaking!

I would go the condo route and take advantage of the completely different style. In my imagination, the country home is decorated in a more casual traditional style (slightly rustic), and the condo would be modern and chic-chic. It could be fun!

We live in a condo now. I don't miss homeownership. The pool. The yard, Etc. We bought this condo with the intention of renting it, making it an income property and then buying a house. I'm not so sure about that anymore. If you buy a condo, you could always rent it if you couldn't sell easily or if you wanted to change gears to income property status. I think renting a managed property (HOA) is far easier than renting a house. So, a condo might give you a few more options vs. a small house.

With condo, I would consider condo fees and absolutely, most definitely, the SOUNDS INSULATION. Neighbors trampling on top of me or the basses hammering from next door would drive me nuts.

That would never work for my husband and I - if we are apart for any more than 2 days he gets "itchy". I commuted about 40 miles each way for 3 years and we moved; now my husband commutes. If being apart Monday - Friday works for you - go for it.

If I had to make a choice I would buy the condo -

Condo

Thank you for all the good points to consider!

If it were up to me, we would sell our rural property and either build a new home, or purchase a historic home, in the city where we work. This is a compromise between what DH wants and what I want.

The thought of sharing walls with neighbors, noise, and lack of privacy are the big turn-offs about a condo. I am used to total privacy and quiet. However, I just don't think we can maintain two yards. I think the condo is a much more practical choice.

Building or buying a small home just sounds more fun and enjoyable to me, but it would be much more complicated on multiple levels.

In my area, condos don't seem to appreciate much in value, but there is a constant market. Small houses are more rare, and would take longer to sell.

I have been a trustee in a condo building for years. Condo living can be perfectly fine as long as the Trustees enforce the bylaws and condo docs - we do. We take the rules and regulations very serious to make living here a comfortable place for all. This is very important. Condo living has it good points and bad points but so does owning a home. Try to see if you could speak to a Trustee or Trustees of this building. Call their management company and inquire if there are any assessments on the books at this particular time that you may be responsible for. Of course things do arise and once an owner you will be responsible. Keep in mind also condo fees are monthly and they will never go down in price - there will usually be an increase - if not every year but most likely every other year. Construction in units only permitted during certain hours and not on Sundays. No moving in nor out on Sundays either at least in our building, not sure about others. Ask to see the rules and regulations. Large appliance deliveries/furniture etc. have to be scheduled in advance. As long as your fine with rules and regulations it is easy living. I would also like to know if at all possible who is living above me and beside me.

I would not want the stress of building a temporary house, especially in your circumstances where I imagine you would end up adding on to your work day on a regular basis to stop and check on the build. Of those two choices, I would buy a condo.

But I would also consider looking into renting an inexpensive studio or buying an already existing smaller home. Depending on your real estate market the existing small home might make the most financial sense. If I went that route, I would include in the costs a yard service.

Renting would give you a lot more flexibility and no extra responsibilities.

Condo, but then I chose to sell my big suburban house and move into an urban condo 3 years ago. (FWIW, yes, dealing with the HOA is a pain, but no, assessments and dues are no more than taxes/insurance/maintenance on your own home, just paid monthly instead of "saving up", and the noise depends on the construction of the building -- we don't even know we have neighbors except for a rare instance (it's happened twice in 3 years) that we hear what sounds like someone walking in high heels above us. We also rented a condo for about 10 months and never heard anything - you wouldn't know you had neighbors unless you saw them in the elevator).

Edited to add: I'm not sure why anyone thinks living in a condo is any less private than living in a house. When I lived in a house, I got home, went inside, closed the door, and that was that. Now I live in a condo, I go home, go inside, close the door, and that's that.

Condo. With any of the newer ones and most of the older ones I have been in there is good sound insulation. When looking at condo fees, remember they usually include things you would be paying when owning a small home. Like property taxes, garbage, water, lawn service, etc.

@sjhockeyfan I think people think its less private depending on the building one lives in. They have to get into an elevator and see other people as to just probably driving into ones own garage or driveway or seeing other folks when getting mail and picking up packages. Also lots of people in condo buildings do know when someone is doing construction such as new kitchens, bathrooms etc. due to one of the elevators being used specifically for that owner at that time having things brought to their unit. I've lived in my condo for 25 years and I don't mind at all.

Taxes are included I think in condo fees if one has a mortgage. No mortgage then a separate bill., other than that there is a lot included with condo fee. Actually things could be cheaper in a condo. Take a roof for instance. As a home owner you pay entire roof, condo fee or assessment everyone pays. Condo living is definitely easier and can be less expensive.

You can hire people to do your mowing, etc. You're paying a monthly fee for that stuff anyway at a condo.

If you're a very social person who can live with other people's rules, even when you don't agree, then a condo may well be right for you. but if not, I think it's worth looking for a low-maintenance plot of land and building your own house and paying contractors as needed.

If you look for a townhome style condo, you can at least eliminate upstairs neighbors (and probably downstairs, too). Some are semidetached, so the common walls are minimized. I think with smart shopping, you could find a condo that maximizes your privacy (maybe one with a garage entrance) and minimizes the noise from neighbors.

Not sure where you live, but other things to consider about a stand alone home are things like freezing pipes, security, etc. when you are gone.

Regarding the HOA for our condo, I could not be more pleased. They enforce the policies and as a result it's like resort living every day.

The monthly fee includes water and landscaping and all kinds of extra stuff like they're paving the driveway/parking lots this summer.

As a comparison, the HOA fee for our condo is about $55 less per month than it cost for our pool guy and landscaper/lawn maintenance. Grass is expensive especially if you want it to be green. Not to mention, I had to hire the occasional house cleaning help when I got super busy with work.

Just do the math. I'm trying to talk DH into staying in the condo for a while and when I showed him the actual numbers, he was a bit surprised.

Another rural farm owner here, with the farm on the market ... when it sells, will find a smaller home in a suburb with no HOA and a yard for my dogs. You are in a totally different situation, but after living with 20 acres and that lovely country quiet, I couldn't move to a condo ... I still need my outdoor space. You too even if it's M-F?

I think I would try renting a condo or apartment first to see how I would like multi-family living. Also, if you rent a condo in a complex where you would be likely to buy, you have a chance to see how well it's managed. Your enjoyment of your home can be disturbed by neighbors in condos or single family houses so I wouldn't rule out condos just because of common walls.

Condo no debate. No way would I sign up for the upkeep of two properties. Saying that I would want a condo that is duplex style in a 'community' that provides upkeep.

You've gotten lots of good advice. It's such a personal decision. IF you decide to build a small house, I'd make sure to build one that is barrier-free and elder-friendly. Our population is aging, and a house like that could sell quickly.

I'm in the middle unit townhouse style condo- 2 floors 2498 sf plus 2 car garage. Neither neighbor's living areas abut any of my living areas so it's very quiet. I only occasionally see my neighbor on the one side because our driveways are adjacent. I have no exterior house maintenance and only have to attend to my fenced in back yard. The HOA covenants are not obnoxious if you follow their processes just like you have to follow zoning and city or county ordinances. I am downsizing to a 1500 sf condo on the top (4th) floor of a secure building with an interior garage and elevator. Looking forward to a true lock and leave situation instead of having to get friends to check my house while I'm away during freezing weather!

Condo. And do rent for a few months to see how you like it. It will also give you a chance to check out how well-run the HOA is and you can ask the many questions you're probably not thinking about now. Is their a Board of Directors? Do they enforce the covenants and restrictions? Are maintenance issues addressed promptly? Check out the financial situation of the association as well to make sure they are solvent or at least breaking even. Any of this information should be available if you ask for it as a potential buyer, should you decide to buy.

I was on the BOD for our lake condo for about 5 years and still actively attend a lot of meetings (they hold one per month, including an Annual Meeting of all residents at which officers are elected so a quorum is required, but no meeting in Dec). This association has been running smoothly since the early 80's and is doing well financially. Current project is new roofs for about 5 units (3-4 condos per unit). You can read some horror stories about HOA management. Ours is more like a town home and around 60% are not full-time residents. One side of us is a full-time couple, the other is usually empty. Our full-timers are the nosy neighbors, but other than that they are ok and don't bother us. When we're there, I guess they feel like we are intruding on their space.

We have more problems with people who don't control their guests at the pool than anything. Especially on holiday weekends. It gets to be a zoo and we almost avoid it anymore.

If you already have a main property, I'd probably look into a condo for the other home -- although I note I went screaming from my original condo home into this current house due to the neighbors above me (probable coke dealer with a temperament to match - he moved in after I did, and he got into yelling and screaming matches with the condo association, the cops, and also poked his nose into my car windows, knowing I was watching. And kept his TV full blast most of the night -- the only thing that was salvageable on the last point was that he didn't know I was using the smaller second bedroom as my master bedroom, out of my theory that I only slept in there, so I should use the larger bedroom as my workroom...).

If you do go for the tiny house, check zoning out. Due to the bad memories, I'd seriously be tempted by the tiny house -- but then you'll have TWO yards and such to maintain. If a condo, don't find the cheapest condos around to choose from -- I was fresh out of college, so that was a factor there.

yes, many condos are not like the condos you might rent in pensacola or somewhere- as long as you don't have all night partiers living next to you, a decent condo probably won't be too different than a single family house.

is it just the commute you don't like?? (not too bad, imo!) i would also consider just renting a hotel room for a couple of nights mid week if it's the commute that's difficult for you...

or, are you also looking for a more fun place to spend regular weekends, etc??

My good friend and her husband did the opposite, had a condo in the suburbs near their home as a quiet get away. So there are condos and there are condos. Quiet is hard to come by, even with a house, particularly a small one in an urban situation with a small yard. Best bet, IMHO would be to find something with solid well insulated walls. Then at least you could steal away inside for quiet. My former house in an urban neighborhood on a non through street was quiet as can be unless I had the window open, then all bets were off, sometimes fine, other times awful. Motorcycles seem to be ever louder and more common. I even live in a dead quiet small town right now, but in the summer they have festivals in town and you can hear the music and mc all over town, until late at night. Same with lake outside of town, they have speedboat races in the summer and that carries. Occasionally motorbikes run up and down the RR right away near me. And then fall home football games. Rest of the time, dead silent. Then neighbor got a hound dog. Then neighbor moved. So it goes up and down. Best thing is being able to shut yourself in to quiet.

Oh, and small, beautiful houses ARE available to buy. I've been looking for a house to buy and have seen several. They were too small for me but would fit your needs perfectly. They are usually cheap due to having a limited market, and I've seen several that were obviously labors of love for their owners to make into cute little cottages. You won't know unless you look. Or have a good realtor who can look for you.

We bought a condo as a second home one year ago. It is near our grandchildren....200 miles away. They are " patio home" style. They are attached on only two sides, and they do not have upper or lower units. It is very quiet. I am happy that there is an HOA because they endorce the rules which in turn makes these units VERY desirable for resale.

The only thing that ever annoys me is a barking dog. It is owned by a lovely, older woman who lets the dog outside for short periods of time. It barks incessantly while it is out there. Our neighbors here at our real home have 3 barking dogs. We cannot escape it.

We lived in a concrete highrise condo building and noise was almost nonexistent. Once I went over to give my neighbour a bottle of wine after an NYE party got out of hand (I'd already given her a bottle and my phone and asked her to call anytime if we were disturbing her) and her response was "What party? Didn't hear a thing!"

Our second home is in SF, in order to make occasional commutes to DH's home office easier and to provide an urban recreational option on weekends (and an investment -- the real estate market in unusual in the city and provides for a healthy return). Not having to deal with external maintenance is a huge plus, and not to be underestimated. Depending on your market and local restrictions, a small house may be better from a short-term rental perspective. You can rent your city pied-a-terre out during the weekends and during your holidays, and pocket a nice bit of change.

If condos are readily available and don't seem to appreciate much, I would consider renting one. Much lower investment and then you don't have to worry about getting stuck with a rotten neighbor or a job change or other change in circumstance should you need to give up the weekday city living or need to move for work or whatever.

When I was single, I had a condo in a multi-building (1-BR) and then I moved from that to 2BR townhouses, one I rented and then I bought one across the street. Most of my experiences were pleasant. I do not like doing yardwork so it worked out well for me. I often had other students living near me but the worst person was a non-student.

Our house is smaller at around 1200 square feet. There are quite a few small ranches and capes if you wanted a standalone house. We have no HOA, so I took the liberty to paint our storage shed purple, and I don't care.

But the convenience of the condo or townhouse seems what you need for your situation.

I have a colleague who does something similar. Her real home is in a mountain area where her DH works, and she spends her weekdays in a condo/townhouse near campus and joins him on the weekend.

Well, speaking as someone who just spent a year living in a condo I had no say in designing (as in space planning) or decorating and hated every minute of it, I would say do the small house thing.

If I hadn't just had this experience, I would say the condo makes more logical sense. However, it killed my soul to live in a cold sterile space with no yard. You are going to be spending more than half your time there, is a condo somewhere you can be comfortable? Some people would love it, but you need to be sure you will be able to feel at home and not just like you are making do in the space.

I would never willingly live in a condo -- It's a glorified apartment and even in your private space you may be able to hear your neighbors. You also wouldnt have any private outdoor space to just sit around, bbq, or drink coffee. If you don't want to deal with yard upkeep, you can either hire it out (all or some) or landscape with low maintenance plants, rocks instead of mulch, etc. I also wouldn't want to live in an 800sqft house but it would be leaps and bounds more private than a condo. And as you said, you could customize it to make the small space most efficient for the way you live.

Talk to a realtor who will be honest. Condos do not sell well here, although they have their place (usually for older ladies living alone). If you plan to sell this second place anytime soon, you may want to consider a starter home.

Friday day - work

Friday night - travel to main home

Sat and Sunday - be at main home, Sunday night/Monday morning return to second home (maybe Monday after work).

Monday - Thursday days - work

Monday - Thursday nights - ??? Half the year, it's dark in the evening. will you be doing your second home outside maintenance in the dark?

Practical tells me this is a no brainer - condo winds hands down.

I lived in a condo for several years. The thing I despised was the condo fees. Each year they kept going up significantly. I had to add that to my mortgage and it became too much. I sold it.

I agree that either you a. rent a condo to get a feel for it or b. find a condo with a really good condo association. Research the history of the fees and if they have risen or stayed the same. I would talk to the condo board and really pick their brains. If it is a good association then go for it!

I don't know what area of the country you are in, but in our area there are condos that are near or actually back up to things like nature preserves so there are "wild spaces" nearby. So you can enjoy nature without having to maintain it...

I had a 30 to 35 minute commute from our home and decided to buy another home that was five minutes from my business. I opted for a lovely three bedroom home in a nice neighborhood. I had a lawn care service to take care of the lawn but that was only during the season that grass needed cut. During the winter I had another service that took care of shoveling walks and my driveway. What I paid for those services was less than the homeowner's fees that we pay on a townhouse that we own. It was wonderful to have a place to hang my hat when we had awful weather.

After three years I found that I didn't use the property nearly as much as I thought I would. I eventually decided to rent it to a young couple. I look on it as my insurance policy because our main home has a lot of stairs. If something happened to incapacitate me or DH we have that home to turn to.

I would look at small houses in the area and go that way as lawn care and snow removal in a home may be even less than a condo or townhouse maintenance fees. I honestly couldn't stand the thought of being crammed into a townhouse or condo, too many neighbors.

The thing I despised was the condo fees

I guess you didn't insure your home or maintain it either, because the costs are the same -- big building shared by multiple people, single family house you pay it all.

I appreciate all the input. There are so many pros and cons to consider. It's helpful to hear all your experiences.

I would much prefer a house and get a lawn/yard/snow service, but the costs would be significantly higher. HOA fees are very inexpensive in my area, but there are only a few condo developments to choose from. Most are in a townhouse style, with at least one shared wall, but no upstairs or downstairs neighbors, and they usually have a little bit of a patio area.

I am very tired of losing 1.5-2 hours each day to my commute, and especially driving in very bad weather. My DS attends school in the city we commute to (for various reasons, it was a really hard decision) and that factors in as well. When he starts middle school, they start the school day at 7:30 am! I think it would be ridiculous to get him up at 5:30 every day. His social and sports activities are increasing too, so having this place will make all of that significantly easier.

I am hoping that eventually my DH will see that it just makes more sense for us to be closer to where the majority of our life activities happen. He is very attached to our property for the privacy/wildlife/hunting/fishing, but there is much more to life.

For many decades, my in-laws had a "country home" where they spent weekends and summers. My FIL would live in the city apartment during the summer months on weeknights and then take M and F off for vacation so he'd spend long weekends in the country. That worked out very well for them. The beauty of it was there was no care or maintenance on the apartment. They rented and everything was on the landlord. Not true for the country house which required a lot of work and maintenance. So it all balanced out for them.