Do you regret buying a CONDO?!

[Anonymous]

DH & I are finally thinking about moving out of our rental...but with our limited budget (400K), can't seem to find a decent house in the neighborhoods we are interested in. We've starting thinking about buying a condo in Virginia (prob Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington). We're concerned mainly: 1) that as baby grows (she's a newborn right now) - the place will feel cramped and 2) that condo fees are a waste of money? If you bought, do you regret?! Thanks for sharing....!!

[Anonymous]

No, we love it! I especially love just calling maintence to come look at my leaking toilet, not having to deal with the lawn for example

For starting a family is good, but once we have more children we will have to find a bigger place.

[Anonymous]

I have visited friends in condos, never lived in one
I hated having to park 2 blocks over in 'visitor's' parking
I hated that the association could tell them how long an out-of-town guest could stay
It felt intrusive...

[Anonymous]

I'm a pretty hardcore advocate for urban living and think density is healthy. So for me, our condo is part of my general world view. That said, it's worth it to my family because it makes it possible for us to live in a very central, walkable neighborhood in DC. Space is not a real problem because we spend a lot of time out in the neighborhood. I think it would be less appealing in places where people expect to spend more time at home or in back yards.

No on the waste of money issue. Condo fees cover a lot of things we would otherwise have to pay for ourselves, especially maintenance on our century-old building. That much seems to work out in the wash.

[Anonymous]

I had a condo for 13 years. I loved the condo but hated the area, so no, I don't regret buying the condo. I sold it in '06 and walked away with over $200K.

If I were you, I'd look at several in the area, so you don't miss any and rule out any that have a high condo fee but there isn't a pool, tennis courts or pay electric. Ask about the owner/renter ratio-better to have more owners than renters, it's much harder to get a home loan with high renter ratio.

[Anonymous]

I used to live in a condo, now a SFH with a nice yard and long driveway. Being a mom to a high energy 2.5yr old little boy, I could not imagine being in a condo anymore. He spends the majority of his waking hours outside. Just last weekend, I think we spent a total of 8 hrs with him biking his trike in the driveway.

I know ppl do it, but given the choice I could never.

[Anonymous]

where in alexandria are you looking?
you can get a nice townhouse for that $

http://prudentialcarruthers.com/vp/ListingServlet?SITE=CARRU&ScreenID=LISTING_DETAIL_P&pres_agent=&cd_MLS=2985762

[Anonymous]

I lived in Fairlington and loved it. When we had more money we moved, but not because of any problems with Fairlington. The grounds are beautiful, and the pools are wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Check out the condo noise thread re active toddlers.

[Anonymous]

We lived in a townhouse condominium in Arlington for 7 years (rented for 3, owned for 4 in the same place). I guess this is a little bit different from some places in that we were responsible for all the issues within the condo itself - the grounds were maintained by the association. We loved it when we did not have kids, although it was noisy sometimes above us and to one side. Parking was also sometimes an issue as you only got one spot and the other car had to park on the street. Kind of pain when bringing in groceries, etc. But the location was great and it was pretty big - 2 BR 2 1/2 baths. We ended up selling when our son was 15 months old. At the time we decided to sell, we were trying for a second child (I actually found out I was pregnant the day we moved) so we were just outgrowing the space. Plus, my son wanted to be outside all the time and it was hard not really having a place for him to go. That said, I could see doing it for a few years if you only had one child as long as there are some kid friendly play areas nearby. I have kept track of the units in our old complex, too, and they are selling for about $400,000 (same as what we sold ours for in 2006). The complex is right off Lee Highway in Arlington - about a mile from Clarendon metro. It is called Maywood Mews and is a nice community. Condo fees were not that high - $270 - but we did get a special assessment once for a few thousand dollars for replacing the roof. That was not fun!

[Anonymous]

I regret living in a condo- my parents also did very poorly buying a condo.. I would just avoid it unless necessary. You are at the mercy of the condo association (which some fees can add up quite a bit). You hear EVERYTHING- unless you're on top.. Just compare it to apartment living except the majority are owners with some renters.. The parking situation for that many people is dismal. these are my objections before 2 kids- now I can't imagine how i'd get a playgroup at my house or whatever- we have 1/2 acre (and no we are not rich- we got a good situation before the economy hit the fan) - our kids run around- love playing- i just would not trade it- i could do less than 1/2 acre for sure since it's a hastle to take care of but with kids- at minimum i'd prefer a townhouse.. of course- with this economy - watch us have to compromise since DH lost his job and i work 15 hours per week from home and am not the bread winner.. wish all of us luck..

[Anonymous]

I have owned my condo in Alexandria, very close to Shirlington, since 2002. It's a 2BR, 2.5BA "townhouse" style condo - I live in a 2-level lower unit and there is a 2-level unit above me. (I could never live in a building full of condos. Nor, do I think it would be easy to have an upper unit with a child.) I love the location, the space is big enough right now, the fees are reasonable for all of the services we get - 3 days of trash pickup, lawn maintenance, snow removal, etc. I have no issue at all with noise. And, it's proven to be a good investment. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that condo living can be a great alternative, but make sure to select the right location and the right style for you. I did hear recently that condo sales are going to be on the upswing because of the economy and gas prices. Someone else mentioned Fairlington, and that is definitely a great option for people with children. The Clarendon models are really like townhouses and have 3 levels, including basements. The amenities are wonderful in Fairlington.

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the Fairlington praisers - one who moved. All else equal, I prefer a single family home to a condo situation. However, all else is never equal. If I had to choose between a single family outside the beltway, or a condo in Arlington, I'd pick the condo in a minute (town house variety). Easy commute, good schools etc are all important to me, too.

I would be very careful about investigating the association before buying a condo. One of the nice things about Fairlington (particularly N Fairlington, which is a separate association) is that it is very well run. The reserve fund is giant. I'd pick a larger association with a good history of management. I would hate to buy into a small association managed by "pound foolish" individuals if they were responsible for maintaining my roof.

[Anonymous]

Our condo is a 3 bedrooms, 2 batsh in Reston - very spacious, but not like a townhouse. We don't have any noise problem, nor parking because it is "first come, first serve". There are even some garages for sale (22k I think), but since parking lot is "first come, first serve" we decided not to buy a garage.

There is a HUGE commum are right at the back of my condo, with trees and plenty of space to run wild for children

Another thing I like about my condo especifically is that we are in a walking distance (about 5 min walking) to a little mall with Giant, Blockbuster, Starbucks, ABC, Ice cream store, Boston Market, etc.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Wow, thanks for all the helpful responses - I REALLY appreciate it. I have a quick question for anyone who lives in Fairlington - if you commute to DC in the morning and afterneed terrible traffic? My husband and I work downtown (well I will be returning to work in a few months) and baby will be heading to day care near my job. Do people drive to a Metro (ok I am not sure baby will be buying a smartrip card anytime soon, but if it is easier)? Thanks again.