NationStates Jolt Archive

So lately I've been keeping my eyes on the housing trends, you know what people are selling, what they're buying the prices, etc. Mainly because I should be graduating in about two years and I need to know what is worth what. Well, during these research and data collecting, I've noticed that more and more people are buying Condominiums and Townhouses rather than regular houses, it's common in places that have very little land or land is expensive. Where I live, land is expensive so Condo/Townhouses sales are going up. I wonder if this is a National trend or if it's just a local trend. Has anyone else noticed this in your area? Also what do you think of Condo/Townhouses?

Personally I wouldn't mind living in one, but I do have some reservation. The main one is the fact that I live in a college apartment for two years, and in those two years everyone was loud, the entire building stank of drugs and beer, and there was a huge roach/rat problem. Yea, it wasn't exactly the most up kept place. So I'm a little worried that with a Condo at least that I'm going to get the same problem. There's also the concern for privacy that I have. I am by nature a very private person (in real day to day life), and I like to keep it that way. With everyone living so close together, you got to figure that privacy is compromised in some way of shape and form. The final thing for me would have to be space. Because I am a private person and a recluse, I need my space. I have my reason for needing my space, and having privacy and space is a big thing for me. So yea.

I hope to own a condo in Philly by the time I'm 30.

EDIT: Or a brownstone in the future very posh Camden Common.

I own a townhouse in Colorado Springs. I wouldn't have it any other way. There's an HOA fee, but it covers things like all external maintenance (landscaping, painting, the roof, etc.). It also covers water and trash disposal.

Just be careful of certain things like location and construction quality and make sure that most of the people in the complex are owners and not renters (owners tend to have more pride in the place so less chance of roaches and rats). Location is always important - my townhome is in northern Colorado Springs so there's less congestion (there's a greenbelt in back of my place so I'm looking at trees instead of houses and there's a population of deer, squirrels, rabbits and other wildlife). Good construction quality means soundproofing among other things - neighbors always make noise but a properly soundproofed place goes a long way towards mitigating that.

I prefer a townhouse to a condo because there's no one under you or over you only to either side and if you have an end unit, it's only to one side. The downside is that if you want a garden or pets, you're limited by the fact that the outdoor space available to you ranges in size from a smallish deck to a large patio. Also, storage is limited.

So lately I've been keeping my eyes on the housing trends, you know what people are selling, what they're buying the prices, etc. Mainly because I should be graduating in about two years and I need to know what is worth what. Well, during these research and data collecting, I've noticed that more and more people are buying Condominiums and Townhouses rather than regular houses, it's common in places that have very little land or land is expensive. Where I live, land is expensive so Condo/Townhouses sales are going up. I wonder if this is a National trend or if it's just a local trend. Has anyone else noticed this in your area? Also what do you think of Condo/Townhouses?

Personally I wouldn't mind living in one, but I do have some reservation. The main one is the fact that I live in a college apartment for two years, and in those two years everyone was loud, the entire building stank of drugs and beer, and there was a huge roach/rat problem. Yea, it wasn't exactly the most up kept place. So I'm a little worried that with a Condo at least that I'm going to get the same problem. There's also the concern for privacy that I have. I am by nature a very private person (in real day to day life), and I like to keep it that way. With everyone living so close together, you got to figure that privacy is compromised in some way of shape and form. The final thing for me would have to be space. Because I am a private person and a recluse, I need my space. I have my reason for needing my space, and having privacy and space is a big thing for me. So yea.
In what field are you likely to get a job? What is the average starting pay? That's a much bigger factor in what you can do... If you're going to make $25,000 per year, plan on renting for a while.

In fact, plan on renting for a while, no matter where you live, or what you make. You can save for a decent down-payment, while figuring out what the best location is for a purchase.

If one were to put single family homes with a decent lot compared to a Townhouse/Condo with a maintenance fee attached the single family home wins in the real estate game overall. My personal experience is that land value is what really drives upward real estate prices. Especially now with fuel prices rising you really want to look toward a major city property with a decent lot and a single family home. That is your best chance for good appreciation. Not saying you cannot get appreciation in a Townhouse/Condo but when a market slumps Townhouses/Condos are the first to take the hit. Single family homes with a lot are the preferable choice for the majority.

condos and townhouses are for people who dont want the bother of taking care of a yard. MAYBE for those who want a cool downtown location where all the artistes live and work.

i like having a yard so i would never be interested in anything but a single family house.

Personally, I've found location is king and it demands a suitable ransom.
That means that not even multi-millionaires get detatched houses in, say, central London.

I hope to own a condo in Philly by the time I'm 30.

EDIT: Or a brownstone in the future very posh Camden Common.

I hope it's not actually in Camden.

I hope it's not actually in Camden.

Didn't you hear? They're going to knock Camden down and put a big park there!

condos and townhouses are not a bad thing if you know what you are looking at and for. just be careful that what you are looking at is not a glorified apartment.

What they seem to be doing more of in my area (Seattle) is taking apartments slapping some fresh paint and calling them condos then selling them for a lot more than what they should be worth. So just be careful.

I'd say that's a pretty reasonable assessment. Higher oil prices as well as general shifts in the overall cultural trend are making denser, more walkable neighborhoods a more popular choice for an increasing number of people. I'd say we're going to see a considerable slowdown in the overall demand for detached, suburban housing (perhaps even to the point of net zero long-term growth) and sprawl and an increase in density and development in existing areas, including suburbs already located along mass transit lines.

I'd say this will be a generally beneficial trend, reducing the impact of development while allowing more people to reap the benefits of higher-density neighborhoods. However, the concern will be that we'll see a repeat of the problems seen in many cities of the past, with the poor and working class marginalized in to once-again decrepit suburbs and the wealthy and middle classes living in the city.

In what field are you likely to get a job? What is the average starting pay? That's a much bigger factor in what you can do... If you're going to make $25,000 per year, plan on renting for a while.

In fact, plan on renting for a while, no matter where you live, or what you make. You can save for a decent down-payment, while figuring out what the best location is for a purchase.

Occupational Therapy, starting at 50K, and I'm actually already saving for a down payment. I've been saving since I started undergrad. Yay for part time jobs.

I'm in a condo. And I, like you, like my privacy and space and I personally don't feel either is infringed on. I also have quiet neighbours, so that's not an issue.

Condos, duplexes, and apartments, and townhomes all have too many people concentrated too densely for my liking.