I've seen a lot of the "condominium association from hell", with board
members who are true goons, and unit owners who could not be less
concerned as long as they get their personal agenda. If I told you a
bit of what has happened, you wouldn't believe me. Florida land values
have brought us investors who get a spot on the board, refuse to
maintain or repair, and flip the property for 100$ profit.

AT MINIUMUM, if you consider purchase of either a condo or hoa governed
property, read the applicable statutes and the documents for the org.
Florida has separate statutes for hoa's and condo assns. The condo or
hoa is governed by the documents - bylaws, rules, etc. The assn. itself
may not give you access to records, but the seller can and I would
insist on it. Their board meeting minutes and rules enforcement records
(could be board or committee or management company) should give you a
good idea of issues and how they are handled.

Thinking about what has transpired in our condo assn. makes my hands
shake so badly it is hard to type. No joke. Like being assaulted for
shutting off sprinkler because company is coming on Good Friday evening,
and having cops who don't do paperwork, no matter what. Having city
code addressed by folks who can't spot a leaky roof, even if it is ready
to fall on their heads. Code insepctors who respond to complaints of
rats in attic by inspecting an AC duct and finding a "dust ball".

On 10/24/05 10:05 pm DS tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

Where can a person find out more information about the pros and cons of
owning a town home versus a typical single family home? I need a lot
more
information to make an informed choice.

He didn't mention condo. A town home is not necessarily a condo
although it may involve issues in shared ownership of common walls,
hot water heaters, etc. Even a single family house can have a
mandatory HOA.

From long and bitter experience, I suggest that the condo form of
ownership can be the worst if you have serious building problems, or
you find it difficult to work with people on your condo board. Once
you buy in, you have no control over who your potential neighbors are
or if you have a condo board from hell. If the board decides assess
each unit $10,000 and paint the place pink, you have to pay it!

Townhouses involve living in situations where you share common walls
and landscaping features. You may or may not be assessed for common
area expenses.

Townhouses can be good if you like your neighbors and don't mind
living in close proximity with them.

A house, on the other hand, is always your castle. You still have
risks though. You may get drunken no-good neighors who steal your
newspapers and let their dogs go on your lawn. You are responsible
for all maintenance issues. The maintenance cost is typically higher
since you don't have other units with which to spread them around.
You may need to personally invest in a lawn mower, snow thrower.
You and you alone pay for the water bill, the sewer bill, the garbage
bill, etc.

Beachcomber