"Good Life" wrote in message
...
I think you guys have probably saved me from making a major mistake. I
will now rethink my housing plans. I never would have thought so many
problems could arise in what looked like an ideal housing choice for
someone who is getting on in years. Thanks to all at home repair.

Hey, don't rule them out completely- I'm not personally a big fan of condos,
but I can see where they make sense for people in certain situations, like
the snowbirds who are gone a third of the year, or folks like you that don't
feel up to doing outside upkeep any more. You just need to go into the
situation with your eyes open, do a lot of research, and take everything the
sales guy says with a big grain of salt. If you can find a community where
you already know some people, asking them for an honest account of their
ownership experiences is a good place to start. A few hundred bucks to a
lawyer to examine the tiny-print boilerplate contract before you sign
anything is a good idea, too. Ask about worst-case scenarios- can the condo
association spring huge suprise assessments, and are you locked into
arbitration by their designated service in the case of any disputes?

Might I suggest renting a condo for a year? Perhaps you can find a rental in
a community where the owner you rent from isn't quite ready to sell? If you
can rent, and get the owner to share the paperwork over a years time with
you, that would give a good taste of how well the place is run, how
competent the management company is, etc. IIRC, the IRS gives you a couple
of years to roll over the proceeds from selling your current house.

As to the physical aspects of a condo- most of the ones I have seen are
physically similar in quality to mid-level apartments. The upper-end condos
are about the same price as buying a fancy house, and just hiring a lawn
service and regular handyman to do the outside work. Only the upper-end ones
will have similar quiet and solitude to a private house.

Yet another idea- if you own your current house free and clear, and like it,
and if you have the income to afford it, have you priced out just hiring out
the work you don't feel able to do anymore? My father stopped doing yard
work around ten years ago when he started having vision and balance
problems, and found a guy to do the yardwork and simple outside upkeep.
Costs 80-100 per month, depending on how fast the grass grows. That is
comparable to the monthly hit in many condo communitys.

aem sends....