Condos-common walls
 

I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?

Condos-common walls
 

Good Life wrote:
I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?

Ask the neighbors how the sound proofing works. See if you can do an
experiemnt........turn a radio on the unit of interest & then go into
the neigbor's unit.

A test is much better than a realtor's (salesperson) assurance.

cheers
Bob

Condos-common walls
 

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:42:43 -0400, (Good Life)
wrote:

I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?


Unless you have the opportunity to physically open the walls
(unlikely) there is no easy method. Salespeople love to brag about
triple-thick soundproof insulation, etc. Try to arrange to be there
at say, 10 - 11 PM on a Saturday Night to see if you can here your
neighbors TV, party, etc.

Do you want to leave your windows open? What kind of noise will you
experience just from that. I once had a super-insulated condo, but
in the spring, I liked to open the windows for fresh air. The
neighbors kids would run around the courtyard all day screaming and
jumping like the place was a public playground.

Buying a top floor condo could present its own problems. Air there
air conditioning compressors located on the roof? If so, can you
arrange to be inside your condo when these are turned on? The
mechnical equipment up there directly over your space may be from
lower-floor neighbors so you might not have control over when they are
switched on.

Roof leaks? If you have any, the top floor is going to be the first
to suffer. (Lower floor condos are sometimes plagued with bathtub -
toilet overflows from absent-minded upper-floor owners.)

Airflow - If the common hallways are enclosed, there should be a
negative pressure gradient between the hallway and your unit.
Otherwise cooking smells, smoke, cigarettes, pipes, from the neighbors
are going to seep into your unit.

Heat - Depending on your climate and exposure, the top floor gets the
hottest in summer and will have the greatest (most expensive)
air-conditioning load.

I hope I didn't discourage you. I went through the condo run-around
in 2000 and it almost killed me. Never again would I purchase a
condo.

Beachcomber

Condos-common walls
 

Condos-common walls
 

On 10 Jun 2006 00:52:00 -0700, "BobK207" wrote:


Good Life wrote:
I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?

Ask the neighbors how the sound proofing works. See if you can do an
experiemnt........turn a radio on the unit of interest & then go into
the neigbor's unit.

A test is much better than a realtor's (salesperson) assurance.


Salespeople often know very little about what they're selling.

cheers
Bob
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

Condos-common walls
 

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 12:21:26 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:42:43 -0400, (Good Life)
wrote:

I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?


Unless you have the opportunity to physically open the walls
(unlikely) there is no easy method. Salespeople love to brag about
triple-thick soundproof insulation, etc. Try to arrange to be there
at say, 10 - 11 PM on a Saturday Night to see if you can here your
neighbors TV, party, etc.

Do you want to leave your windows open? What kind of noise will you
experience just from that. I once had a super-insulated condo, but
in the spring, I liked to open the windows for fresh air. The
neighbors kids would run around the courtyard all day screaming and
jumping like the place was a public playground.

Buying a top floor condo could present its own problems. Air there
air conditioning compressors located on the roof? If so, can you
arrange to be inside your condo when these are turned on? The
mechnical equipment up there directly over your space may be from
lower-floor neighbors so you might not have control over when they are
switched on.


I once lived in an apartment where a neighbor's A/C (these were small
central units) was on the other side of the wall from my bedroom. When
it came on, it sounded like a jet plane taking off. The owner didn't
seem to care. I didn't live there much longer.

[snip]


--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

Condos-common walls
 

Good Life wrote in message
...
I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?


I don't think it's possible, unless you're buying a condo at Trump
Towers or some such thing. It's kind of like the way they build the new
duplexes. Instead of putting 2 garages between the units like they did
in the old days, they save space by using a common wall, but at least
it's interesting at times. It's truly a case of buyer beware, and when
you move into the condo, you might have an old lady with a parakeet, and
it's nice and quiet...but when the old lady dies and it's resold, you'll
no doubt be hearing things that you never dreamed of. I know. :-)

Cheri

Condos-common walls
 

Cheri wrote:
Good Life wrote in message
...
I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?


I don't think it's possible, unless you're buying a condo at Trump
Towers or some such thing. It's kind of like the way they build the new
duplexes. Instead of putting 2 garages between the units like they did
in the old days, they save space by using a common wall, but at least
it's interesting at times. It's truly a case of buyer beware, and when
you move into the condo, you might have an old lady with a parakeet, and
it's nice and quiet...but when the old lady dies and it's resold, you'll
no doubt be hearing things that you never dreamed of. I know. :-)

Cheri

Watch out for maintence fees and special assements.

Sorry we need a new roof and sidewalks the condo fee just jumped 200
bucks a month:(
Then there are intrusive rules like no satellite dishes allowed, our
owned cable is all your allowed at twice the price, and a friends
buying a brand new one reported yesterday it was costring him $2500.00
for ethernet cat 5e wiring... Seems one company is all thats allwowed
to install some basic telephone wiring, plus $1500 to plug in and
configure his wireless router. anyone who has done this knows its no
biggie, perhaps a hour of mucking about, telephone does it or free for
first computer 75 per for each additional.

you know condos dont do all this for free, sure they cut grass and
shovel sidewalks but you pay for it...

I DONT want to own something and have others tell me what I can and
cant do with my property!

but whatever floats your boat

Condos-common walls
 

Down to the question at hand....Fire codes require a fire break between
units. My experience (I was a condo owner and president of the
association..Which they all have by the way) Some are separated by double
sheetrock in each unit and insulation between them. Some to save on
insurance cost put a brick wall between them all the way thru the roof to
separate them in case of fire. Ours was a 2 story condo and no one lived
over us so we only had to worry about maybe a leak that might run thru on
the ground floor. Biggest issue was the association and the meetings and
trying to get anything extra done with 118 families in the association and
about 20% being on fixed income. You want to know more?? e-mail me with
questions and I will give you the straight story of three years as an
association president and treasurer.
bob
"Good Life" wrote in message
...
I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?

Condos-common walls
 

" wrote in
ups.com:


Then there are intrusive rules like no satellite dishes allowed,

IIRC,Federal law prevents that as long as you mount it on your own
property,not any common property.(For 18 inch dishes.)
Of course,if you don't have line-of-sight from your exposure,then you're
SOL.





--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Condos-common walls
 

bob kater wrote:

Down to the question at hand....Fire codes require a fire break between
units. My experience (I was a condo owner and president of the
association..Which they all have by the way) Some are separated by double
sheetrock in each unit and insulation between them. Some to save on
insurance cost put a brick wall between them all the way thru the roof to
separate them in case of fire.

SNIP

Since you brought it up...
Don't count on Fire Codes being the same everywhere.
And don't count on any kind of building compliance on
condos which are less than "brand new".

Wood framed "garden apartments" converted to condos
or condos built new in that style often have less
than adequate fire stops in the attic space common to
all units. Fire at one end spreads very rapidly to
engulf the entire attic space when not well protected.

We had one such incident here in Cleveland, OH this week.
3-story bldg, 79 units destroyed/uninhabitable. 2 fatalities.

http://www.cleveland.com/search/inde...uyahoga&coll=2

Jim

Condos-common walls
 

Jim Yanik wrote:
" wrote in
ups.com:


Then there are intrusive rules like no satellite dishes allowed,

IIRC,Federal law prevents that as long as you mount it on your own
property,not any common property.(For 18 inch dishes.)
Of course,if you don't have line-of-sight from your exposure,then you're
SOL.





--
Jim Yanik
jyanik

Just went thru that this week with a friend, the condo marketers song
and danced around the law finally told my friend we will not sell to
you if you demand a dish. They didnt want them on the front of the unit
which happended to be where it had to go:(

I pointed out federal law said he could put it on his front porch, a
argument started that their covenants come before any federal law. with
that kind of attitude what other trouble is he in for.

incidently the current law is one meter.

time will tell they ended up allowing the dish but hit him up for 2500
bucks for ethernet wiring pure rip off...
at
kua.net

Condos-common walls
 

I was living in one in Baton Rouge La.. townhouse was built in 1970 and was
built with fire walls etc. Just figured if they did it right so would most.
Insurance rates are extremely high there on connected garden homes. I live
in North Carolina now and they are pretty strict here on that also. No
paying off the building inspector here!
"Speedy Jim" wrote in message
. com...
bob kater wrote:

Down to the question at hand....Fire codes require a fire break between
units. My experience (I was a condo owner and president of the
association..Which they all have by the way) Some are separated by double
sheetrock in each unit and insulation between them. Some to save on
insurance cost put a brick wall between them all the way thru the roof to
separate them in case of fire.

SNIP

Since you brought it up...
Don't count on Fire Codes being the same everywhere.
And don't count on any kind of building compliance on
condos which are less than "brand new".

Wood framed "garden apartments" converted to condos
or condos built new in that style often have less
than adequate fire stops in the attic space common to
all units. Fire at one end spreads very rapidly to
engulf the entire attic space when not well protected.

We had one such incident here in Cleveland, OH this week.
3-story bldg, 79 units destroyed/uninhabitable. 2 fatalities.

http://www.cleveland.com/search/inde...uyahoga&coll=2

Jim

Condos-common walls
 

Just went thru that this week with a friend, the condo marketers song
and danced around the law finally told my friend we will not sell to
you if you demand a dish. They didnt want them on the front of the unit
which happended to be where it had to go:(

I pointed out federal law said he could put it on his front porch, a
argument started that their covenants come before any federal law. with
that kind of attitude what other trouble is he in for.


Condo's are tricky animals. If your board is extremely political, it
is difficult to get an honest audit of expenses.

I lived in a condo where the developer had a sales office on the
premises. With deceptive agreements buried in the bylaws of the
condo association, this developer had his lawyer declare large rooms,
storage spaces, about half the parking garage, and otherwise revenue
producing property a "limited common element" assigned to his personal
use. He rented these out, kept the money, and the condo association
gets stuck with the property tax bills.

In addition, we didn't find out until five years after buying in, but
this same developer had all his utilities on condo association common
area meters. We were paying for his heat, light, air conditioning,
and the electric bills to run his business for years.

This guy was an incredible operator. His building manager owned a few
of his own apartment buildings, so that many of our cleaning supplies,
lightbulbs, garden supplies, garage door opener remotes, and
replacement expenses were diverted to his personal building. His
favorite activity was stealing our fire extinguishers and one time he
even took a snow blower.

The point is... even if you have the best volunteer condo board, they
are still only working part time and it is difficult to provide
oversight and controls to areas outside of their immediate realm.

As for me, no more condos.... ever!

Beachcomber

Condos-common walls
 

some condos limit plumbers to certain companies, supposedly fearing a
bad plumbing job can effect your neighbors.

of course this can lead to higher plumber prices, if just a couple are
allowed to work in your home.

someone on condo board might get kickback for every plumbing job
done.....

Condos-common walls
 

Good Life wrote:
I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a
condo. I would like to know what question I should ask the builder
about the soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3
different condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different
answer when I asked about material used between the common walls. I
want to buy an end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1
neighbor on the side and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to
tell me how I could be assured of good soundproofing material?

Which does not belong on the list?

1. Gonorrhea
2. AIDS
3. Herpes
4. A Condo

Answer: #1. You can get rid of Gonorrhea.

Condos-common walls THANKS TO ALL
 

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.

Condos-common walls
 

:)

--
Cheri



HeyBub wrote in message ...

Which does not belong on the list?

1. Gonorrhea
2. AIDS
3. Herpes
4. A Condo

Answer: #1. You can get rid of Gonorrhea.

Condos-common walls THANKS TO ALL
 

Good Life wrote:
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.

Glad to be of help!

If the problem is maintaining your home you might ask your neighbors
and friends about a handyman type, for minor repairs, and hire someone
to cut grass etc.

Even those these cost bucks it will be far cheaper than selling your
home and buying a condo.

just consider the realtor fees and fees to sell a home. 6 or 7% of the
total equity in your home:(

If your short on cash and up in years investigate a reverse mortage,
which will draw down on the equity in your home while paying you enough
$ to cover costs.

Condos-common walls
 

" wrote in
oups.com:


Jim Yanik wrote:
" wrote in
ups.com:


Then there are intrusive rules like no satellite dishes allowed,

IIRC,Federal law prevents that as long as you mount it on your own
property,not any common property.(For 18 inch dishes.)
Of course,if you don't have line-of-sight from your exposure,then you're
SOL.





--
Jim Yanik
jyanik

Just went thru that this week with a friend, the condo marketers song
and danced around the law finally told my friend we will not sell to
you if you demand a dish. They didnt want them on the front of the unit
which happended to be where it had to go:(

You buy(don't "demand a dish",that's idiotic.),-then install your dish,then
stand up for your rights under the law.(IF they try anything..they may
already know they have no legal basis for their rule.Let them try to trump
Federal law!)

And you can use concealment or disguise so it doesn't look like a dish.


I pointed out federal law said he could put it on his front porch, a
argument started that their covenants come before any federal law.

HARDLY.
The Federal law was enacted in response to such tactics.
But..if you're not going to stand up for your rights....
then you pay thru the nose for broadband cable.

with
that kind of attitude what other trouble is he in for.

incidently the current law is one meter.

time will tell they ended up allowing the dish but hit him up for 2500
bucks for ethernet wiring pure rip off...
at
kua.net




--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Condos-common walls
 

"bob kater" wrote in
:

Down to the question at hand....Fire codes require a fire break
between units.

ONLY if those were built AFTER the code was enacted.
If they were apartments converted to condos,they may have been built before
the code became law.


Not all condos were built AS condos.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Condos-common walls THANKS TO ALL
 

Condos-common walls THANKS TO ALL
 

"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....

Condos-common walls
 

) said...

some condos limit plumbers to certain companies, supposedly fearing a
bad plumbing job can effect your neighbors.

OR, they fear that a GOOD plumber will point out all the deficiencies
and open up lawsuits.

someone on condo board might get kickback for every plumbing job
done.....

That is also not unheard of, and likely FAR more common than most would
care to admit.

--
Calvin Henry-Cotnam
"I really think Canada should get over to Iraq as quickly as possible"
- Paul Martin - April 30, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: if replying by email, remove "remove." and ".invalid"


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Condos-common walls
 

Jim Yanik wrote:
" wrote in
ups.com:



Then there are intrusive rules like no satellite dishes allowed,


IIRC,Federal law prevents that as long as you mount it on your own
property,not any common property.(For 18 inch dishes.)
Of course,if you don't have line-of-sight from your exposure,then you're
SOL.





Federal law says I can put a satellite dish outside my condo? I doubt
it. Florida statutes specifically allow one American flag and access to
cable television without additional charge. Condo's can require me to
install hurricane shutters or white mini-blinds in my windows, so the
power over appearance seems absolute. What does fed. statute say about
satellite dishes in condos?

Condos-common walls
 

Norminn wrote in
ink.net:

Jim Yanik wrote:
" wrote in
ups.com:



Then there are intrusive rules like no satellite dishes allowed,


IIRC,Federal law prevents that as long as you mount it on your own
property,not any common property.(For 18 inch dishes.)
Of course,if you don't have line-of-sight from your exposure,then
you're SOL.





Federal law says I can put a satellite dish outside my condo? I doubt
it. Florida statutes specifically allow one American flag and access
to cable television without additional charge. Condo's can require me
to install hurricane shutters or white mini-blinds in my windows, so
the power over appearance seems absolute. What does fed. statute say
about satellite dishes in condos?


http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb8023.html

note it says;

Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 directed the Commission
to enact regulations to prohibit restrictions that impair a viewer's
ability to receive video programming through devices designed for over-the-
air reception of direct broadcast satellite ("DBS") service, multichannel
multipoint distribution service ("MMDS" or "wireless cable"), or television
broadcast signals. The Commission adopted the rule that currently applies
to antenna restrictions on property within the exclusive use or control of
an antenna user who has a direct or indirect ownership interest

Condo owners own their condo.

in the property. At that time, the Commission issued a Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on whether Section 207 should be
interpreted to apply also to rental property and common areas.

you can probably find more at www.fcc.gov

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net