Community Chat

[jlkz]

@gloriajean 

As @Kachina624 and a few other posters have stated about special assessments in the past, it is very important to look at the Homeowner Association financials.  On point, how much has been set aside for key replacement / repairs of roofs, streets, siding / stucco, etc.  also, where are these things in terms of their normal life span.

May take a few minutes but it could save you a significant amount of money in the future.

[LindaSal]

@gloriajean   We bought a townhouse a year and a half ago.  Doing the dreaded "downsizing".  I have to say we love it and yes it's a Godsend having the outdoor tasks taken care of. We have 4 units together in our complex too (total of 100 units but spread out).  We lucked out and got an end unit with a double garage.  The back of ours faces a state park with 373 acres.  It really is lovely and as far as association fees, yes they will increase over time but everything goes up to continue proper care and maintainance.

A good thing is we have no pool or tennis courts either , keeps the area quiet and helps keep the fees down.  As those things just add to the cost of the property care and insurance premiums!  Good luck in your search

[Eileen in Virginia]

Will you be looking at it in person or as part of a virtual tour? If in person, listen carefully for noise carryover from your neighbors. We don't live in a townhouse, but we considered them when we were looking for a house. We were in the basement of a very nice townhouse when we heard people talking at the top of the stairs. Wrong - they were the next door neighbors on the main level of their townhouse. 

As others have stated, it's very important to confirm the financial viability of the development. Also, review the HOA requirements to be sure you agree/can live with them. Something as simple as the color of your front door and external woodwork can become costly when the HOA forces you to have them repainted because they don't comply with the approved color scheme (this happened to a friend). 

Good luck!

[kaydee50]

If it has stairs, it's a big "no" for us.  

[queendiva]

@gloriajean :After a lifetime of living in single family homes I bought an end unit townhome similar to what you describe- cluster of 4 units in 2018. From the outside my unit looks like a center hall colonial house. My unit has a full basement, attached 2 car garage, deck, first floor master suite and upstairs loft area that includes a guest suite and home office/ lounge area. Lots of open, green area- not all buildings and paved parking lots. I am very happy to live here! All ages live in the community- families, young and old. Pet friendly, too.

ETA: our HOA is in great shape financially, or at least it was prior to the pandemic. I attend monthly meetings.

Best of luck in your search. I think a townhome checks many of the boxes for home ownership.

[Shelbelle]

Been in a TH for 40 years, most of them have alot of steps, and we are still responsible for our front and back lawns. 

[Fressa]

We loved our townhouses!!!  I still think that you get "more house" with a townhouse (that you can afford in your price range) than you do with a stand alone house. The maintainence fees are an extra but so would be the added expense of hiring someone or purchasing equipment to handle the outside chores. Check the specifics as to what the maintainence fee cover. They vary from plan to plan.

I also think that a townhouse is great as your first or last home.It's great for a working person. I loved knowing that someone else is already hired to cut grass and remove snow.Good Luck.

[Starpolisher]

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@SANNA wrote:

I lived in my townhouse for 24 years. It was big, 3 levels, 3,000 sq.ft. I think it was great, everything was taken care of, absolutely everything. When roof needed to be changed it did not cost us a penny. But since we are in NJ our property tax ( my town was great for schools) was ridiculous! So we sold it  in February and moved to 55+ stand alone house a few towns away.Half price property tax!

Hope your neighbors will be nice and you will enjoy your townhows!

@SANNA 

 I also live in NJ. In a single family house. Central NJ by the Shore(Monmouth  County) I'm  currently looking at 55+ stand alone homes in South Jersey(Burlington County). May I ask what part of the state you're in? I'm finding that two bedroom small homes here in 55+ community are just as expensive as single family homes where I live now and taxes just as high!

[henderson]

I live in a small gated community and our house is attached to another house.  All the common areas (front and back yards which are practically non-existent) are taken care of by the HOA, our assessment fees include water, sewer, paving of our private roads, taking care of our walls, etc.  A few years ago we had a special assessment of about $1000 to pay for a backflow.  Assessments can be assessed for a special need.  Our backflow cost about $20,000.  Also, be aware that your monthly assessment can go up yearly.  When these homes were build in 1997 the fee was $90 month and now it's $210.  We are also have a master association that costs us $60 a month.

Please read your CC&R's completely before signing to buy.  There are restrictions on things you can and cannot do to the outside of your house, etc.  We have an Architectural Committee that approves requests for new patio doors, front doors, satellite dishes, etc.

[songbird]

When I was a kid, for a brief time we lived in one.  But we never called it a town house.  It was always a row house.  You usually had a very small back yard.

My brother lives in an upscale neighborhood where land is very expensive in a horsey set area.  So they built mega mansions (McMansions) sitting on less then 1/4 acre of land.  The space between the individual homes are less then 3 feet.  I'm not kidding.  You could barely squeeze past the homes. So they are Town Houses with out being attached. These for go from $400,000.00 up but on very next to nothing land.  That's how costly land is,  On the other hand my sister owns an individual  home that sits on 8 acres of land.  Both places are about 40 miles apart.  I don't know the value of her home (it's a nice area also) but with that land, they can get 1.something million.