Should I move? I just accepted a new job. An opportunity to live in a sweet condo 5 minutes from my new job has presented itself. I'm trying to decide If I should move or not.
[more inside]
posted by cgg
on May 7, 2010 -
23 answers
Just looking for some opinions on the housing market, specifically the condo market in Chicago. My husband and I are considering a purchase - we are renters now - before the tax incentives expire. We are living on a fixed income now. A longer term ARM, 7/1 or 10/1, seems to offer the best rates, but as we don't want to sink our whole nest egg into a down-payment, we are a little worried whether the market has really bottomed out and what will happen after all the incentives for first-time buyers disappear. We don't want to be upside down a year from now. ( housing market condo Chicago mortgage )
posted by Tullyogallaghan
on Apr 22, 2010 -
10 answers
ChicagoHousingFilter: My landlord needs to sell my unit, and wants to terminate the lease upon sale. I have a year left on the lease and don't know what to do about her request.
[more inside]
posted by sldownard
on Apr 14, 2010 -
19 answers
How bad an idea would it be to try to buy a condo before the new homeowner credit deadline (April 30th)?
[more inside]
posted by smackfu
on Mar 22, 2010 -
10 answers
We are buying a condo, and we just did the home inspection today. While there, a small cockroach (and possibly a second one) scurried out from a lower level cabinet. Should this be a dealbreaker, or can they adequately be dealt with? In most every respect, the condo struck me as being pretty clean and in good shape. I live in LA, and from what we've been told, this is a pretty normal pest problem.
posted by SpacemanStix
on Mar 9, 2010 -
19 answers
I am thinking about buying a specific apartment (condo) in Brooklyn, NY. For this question, let's assume that this apartment is a smart investment / better than renting, financially. While I don't have plans to leave New York in the immediate future, I'm not 100% committed to staying here, either. So my question is about contingencies: if I got this apartment, then in a few years needed to move to a different city, how much pain would I be bringing upon myself to keep the apartment and rent it out?
[more inside]
posted by the jam
on Mar 2, 2010 -
8 answers
So confused! My county thinks we have a condo but we thought we have a single-family home (i.e. a free-standing house on land we own). Then why does my property tax bill show that we've been taxed for the land?
[more inside]
posted by ObeyScient
on Nov 24, 2009 -
11 answers
If I buy a condo in Seattle with a great view, will that view be blocked by new condo construction in the near future?
[more inside]
posted by nyc_consultant
on Nov 9, 2009 -
10 answers
My grandpa lives in Chicago and has decided to move into a retirement community (also in Chicago). We are not sure what to do with his condo. The mortgage is paid off, but the assessments come to about $550 a month with taxes being around $1000/yr. We would like to sell the condo at some point, but right now market is so bad that it might not be worth selling. We are considering renting it out, but have never had experience with renting. We believe we can rent it out for about $1,000 a month.
[more inside]
posted by parakeetdog
on Nov 1, 2009 -
9 answers
My condo suddenly wants me to sign an agreement saying I will abide by their draconian rules and provide a tonne of personal data to them. This is all under the guise that they are creating 'files' for residents for access to the building. Is this legal?
[more inside]
posted by urbanette
on Oct 13, 2009 -
10 answers
My fiance and I are in the midst of buying a condo. Offer accepted, inspection went great, still collecting all the documents related to the condo association. Yesterday, we got a three page document that is the "noise abatement policy." We are not happy. But should we suck it up and still buy the place?
[more inside]
posted by bibbit
on Oct 13, 2009 -
37 answers
Miystery Leak in apartment that we just purchased...where could it be coming from and how to proceed to ensure it doesn't occur again?
[more inside]
posted by spacefire
on Oct 12, 2009 -
5 answers
Looking for suggestions or examples of websites dedicated to folks who live in Condos or HOAs (i.e. a website for a specific building or development), and what makes them work (or not).
[more inside]
posted by lowlife
on Sep 23, 2009 -
3 answers
Does anyone know of a reliable home (or condo in this case) inspector that specializes in the Hoboken / Jersey City area?
[more inside]
posted by thetenthstory
on Sep 11, 2009 -
2 answers
Is it OK (consequence-free) for my condo association to delay all roof shingle replacements until January?
[more inside]
posted by amtho
on Aug 10, 2009 -
3 answers
Bats are living (and excreting) in the attic of my condo unit. I first noticed them in Sept 08, and immediately contacted my property management company for removal and cleaning. Since then, I've called every 2-3 weeks and attended two HOA meetings to bring up the issue. I keep getting excuses or brushed off. How can I motivate them to ACTUALLY remove the bats, protect my unit from further infestation and clean the insulation?
[more inside]
posted by steeb2er
on Jun 22, 2009 -
8 answers
I need ideas for renting out our furnished Seattle condo while still allowing us to use it periodically, and while not running afoul of our condo association's rule regarding rentals.
[more inside]
posted by HotToddy
on May 17, 2009 -
9 answers
We're heading to Kauai in late June/early July for our anniversary, and are leaning toward staying on the North Shore--I'd love to hear from folks out there about their experiences with condos. Worth it? A Hassle? If I can't sear a mahi mahi steak to save my life, and there aren't any restaurants nearby, will we starve?
[more inside]
posted by Ham_On_Rye
on May 4, 2009 -
5 answers
I'm on the board of HOA of my building and we have a bylaw which prohibits leasing of units. But it occurs to me, couldn't an owner just rent on the sly?
For example, they could say someone is house-sitting their condo. Or they could say they're letting a friend stay at their place for a while.
How can a condo board prove a unit is being leased?
posted by rsol44
on Apr 22, 2009 -
11 answers
For purchasing a 1- or 2-bedroom condo in NYC: tips and links to how to search effectively, evaluate wisely, and get a great deal and wondeful home? Ideas (or links to forums) about which neighborhoods and types of condos are the best values, broker recommendations, etc.?
posted by Malad
on Apr 10, 2009 -
7 answers
Unfortunately for my condo association and me, I have been designated to do our annual taxes. It's supposed to be really easy. I just fill out form 1120h and pay the tax. Except, according to my calculations (and including the $100 deduction), the government owes us money?! (only $5 of our income is taxable) What am I doing wrong? Why would the government owe us money when we haven't yet paid any tax?
[more inside]
posted by B-squared
on Apr 8, 2009 -
4 answers
I and four friends have rented a condo in Kona for four nights. Now, a cousin of one of us is going to "crash" in the condo for two nights. How should we share the costs? (other logistics within...)
[more inside]
posted by SSinVan
on Mar 29, 2009 -
7 answers
My boyfriend and I just booked a flight to Honolulu for the first week of May and now we need to find accommodations. We're hoping to find a week-long rental somewhere within the city to use as a home base, spend most of our time at the beach and/or exploring nearby tourist-y sites via public transit, and maybe rent a car for just a couple days.
[more inside]
posted by sanitycheck
on Feb 2, 2009 -
7 answers
My toilet is constantly backing up with soap and water to the point where it overflows and floods my condo! What is the problem? What are my legal options?
[more inside]
posted by DorothySmith
on Jan 4, 2009 -
16 answers
How did you learn how to buy a house? First-time homeowner needs some guidance.
[more inside]
posted by sah
on Nov 1, 2008 -
25 answers
We've moved every two years since 2000. Always renting. We're about to move into our very own condo, and in the interests of not being ripped off, we're avoiding the developer's sources/prices and buying our own appliances, window treatments, do our own closets, find our own contractor for the floors, etc.
The problem? We don't know how to do any of this stuff. Bonus points: 6 month old baby.
[more inside]
posted by NoRelationToLea
on Sep 30, 2008 -
12 answers
I am looking to buy a condo next fall (2009) in DC. While I have rented in DC for quite some time, I haven't been keeping an eye on the housing market nearly as much, particularly as it has begun its decline.
[more inside]
posted by waylaid
on Sep 29, 2008 -
3 answers
In the market of Buying a Condo in the Los Angeles areas and want to know how to research best. Need to find out sites that keep me up to date with the housing market, when its good to buy etc...for with the economy right now I don't really know what to do.....please help
[more inside]
posted by matthelm
on Sep 23, 2008 -
5 answers
How much does it usually cost to paint a three-story fire-escape-style metal staircase?
[more inside]
posted by ignignokt
on Aug 31, 2008 -
8 answers
What manufacturers should I be looking at in searching out a very secure (i.e. 3 point lock) but stylish interior door to act as the entrance into a condo unit?
[more inside]
posted by serial_consign
on Jun 18, 2008 -
6 answers
House vs. apartment. Are the costs of maintaining a house roughly less, the same as, or more than levies on a comparably sized apartment?
[more inside]
posted by lottie
on Jun 16, 2008 -
11 answers
Legally, what rights do I have in regards to shoddy renovation work done on my condo before I bought it?
[more inside]
posted by tocts
on Jan 31, 2008 -
16 answers
