Condo or House?

carlamkarion

I was just wondering if you had the discussion with your husbands about whether to settle into a condo or a house? We don't have any kids or pets yet, but will have either or both by next August. I would like a house and more family-oriented area but he doesn't want to move to the burbs and wants to stay close to downtown. Has anybody else wrestled with this yet and how did you resolve it?

 

giapez80

We bought a condo because that was what was in our price range that we could comfortably afford the payments for.  I would NEVER buy another condo or townhome if I can help it.  We hear our neighbors all the time, the association fees are really high, and they keep getting more expensive-even though our association says they won't raise the monthly fee this year, the association has a million rules, and are constantly adding new ones.  We can't even put hardwood floors in our home.  Its ridiculous.  And of course, there are the times in the winter with the snow...when the snow removal company doesn't come until 11 or noon...and we can't get out of our street or driveway and have to miss a half day or more of work (yes, we learned our lesson, and we are buying a shovel, but it never should have happened).  Or the time when they plowed my car in, because I was parked in the street (as they told us NOT to park in our driveways so that they could plow them).  Go with the house...it might be more work, but in the end its worth it.  If you want to put in new floors, you can...if you want to turn your stereo or tv up, you can, and it won't bother your neighbors.  I regret every minute of our decision to buy a condo.

ladychicago

i think it has to come down to budget and commuting preferences.    there aren't a lot of houses "close" to downtown, but I suppose it depends on what you mean by "close."   Have you looked into Beverly?   Or Forest Glen/Sauganaush?   Those are Chicago neighborhoods with primarily single family homes that are a much easier commute than the burbs.   

 

but for us... we really don't want to suck up a 60+ minute commute until we absolutely need the extra space.   until then, we're happy with condos, since it gets us a better quality of life everywhere else.     and not all condo associations are the same, so you should do your research on the association and the rules before even thinking about buying in. 

Ankea97

My DH wouldn't even consider the suburbs (any part- even the close ones) when we were looking to buy in January of 2007. 

We moved from my 2 br condo (3rd floor of a 4th floor building- never doing that again) to a 4 level townhome (no neighbors above or below) in West Bucktown.  We are the corner unit and barely hear our neighbors.  On one side there is the fire staircase in between.  We have 4 BR, an attached 2 car garage and are walking distance to the el.  Our association can have its moments- but for the most part, we don't mind it too much and love not having to plow the driveway or mow the grass.  We will likely be staying in this place until our son needs to go to kindergarten as I don't want to do CPS.

Salliejabl

It really depends on what you can reasonably afford.  My husband and I currently live in a condo but not by choice.  If we could have moved into a home we would have.  But after running the figures, decided that we would suck it up and deal with it until the time is right for us.

Living in a condo isn't horrible.  There are some expenses you save on that you wouldn't if living in a home.  If having complete privacy is your thing, then a house is the way to go.  And with the state of the housing market right now, you might be able to find something that fits your range that you wouldn't have a year ago.

 Good luck!

carlamkarion

Thanks so much for your tips!

carlamkarion

Yeah, good point about the school location...that's another topic we need to seriously discuss with the husband, haha. Thank you, everybody! This has given me lots of food for thought! Thank you.

chi-wine-lady

We wanted to stay in the city, but wanted more space, so we searched for townhouses.  There aren't that many on the near northside that fit our criteria (2 car garage, rooftop deck, near public trans), but there are some in Roscoe Village / Lakeview and Bucktown that are affordable (also in Lincoln Park - but way overpriced).  We love our townhouse - feels like a house but at 1/2 the cost of a single family in the area.  It's definitely a place where we can stay for a while.