I prefer a single family home, always. But… we fell in love with a beautiful, new construction townhome in a gated community. 2 car parking space, garage, lake view at 1,673 sq ft. We love that it’s low maintenance and it’s a wonderful upgrade from a 2B 2B apt. Its just my husband, me, and our 1 year old. It’s really just what works for you.
My first home I owned was a garden style condo, and it was a great starter home, as it was brand new and I never had to do any major repairs in the 9 years I was there. I also didn't have to worry about snow clean up, or garden work etc. I think it's up to the individual, as to which is better, a SFH or condo, as was said in the video. A couple of the most irritating parts of the condo was, having to listen to my neighbors' noise, both beside me and above. I do not recommend buying a garden style condo, unless it is on the top floor and there is an elevator! Also the condo association were a bunch of Karens with nothing better to do than look for rule breakers, but when you had a complaint they barely answered the phone. I eventually started adding "Penitentiary" to the name of our condo development on any paperwork I had to fill out and return to them! I got fined 50.00 a day for not mailing back an information form,, which I felt was an invasion of my privacy, it ended up being 800.00, and it was ridiculous. Got fined 50.00 a day for having a pumpkin on my FIRST FLOOR balcony, and got letters stating I needed to remove my flowers because they had a couple of dead buds on them. So if you like privacy, and freedom, and you don't want to be treated like a child in your own home, don't buy a condo, because not only will the association be in your business, but you are on top of your neighbors, and there are prudes all over the place looking for reasons to complain about you. Another thing to be concerned about is condo fees, they only go up, and whether or not your association has a healthy reserve. You can get this paperwork and look it over. Know that when you buy a condo, although you may not have as many expensive outside projects, they can charge an assessment which can be very costly. I have no regrets about the condo, it was a great starter home as I said and I learned a lot about home ownership in a more controlled environment, and it was WAY better than renting! I now own a single family home, which I LOVE, and am MUCH HAPPIER in! I enjoy gardening and yard work (I know I am nuts), so spending a Saturday or any day raking or weeding is ok with me! I enjoy doing projects, because a house IS a never ending project, there is always something that needs repair or updating, or cleaning. If you don't like yard work, then don't buy a house unless it's on a postage stamp lot, or plan to hire someone to do it. If you are not into doing minor projects then don't buy a house, cause as I said you will be doing a lot of them. Make sure you have adequate savings and income BEFORE taking the leap into home ownership, as it can be expensive!! I have been in my house for almost 7 years and have spent about 30K in repairs and maintenance, maybe more. Realize that not everything needs to be done immediately, take it one project at a time, I did one major project a year. My friend gave me that advice when I was looking at homes and seeing some o the work that needed to be done. Anyway, my two cents is do your own research on the pros and cons of both, and also your life style, if you like your weekends free to party or do other activities maybe a condo would be better for you, on the other hand if your party days are mostly over, and you like gardening etc maybe go for the house. Personal decision only YOU can make!
I have been in it all lol.. condos, townhomes, single family .. I am currently in a nice single family home , but prefer a tiny home or what we call villas in Florida .. nicer duplexes. So you share a wall but it is more like a house. I like to lock up and go so will be looking for that next again.
Great video. Another problem with anyplace with an HOA is that they can decide to do maintenance you wouldn't do, and then they pass along the costs. You may need to save for maintenance as a home owner, but at least you can decide to actually do it when you can afford to, not when someone else decides you have to pay for it.
You are correct, there can be. I mentioned this at about the 4:17 mark, but because they aren’t the majority (at least here in Minnesota) and for the sake of keeping this video simple, I didn’t go into much detail on them. I’ll probably do a separate video discussing single family hoa’s later.
Townhouses are better than condos that are flats and stacked. Lived in it all and enjoyed townhouses more due to less maintenance worries. Single family homes have been nice, but I am always feeling stressed about something going wrong.
One if the "cons" is just the difficulty in finding alternatives to single-family housing. Duplexes and triplexes are so uncommon. Mixed use zoning is very slowly coming back in some cities, but it's going to be a long wait. I just really don't want to end up stuck out in a suburb in the mean time lol!
I had to shovel snow from my two parking spots and the side walks in front of my Townhome. HOAs take care of the common areas. Yes trash is included in your HOA fee but I find its cheaper if you get it yourself. Maintenance is your responsibility period including the outside of the home regardless if you have a Townhouse or single family home. HOAs are restrictive no matter if you have a townhouse or single family home. The benefit I found owning a townhome vs single family home is lower costs. I had a great townhome community in that they had overflow parking, a dog park, full basketball court for the kids. Sorry I moved from there to a single family home you don’t get that community feeling in the single family home community as you do in the townhome. People tend to keep to themselves in the single family community. In my townhouse community I knew just about all my neighbors and saw generations of children grow and graduate school.
In my single family house I knew just about everyone on the street and watched kids grow up 👀👀💁🏽♀️💁🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤣🤣🤣! You do know that in a regular neighborhood there’s usually a park with walking distance 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
You are correct. Keep in mind that this video is a general overview of the main differences, pros, cons, etc. Types of housing can be different in each state, but here in Minnesota where I am licensed, we do not have freehold townhomes.
The word row home and townhomes are usually used interchangeably, but are essentially the same thing. You may hear the term row home more in big cities like New York or San Francisco where the homes are really close together. We don't really have those in here in MN.
@@Archiehomes Yes I own a row home here in Philadelphia its similar to what you described for a Townhouse but I noticed some differences like I'm not apart of a homeowners association and I'm responsible for everything.
@@elijahsplaytime2540 So yours essentially would be considered a single family home then, and the term rowhome would be used more to describe the style of home. Kind of like "split level" or "rambler"
@@elijahsplaytime2540 the term for homeowner's association is HOA. You pay for the HOA, every month. I am not a fan, that HOA fee, can increase, and you have no control over it. I know a very elderly couple, who sold their condo, because the HOA, became more than their condo. This is why, I am happy to have a mortgage, and be responsible for my home totally myself. Before buying a house, get your own home inspection done, especially on your major systems, electric, gas, etc. and your roof. Get your basement inspected also, to make sure it's waterproof. I immediately started an emergency fund, for unexpected large repairs. I suggest you do also. Have on hand a credit card, just used for unexpected expenses. Now, you have an emergency fund, and if necessary a credit card. If necessary, if something happens you can't pay your mortgage, you have your emergency fund to rely on. You can hire people, when you don't want to do things like mow the lawn , etc. I do all my own stuff, so I have never used , " Task Rabbit" which has independent contractors, who are skilled in certain areas, that you may need them for. I am not endorsing a service I have never used, so do your own by checking up on them, and any similar service, like them.
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
I prefer a single family home, always. But… we fell in love with a beautiful, new construction townhome in a gated community. 2 car parking space, garage, lake view at 1,673 sq ft. We love that it’s low maintenance and it’s a wonderful upgrade from a 2B 2B apt. Its just my husband, me, and our 1 year old. It’s really just what works for you.
My first home I owned was a garden style condo, and it was a great starter home, as it was brand new and I never had to do any major repairs in the 9 years I was there. I also didn't have to worry about snow clean up, or garden work etc. I think it's up to the individual, as to which is better, a SFH or condo, as was said in the video. A couple of the most irritating parts of the condo was, having to listen to my neighbors' noise, both beside me and above. I do not recommend buying a garden style condo, unless it is on the top floor and there is an elevator! Also the condo association were a bunch of Karens with nothing better to do than look for rule breakers, but when you had a complaint they barely answered the phone. I eventually started adding "Penitentiary" to the name of our condo development on any paperwork I had to fill out and return to them! I got fined 50.00 a day for not mailing back an information form,, which I felt was an invasion of my privacy, it ended up being 800.00, and it was ridiculous. Got fined 50.00 a day for having a pumpkin on my FIRST FLOOR balcony, and got letters stating I needed to remove my flowers because they had a couple of dead buds on them. So if you like privacy, and freedom, and you don't want to be treated like a child in your own home, don't buy a condo, because not only will the association be in your business, but you are on top of your neighbors, and there are prudes all over the place looking for reasons to complain about you. Another thing to be concerned about is condo fees, they only go up, and whether or not your association has a healthy reserve. You can get this paperwork and look it over. Know that when you buy a condo, although you may not have as many expensive outside projects, they can charge an assessment which can be very costly. I have no regrets about the condo, it was a great starter home as I said and I learned a lot about home ownership in a more controlled environment, and it was WAY better than renting! I now own a single family home, which I LOVE, and am MUCH HAPPIER in! I enjoy gardening and yard work (I know I am nuts), so spending a Saturday or any day raking or weeding is ok with me! I enjoy doing projects, because a house IS a never ending project, there is always something that needs repair or updating, or cleaning. If you don't like yard work, then don't buy a house unless it's on a postage stamp lot, or plan to hire someone to do it. If you are not into doing minor projects then don't buy a house, cause as I said you will be doing a lot of them. Make sure you have adequate savings and income BEFORE taking the leap into home ownership, as it can be expensive!! I have been in my house for almost 7 years and have spent about 30K in repairs and maintenance, maybe more. Realize that not everything needs to be done immediately, take it one project at a time, I did one major project a year. My friend gave me that advice when I was looking at homes and seeing some o the work that needed to be done. Anyway, my two cents is do your own research on the pros and cons of both, and also your life style, if you like your weekends free to party or do other activities maybe a condo would be better for you, on the other hand if your party days are mostly over, and you like gardening etc maybe go for the house. Personal decision only YOU can make!
I have been in it all lol.. condos, townhomes, single family .. I am currently in a nice single family home , but prefer a tiny home or what we call villas in Florida .. nicer duplexes. So you share a wall but it is more like a house. I like to lock up and go so will be looking for that next again.
Great video. Another problem with anyplace with an HOA is that they can decide to do maintenance you wouldn't do, and then they pass along the costs. You may need to save for maintenance as a home owner, but at least you can decide to actually do it when you can afford to, not when someone else decides you have to pay for it.
hoa is not great for everyone
@@wisdomandlove1661 HOAs suck!
HOAs exist with single family homes, too, if the single family is part of a subdivision.
You are correct, there can be. I mentioned this at about the 4:17 mark, but because they aren’t the majority (at least here in Minnesota) and for the sake of keeping this video simple, I didn’t go into much detail on them. I’ll probably do a separate video discussing single family hoa’s later.
He already mentioned that. Busted you haven't watched the video lol
Townhouses are better than condos that are flats and stacked. Lived in it all and enjoyed townhouses more due to less maintenance worries.
Single family homes have been nice, but I am always feeling stressed about something going wrong.
Single family home, for my husband, myself, our son and our dog/fish. ♥👏🏻
One if the "cons" is just the difficulty in finding alternatives to single-family housing. Duplexes and triplexes are so uncommon. Mixed use zoning is very slowly coming back in some cities, but it's going to be a long wait.
I just really don't want to end up stuck out in a suburb in the mean time lol!
Simple and straightforward. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video!
great explanations, thank you!
Thanks for the feedback! Glad it helped!
I had to shovel snow from my two parking spots and the side walks in front of my Townhome. HOAs take care of the common areas. Yes trash is included in your HOA fee but I find its cheaper if you get it yourself. Maintenance is your responsibility period including the outside of the home regardless if you have a Townhouse or single family home. HOAs are restrictive no matter if you have a townhouse or single family home. The benefit I found owning a townhome vs single family home is lower costs. I had a great townhome community in that they had overflow parking, a dog park, full basketball court for the kids. Sorry I moved from there to a single family home you don’t get that community feeling in the single family home community as you do in the townhome. People tend to keep to themselves in the single family community. In my townhouse community I knew just about all my neighbors and saw generations of children grow and graduate school.
In my single family house I knew just about everyone on the street and watched kids grow up 👀👀💁🏽♀️💁🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤣🤣🤣! You do know that in a regular neighborhood there’s usually a park with walking distance 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
Full bball court? Tell me, did they fence it in? And how did they keep outsiders from playing on the court?
@@giveme10feet No they did not fence it in. Other communities were kept out only residence was allowed to use it. No matter where you live.
I’m in DC. What am I looking at in my situation?
Thank you very informative👌🏾
Not all townhomes have maintenance fees
There freehold townhomes
You are correct. Keep in mind that this video is a general overview of the main differences, pros, cons, etc. Types of housing can be different in each state, but here in Minnesota where I am licensed, we do not have freehold townhomes.
Great video
Thanks!
the ruff
What about Townhouse vs a Row Home
The word row home and townhomes are usually used interchangeably, but are essentially the same thing. You may hear the term row home more in big cities like New York or San Francisco where the homes are really close together. We don't really have those in here in MN.
@@Archiehomes Yes I own a row home here in Philadelphia its similar to what you described for a Townhouse but I noticed some differences like I'm not apart of a homeowners association and I'm responsible for everything.
@@elijahsplaytime2540 So yours essentially would be considered a single family home then, and the term rowhome would be used more to describe the style of home. Kind of like "split level" or "rambler"
@@elijahsplaytime2540 the term for homeowner's association is HOA. You pay for the HOA, every month. I am not a fan, that HOA fee, can increase, and you have no control over it. I know a very elderly couple, who sold their condo, because the HOA, became more than their condo. This is why, I am happy to have a mortgage, and be responsible for my home totally myself. Before buying a house, get your own home inspection done, especially on your major systems, electric, gas, etc. and your roof. Get your basement inspected also, to make sure it's waterproof. I immediately started an emergency fund, for unexpected large repairs. I suggest you do also. Have on hand a credit card, just used for unexpected expenses. Now, you have an emergency fund, and if necessary a credit card. If necessary, if something happens you can't pay your mortgage, you have your emergency fund to rely on. You can hire people, when you don't want to do things like mow the lawn , etc. I do all my own stuff, so I have never used , " Task Rabbit" which has independent contractors, who are skilled in certain areas, that you may need them for. I am not endorsing a service I have never used, so do your own by checking up on them, and any similar service, like them.
Single Family If It Has Backyard More Than One Bedroom It's All Good, Unfortunately I'm Completely Broke And House's Are Too High Now.
Yeah it’s rough out there. What city do you live in?
@@Archiehomes Jackson,MS Unfortunately.
Paying full house price for an apartment=townhouse
Must not be lucrative to build neighborhoods of smaller garden bungalows in the 100-200k range anymore. It is needed for all ages