No one can really answer this for you. You will likely save more if you stay with your parents. You will build equity and get on the housing ladder with a townhouse. Depending on your area townhouses maybe worth more or less.
I’ve lived in condos and townhouses for 20 years and just bought our first single family at 40+ years old. I loved our townhouse. We were walking distant to lots of stuff. We finished the basement to be everything wanted. The price was great so we saved a ton.
But. The neighbors tv blared through the walls. They smoked pot right outside my sons bedroom window whenever the weather was nice. The backyard was tiny. The driveway was tandem and tiny.
There are pros and cons to everything. Only you can decide what is best for you. And honestly nobody really knows what is best. We all just make our best guesses and then roll with it. Good luck.
Spot on for OP to consider neighbors. Avoiding smoking of any kind is the reason I'm limited to single family homes... yet, pot smoke from a neighbor still drifts into my windows and over our deck because they choose to smoke less than 6 feet from the fence.
Edit: choose, not chose
In addition to that great post I'd say OP should consider whether the dogs barking could become an issue with a shared wall.
A frequent loud nocturnal barker might be bad unless wall neighbor is super chill or deaf. On the other hand if the dogs are quiet types or good sleepers (never noisy at night) that might be no problem at all.
My vote with the dogs involved but no wife/kids is to focus on getting a SFH with a yard that includes a fenced area. Money saved on smaller house can buy more yard
You can hear your neighbors sneezing in a lot of townhouses. Your neighbors might hate you if your dogs bark all night.
If you are in good relations with your parents and there aren't any tension about you leaving the nest, I would stay and save save save for that detached house. That's just me though.
Yeah I went through that in the townhouse rental. The noise wasn't much of an issue but then again I worked nights. But two of my neighbors smoked pot all day long and I could not open the windows when the weather was nice because of it. My driveway was tiny and the detached garage too small for my truck.
Yep. I really wish people wouldn’t get pets when they haven’t achieved stable independence. Not saying home ownership, although that’s even better. Just not 20ish loosey-goosey.
Unpopular opinion: If any of your three active dogs is very vocal around strangers or while playing, you should not move into a property with shared walls. The occasional yip is one thing. But there are few things more frustrating than having a neighbor with a dog who barks or howls constantly.
Home ownership is more than a monthly “rent” payment to the bank.
You’re paying selling fees, property taxes, house insurance, maintenance, and all the unexpected costs the rear their ugly head after moving in.
I can’t tell you what to do, however if I were in your position I would wait.
That’s the nice part about a townhouse though. Half the maintenance is already taken care of.
The HOA fees generally net out even with maintenance of an SFH.
Only advantage of SFH is you can choose to fix it all yourself. But for VHCOL areas, to even afford the SFH in the first place, you probably dual-income and both having high pressure jobs in tech, medicine or finance. And then you just want to enjoy your home in your free time.
Depending on where you are, the HOA dues may be very high, which could eat into any price differential you will see going to a townhome versus a single family home. I had a coworker that sold their townhome in NY and bought a new townhome in NC. For the townhome in NY, the HOA dues was $1,500 a month. The townhome in NC only had HOA dues of $300 a month.
It was upstate NY just north of NYC, not NYC. When she sold her townhome, she sold it for $600k. A SFH of the same size would have cost about $750k. But it is also true that property taxes for a condo or TH is significantly lower than property taxes for a SFH because the property is assessed by the government differently.
Gotcha. I have never heard of a $1500 a month HOA fee and I live in coastal California where it’s also extremely expensive.
That seems like a pretty large exception.
you could buy an HOA if that’s your thing. Be carful tho because you could be paying more then what you actually receive, and you are also handcuffed to what you can or cannot do.
I personally would avoid strata, I couldn’t imagine sitting in a meeting and listening to other folks debate their bi-laws, complaints, etc. id rather roll around in in broken glass and be hosed with vinegar while little people tossed salt at me.
If you’re spending a good amount of coin on a property would you not want the freedom to do with it as you please?
🍻
I think one of the reasons it was that high was because her townhome complex was over 20 years old, so pretty much all of the TH's in her complex were coming due for roof replacements. Also when her central air went out, the HOA covered the cost of the replacement.
And just because you are shopping for SFH's does not necessarily means you can avoid a HOA. A few years back before COVID, my wife and I was thinking of relocating to Florida. We went down there for a house hunting trip and looked at several new housing developments. We were only looking at SFH's, but every single one of those new developments all had HOA's to cover the cost of community pools and clubhouses.
Unless the property significantly increases in value in only a few years, or you choose upgrades carefully, selecting only those that yield the highest ratio of $'s [increase in home value] per $1 of project cost, you'll likely need to stay there for more than a few years to make it worth paying the sale fees again. Also, and I know it's very difficult to avoid HOA's these days, but the idea that an HOA (or the management company hired for the purpose) will "handle a bunch of the b.s. for you and free time toy can spend enjoying your home" is definitely a minority experience, if not an outlier. Getting them to agree to pay for and manage projects even for scenarios clearly detailed in the CC&Rs as being the HOA's responsibility to oversee and process can be extremely difficult. The companies that get hired to manage an HOA are usually paid a flat fee, so you'd think it would be easy, assuming there are sufficient funds, to get them to approve spending your own money that you have been contributing over time, since spending it or not doesn't change their pay. But the way that they make money is by charging that flat fee and then not billing as many hours as that flat fee is meant to cover, hence convincing them to coordinate any project, or even respond to questions in a reasonable amount of time, can be...uncommon.
There are exceptions to every rule or trend though, and they may simply be impossible to avoid, but if it's at all possible, I would ask some of the neighbors what experiences they have had, or at least get a copy of the CC&Rs and read through it. There are definitely good ones out there but if the dues are significant I would at least do some due diligence and find out anything I can, especially if you may end up staying there longer than a few years, which I imagine would be the most likely scenario. It's a pain in the butt to buy, move, list, sell, and buy and move again. And timing everything do you don't have underlap...it all takes time.
All that being said, I've met some lasting friends that were my next door neighbors in apartment & townhouse style living, so its definitely not all horrible HOAs and annoying neighbors. Especially if you favor being social with your neighbors, it can be preferable to being more isolated by privacy. To echo another responder here, it just depends on the specific situations and the specific individuals (you and your puppies 🐶🐶🐶) what will work best for you. Good luck!
I own a townhouse with a small backyard and have a dog. It's fine.
Reddit loves to crap all over HOAs and townhouse/condos. But when you buy a townhouse-condo, HOAs are very necessary. Someone has to be responsible for shared roofs, shared siding, shared pavement, etc... Most HOAs for townhouses are just fine. And even convenient. Do your due diligence and research their Financials, talk to neighbors before you offer, and all that. A key to looking at HOAs is to figure out what other similar HOAs charge monthly. If that HOA is low, that's a red flag. It could be a sign of frequent assessments or under-funded reserves.
Your bigger issue will be whether the HOA allows dogs (most townhouses in my area do), but the bigger problem will be ... how many, what size, and if there are breed restrictions. I've rarely seen HOAs that allow three dogs. (Although, I own a townhouse and a standard tiny condo in the city, my townhouse HOA limits the number of pets in general, my city condo doesn't at all... weird).
I personally love living in townhouses and condos and have never had HOA problems. I loke condo/townhouse living better than SFRs. I've also owned SFRs where I've been left holding the bag for 50-60k repairs or more and one SFR where my neighbors were batcrap crazy, and louder and more problematic than any townhouse/condo I've owned.
The townhouse I own now was built in 1980, its HOAs are on the higher side of average, the complex is well funded and has never had an assessment. The condo I own in the city winds up with an assessment about every three years for anywhere from $1200-2400, payable over a year. That's a conscious choice by the HOA. Their dues are lower than similar units, but it's a small building with only 18 units, so things cost more per unit.
Condo/Townhouse HOAs can be just fine... just make sure you research the HOA first. It would help to have an agent that's well versed in HOAs too so they can help with that research.
My favorite "why HOAs are good" story happened a few years ago. My husband and I noticed our roof was leaking. We sent the HOA manager an email, with pictures. The next morning, a crew was at my place re-roofing. The re-roofing was on Christmas Eve. Easy peasy. No calling for contractors, no scheduling, no climbing up a dangerous roof to spread tarps, no missed days of work. Just an email and like magic, my roof was fixed. No bill, either since the operating and reserve budget covered it.
Very helpful information thank you! If the hoa has a two dog rule, do you think I can get by with saying I just have two? Or will they catch me? I do have the option to leave one of my dogs with my parents if I really have to until I can get a house. My dad has a very special bond with one of them and wants to keep him but I really don’t want to separate him from the other two. They are best friends so that would break my heart to leave him behind even though we would still see him all the time.
I did find another townhouse that has no hoa, it’s a bit smaller but it has a fenced in huge yard.. idk if that’s a good or bad thing it doesn’t have an hoa though. I’m scheduled to look at that one later today as well.
*In my experience* (and IANAL) no one will want to bother with your extra dog until it becomes an issue... but when it does become an issue, you're going to have to decide which dog to give up. It sounds like you have a backup plan, but still: you willing to make that choice?
In your home search and decision-making, I'd advise you to never lie. When you buy into an HOA, you're signing a contract that states you'll follow the rules. Lying by having 3 dogs when only 2 are allowed puts you in the position of being sued for breach of contract.
Don't start your homeownership life by lying.
That would be a crapshoot to try and smuggle a third in if there is a two dog limit. My townhouse has a 2-pet limit. So 1 dog, 1 cat for example, or two dogs. But I know people have more... my neighbors below me have three small dogs. No one cares unless there's a problem. But, I've owned in other complexes that had much tighter rules and were militant about their pet rules.
A townhouse with no HOA is pretty uncommon. They do exist, but very rarely in my area.
A townhouse is usually a reference to the style of unit.. 2+ stories, it's a building style description, not a legal description. They are almost always legally condos in most places. The ones that have no HOA are legally described as SFR-attached. These are where you not only own your unit, but you also own the property your unit occupies. They can be fairly common in some east coast areas like Philadelphia, Brooklyn (the classic brownstone), or New Jersey, and even the greater DC areas. Everywhere else, they are somewhat rare (although, I'm starting to see some new build SFR-Attached popping up in the Seattle area to help combat the housing crunch).
I'd always say if you are trying to score that first property, a townhouse might be a good choice. Building equity is always good.
I have no experience owning an SFR-attached, but I'm sure like everything, they have their pros and cons.
A shared property without anything performing the functions of an HOA (regardless of what you call it) would be a nightmare. What, you gonna go to court over every disagreement about who owes what for upkeep?
I live in a group of townhouses & we are freehold, so no group fees & we are all responsible for our own houses. We've managed to collectively get our roofs repaired, (got a deal too because they did the whole block at a time) & manage to take care of things amongst ourselves.
I grew up in a condo & I didn't want to be stuck in a condo house where I couldn't choose what colour flowers I had, (seriously, my friend is in such a condo townhouse) & I especially didn't want to pay condo fees which almost always are like another mortgage payment in my city.
My house is my own & it's a good neighbourhood & we all take care of our homes. It has a decent front & back yard & the garage is detatched & set behind our yards.
I can walk everywhere, there's a waterfront park & beach, 2 blocks away. All schools are also in walking distance, groceries, drug store, pizza, liquor store & lots of other stores are within walking distance. I also have 24 hr buses, trains & the highway is about a 10 minute drive away.
This was a very carefully planned out neighbourhood & I wish that more could be built like mine. And when I close my windows, it's quiet & I can't hear cars or neighbours, unless they really try.
It's not difficult to live without a condo fee (or what you call an HOA in the U.S.). And it's nice to be able to choose what I want to do with my house & not have to get permission for every wee thing.
These do exist, largely on the east coast. They're also starting to build some of these in my area on the west coast. Some have quasi HOAs that have a fund for shared driveways, but they don't cover anything else. The new ones they're putting up around here may also have some CC&Rs that stipulate you can't, for example, strip off stucco siding and replace with cedar shake or something like that. But there's no real HOA.
The buildings are attached, but are often individually framed, have independent roofs... Basically, they're houses that are just built really close to/touching the neighbors.
These do exist, largely on the east coast. They're also starting to build some of these in my area on the west coast. Some have quasi HOAs that have a fund for shared driveways, but they don't cover anything else. The new ones they're putting up around here may also have some CC&Rs that stipulate you can't, for example, strip off stucco siding and replace with cedar shake or something like that. But there's no real HOA.
The buildings are attached, but are often individually framed, have independent roofs... Basically, they're houses that are just built really close to/touching the neighbors.
Check out the townhouse community and read the association rules. I owned a townhouse as a dog owner. I had a corner unit which had the advantage of a larger yard, which was actually as big as some single family homes in the area. You will find that communities vary greatly. My townhome community even had a dog park. Or maybe there is a public dog park close by.
My community had a low HOA fee, less than $75 IIRC. Some will be higher or lower depending on amenities and how much "common area" (such as landscaped areas, pools, and other amenities) are maintained by the association.Another set of factors are the financial costs of a sf home versus a town home.
Taxes and insurance are likely to be higher for a sf home. Also, if you're in a tight market for sf homes and you are limited to fixer uppers or homes with deferred maintenance, you should factor in those costs. A newer th is going to have less update and maintenance costs than a dated sf home. A good buyer's agent can help you consider all these factors.
I got a nice townhouse in a gated community of just townhouses. Everyone is basically 70+. It’s really quiet and aside from the HOA meetings being a shit show, we love it here. We can walk our dogs around the neighborhood. We got a garage. A driveway. A backyard. We can build a fence!
I know we wanted desperately to get a house as well. So did so many other people we knew. We inspected 4 houses and every house had 40+ pages of things that needed to be fixed. It was a bitch.
Honestly, a townhouse doesn't sound ideal for your situation with 3 dogs.
Are you aware of the new federal program to assist first time home buyers? They're providing $400/mo towards your mortgage for the first two years.
Another option: buy a house and get a roommate for the first few years to help offset the expenses.
If you would buy a house in a neighborhood without an HOA, the HOA at the townhouse would probably negate any savings you might achieve.
HOAs aren't exclusive to townhomes or condos.
In many areas, single family homes built in the last 2-3 decades have HOAs as well.
HOAs aren't evil.
Bad people exist. When bad people get control that allow them to make others lives miserable, they take advantage of that. Whether that role is HOA board member or an elected official in City, County, State, or Federal government.
Your dogs will do fine in any housing situation. When you live in an apartment, condo, or townhome, you take them to a dog park instead of having the SFH benefit out letting them out in your private backyard.
The very first thing to check is to see if the rules and regulations will even allow 3 dogs. Most of the TH communities in my area have a 1 or 2 pet max allowed. Some have other restrictions such as breed or size (in pounds). TH's are great but if you are a pet owner with multiple pets it may not be an option for you.
You lived at home till 30. You can live at home for a couple more years. I first moved out into a townhouse & I had no idea how I'd hear neighbors, hear dogs barking from other neighbors & countless other annoyances. If you've never lived in a townhouse you won't really understand. A lot of town houses aren't built great either so they age horribly because siding looks like crap etc. vs all brick or just you maintaining your siding.
Townhouses also tend to go downhill more in a lot of cases because like you mentioned. It's cheaper. And unfortunately cheaper real estate normally equates to people who are less likely to take care of it. Not to mention a lot of townhouses can turn into section 8 houses so I'd be concerned about that. Very possible what i just explained might not be in the same area you're looking at just thought you should be aware. I speak from my own personal experience. And where section 8 houses is normally is more headache from neighbors that don't care about being good neighbors.
You also need to ask yourself how long do you plan on living there? Ideally if you felt like this might be your "forever" home and you'll never move than it might make more sense. But, if you feel like this is just a more temporary place say 10 years or less until you might get married/start a family. You need to remember that you might have a harder time selling for the reasons I mentioned above. Some people wont' even entertain the idea of living in a town house.
EDIT: Just re-read your last point about fixing it up and selling. Might want to consider renting it out if it makes sense. Personally I wouldn't want to rent out just mentioning it could be a good move if you feel selling will be difficult.
I hear ya though on the mental thing living at home. It can mentally be frustrating with no end in sight. I'd just be very careful because at the end of the day. While you are living at home you at least know that eventually that day will come versus getting into something you really hate & having that frustrating feeling of being stuck in a mortgage around annoying neighbors, HOA etc..
Also, You might be a great dog owner. This might not apply to you. But I speak from experience where I lived in a townhouse & the neighbors dogs would be outside for many hours of the day just barking all the time. I hated it. It's why I wanted to get out. My point is that some neighbors could become a pain if you let your dogs out early morning or late at night. They could end up come banging on your door telling you they got woke up & be a pain even though you don't think your doing anything wrong. So just keep in mind having 3 dogs in a relatively small area being town house could impact your neighbors more than you realize & that could come with retaliation. Again, you might not be like that but just throwing that out there.
Between the dogs and the desire for a yard, I'd wait. Yeah, living with your parents might suck. Channel that annoyance into boosting your down payment for what you really want.
With the costs involved with buying and selling a property, building equity and coming out ahead in just a few years is a crap shoot. This only really works if property values in that area are rising quickly and interest rates are low. Otherwise, the small amount of equity you've accumulated is consumed by closing costs.
You should really investigate the HOA rules before acting like you even have a choice. A large dog plus two medium dogs is going to limit your options in a lot of ways. And the places that are ok with it aren’t generally desirable.
You’ve been living with your parents for over a decade as an adult, so if you haven’t managed to save up money for a down payment tgen you have bigger issues.
Man, your last sentence is why everyone needs to start posting their general location.
In VHCOL areas, like coastal California, you would need about $350k cash saved up for a down payment + closing costs on a SFH.
Your mortgage would then be about $9k a month…so saving up less than 20% down would mean your monthly is ASTRONOMICAL for a first time buyer.
Try to comprehend that.
Telling OP he “should’ve saved more living with his parents” doesn’t make sense at all. Not everybody lives in a cheaper part of the country nor would they want to.
I’m so grateful to be a homeowner in San Diego. Most of you will never know what it’s like to go surfing before work, enjoy 70 degree weather year-round AND have access to a good job market (relative, not as good as SF or NYC but better than anywhere else).
Region matters in these discussions, for sure. Personally I didn't like SD, no disrespect. But I prefer hiking and kayaking and biking and walking to surfing. And I like seasons. Plus, it's nice Feb-Nov which is fine by me.
As such I'm not in a VHCOL, house and acre and a half of land was under 150k and financed @ 3%. Required down payment was 0 for an 800 dollar mortgage. I get to step out, watch the sun both rise and set and enjoy all sorts of cool stuff for half the rent I paid in Nashville.
Shit, my mortgage is less than \*my half\* of renting a second residence in Denver. So yes, harder discussion without regions.
I’m sorry but the hiking, kayaking and biking in San Diego absolutely SHIT on Tennessee 😂
What are you even smoking??
That said, you have a cheaper mortgage forsure.
>I’m sorry but the hiking, kayaking and biking in San Diego absolutely SHIT on Tennessee
Definitely a very subjective thing. For what it's worth, TN has 4 more national parks than California does and is in my opinion _way_ more beautiful than Cali. Just keep in mind that not everyone is looking for the same aesthetics, weather, etc.
Trying to say any place is objectively better than the other is silly unless we're talking about Antarctica or something lol and I'm sure there is someone out there who would love to live there anyway.
Yeah California was one of my childhood travel goals and when I got there I was pretty let down by how well, ugly, most of it is. I think I just didn't expect a desert. There are beautiful parts of California (lookin @ you Death Valley) but if I was going to go do some landscape photography to sell it'd be in TN or NC. You have to go so far between things in CA. States like TN or NC the next cool outdoor thing is 15-20 minutes max.
I'm not looking for a 'scene' to be part of. I'm talking about aesthetics/a nice environment, access, and lack of crowds. I'm not trying to deal with a bunch of people, that's the exact opposite of why I go out.
> Try to comprehend that.
Try moving somewhere cheaper if you want to own a home with 3 dogs in location where your current wage can't support homeownership.
I bought a townhome a year ago and love it. It’s new construction so the sound proofing between houses is amazing. I hear my neighbors maybe once a week and it’s for 10 seconds as their dog is running somewhere I think.
We get *more* privacy than our SFH in the neighborhood as they only have 6 ft of space between their houses and their neighbors but there are windows facing each other.
We miss out on a little bit of light on the sides and we don’t have a yard, but our house is 25% cheaper for 90% the house so I think it’s worth it.
If you’re buying an old town home though I’d be a little weary. Both my siblings live in townhomes. My sister’s is relatively new (10 years) and she can’t hear her neighbors either. Her dog is log af and she says she’s sorry all the time but they claim they can’t hear her dog.
My brother on the other hand has one that’s 30 years old and they can hear their neighbors pretty much all day on the weekends/weeknights.
You do miss out on a yard though, and if that’s all you care about then yeah don’t do it. Otherwise, I’m really surprised at how much I love my townhome.
HOA fees have been going up dramatically because insurance is out of control. I don't see this changing anytime soon and expect HOA fees to go up even more next year. Our insurance has doubled twice in the last few years and I expect another increase next year. The question is, is that townhome really more affordable than a house when you include the increasing HOA fees?
Very true. Thats my biggest worry with the hoa, them increasing it. I did just find a townhouse that’s a little smaller, almost 900 sq feet but it has no hoa AND a huge fenced in yard. I’m scheduled to look at that one later today. To me, the bigger yard and no hoa makes up for it being smaller inside so fingers crossed on that one!
A townhouse without an HOA sounds sketchy too. Do they just do assessments for exterior maintenance, trash, outside lighting? What about insurance? Would you be responsible for your own? There's a lot of questions about a townhouse with no HOA. I'd definitely get a good inspection to make sure things like siding and the roof are in good shape.
Question: since the units are attached, how is the roof maintained? The exterior maintained? I would expect each owner to maintain the exterior and roof but then you end up with a patchwork of roof colors, styles, ages etc not to mention differences in paint and materials TH to TH. How does that freehold TH community look - cohesive or disjointed? Just a question.
You have to buy insurance for the house as well. Having shared walls results in lower insurance for equivalent square footages. That was one of the main reasons we went with a condo for now. $4300/yr in HOA fees plus insurance vs. $7000/yr insurance on a SFH with similar square footage.
This depends where you live. My insurance jumped up a bit one year but the price of my home also had a big jump. It's stayed relatively stagnant the last 3 years for me so this is very region dependent.
Yeah, I'm in a wooded area so everyone is worried about an increase in forest fires. But we are also seeing increases in hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes so I'm guessing you are in the minority.
I'm a house guy, with a shop for hobbies etc. But yah I guess a draw back is all the maintenance that is inevitable with a home vs a condo where the association might do all landscaping, maintenance outside etc, can really simplify your life not having to worry stuff like a new roof or cutting the grass etc . Good luck
House is better. My coworker has mice issues cause the neighbor is a hoarder. The mice crawl from their dirty house to coworkers house through the walls.
We got a townhouse. It's been great!
Would love a yard and a garage, but you can't beat the price, our neighbors are wonderful, and I'm grateful that the condo association handles stuff like plowing. It's like homeownership lite, which feels like an easier introduction to the whole thing.
And where to put the dogs while that work is going on? Time on market while it’s being shown? They’d have to be living somewhere else already.
Yeah I wouldn’t buy a house with the expectation of selling it in a couple years, if detached home is what OP really wants. I bought a starter house 11 years ago, believing I was only going to be here <5 years. Still here, all that time it just didn’t make sense to move. So my lesson from that is: only buy if you’d be happy to stay many years.
Until he has to rehome his dogs. I have a condo that shares only the garage walls, and it's still a nightmare with my neighbors who have one dog. We have small yards, and having three dogs in a small yard is horrible for the dogs. Best intentions aside. Sometimes, it's not easy with that many dogs.
It’s difficult to live with your parents once you’re an adult. I bought a house during Covid and my father lives with me. The housing market has been trash for a while. Not sure when or if it will get any better… Do what’s best for you. Your plan sounds pretty good though.
My first home purchase was a townhome style condominium with an HOA. There are rules about dogs and it can be a hindrance having large dogs or multiple dogs with a small yard. You could start exploring your options so you know what they are. The neighborhood where I purchased was very nice, new, clean, and with minimal issues as far as neighbors go.
I started in a townhome at 28. It was great! There is nothing wrong with a townhome and you can always sell and buy another home later.
While my townhome is smaller then my current home it was actually five years never and had a better master bedroom.
My first home was a townhouse. If your goal is a home, then stick to that goal and wait.
Ultimately, long term a townhouse is a much larger money pit than a home. Almost as bad as buying a brand new car imho.
Condo fees will rise, taxes, special assessments and you really don’t “own” the property in the same way you own a home built on land.
Buying a townhome just gets you out from under a landlord and gives you the opportunity to say you’re a “homeowner.”
But as mentioned, you may not have a landlord but you could then be dealing with an HOA.
Privacy as well can be an issue. People are a lot nosier in condo complexes, concerning themselves with noise, the comings and goings of other guests, their pets, etc.
I had a dog and someone came after me once for dog droppings not being picked up (wasn’t me) and barking noise (wasn’t my dog). Both times I had to deal with the complaints as if it were my fault, very frustrating.
Get yourself a house!
If you get along with your parents and they’re cool with you being there- stay. How much longer would it take to fulfill your dream rather than settle for less? What difference does 32 make to 30? Personally, I couldn’t do a townhouse. It’s just an apartment you own. And your neighbors aren’t 50 feet away you share walls with them. And never, ever, ever, could I do an HOA. Just me. YMMV. Best to you.
Be very careful & very thorough in your research of the HOA rules for your dogs, most do not allow 3 dogs & lots have breed restrictions or weight restrictions & such.
You don't want ppl to have power to put a lien on your home due to your dogs or force you to re-home them.
Also check the county/city rules on pet ownership, certain towns don't even allow 3 dogs (officially) typically not gonna be a problem unless you get a shitty neighbor or live next to an over reaching board member or your dogs are obnoxious & people start reporting noise & such but definitely need to be aware of all of that living in closer quarters.
In some areas a townhouse is not the worst place to live. My sister has been in one with her spouse and two dogs for years now. Their only complaints concern one of their neighbors. Other town houses in her area are nicer and have HOAs. Her place does not have an HOA. I'm not a fan of HOAs but they do mitigate some issues.
Can you tolerate a roommate (temporarily) to make up the difference in townhome vs SFH mortgage? Instead of moving twice, just get someone in a spare bedroom until your income grows into affording the home on your own income.
I'd say get the townhouse now. You can upgrade to a house later. In the meantime, the townhouse should go up in value so that when you do decide to sell, that could give you extra money for the house you'd be buying.
My sister bought a townhouse for 89k and recently sold it for close to 400K. I'm not sure how long she had it for, but it was over 10 years. Right now, it's a sellers market, and that probably won't change anytime soon.
Of course, the value of real-estate prices is dependent on location. If you hate having an HOA, there are homes that have no HOA, and I suggest looking for a home without an HOA. That's what I will be doing when and if I buy a house.
Owning a townhome, your resale value will be directly impacted by neighbours that also can only afford a townhome. Not to be elitist, but you would be better in a house. Bad neighbours are always bad, but the class of bad can make a difference. I have always tried to find the lowest priced home in a nice subdivision. If their home has a higher price point, it drags mine up, instead of dragging it down.
Keep in mind Townhouse HOA fees are often SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive than a house. I've seen upwards of $500 to $1k PER MONTH in some locations.
Make sure you know what the monthly HOA fee is for any townhouse you are looking at, combined with the mortgage, you may end up spending more per month than a house with a much lower HOA fee.
Not always. Mine is $300/mo. That basically just covers the exterior insurances, plus a little extra for the rainy day fund. It was actually cheaper, as I'm in one of the "climate change" states and the wind insurance is proportionate to your external surface area, which is much lower if you're sharing walls.
Also, the monthly fees can fluxuate, although usually just in one direction (up). When we bought our house (technically considered a condo) I think they were around $150/$180 and now they are $280. That was over the course of 10 years ,but still it's something to consider.
And if there are special assessments, you have to pay even if you are not directly impacted. Several ponds in our neighborhood needed retaining walls built to keep the land from eroding in order to protect peoples' yards, fences, and ultimately their homes. Our house doesn't even have a pond view, you can't see it at all! But we had to cough up the money regardless- somewhere between $500-$700.
Honestly, I think you need another dog. And not just a small one, get yourself a Saint Bernard or something. 3 dogs? You going to limit yourself to only odd numbers? When I was 30 and living with my parents I had no less than 8. I’m talking they were pissing and shitting and humping on each other, screaming at the top of their lungs and making my parents trip and fall ALL THE TIME. Man, I was LIVING. I look back upon those days and weep. What have I become?
You should wait until you can afford a freestanding house. The main reason being the dogs. Otherwise, in terms of noise and cooking odors and cigarette smoke and just plain annoying behavior and rules a townhouse is nothing but an apartment with more expenses. Bide your time.
You’ve never shared walls or floors/ceilings with heavy walkers, early risers, shift workers, heavy weed smokers, screaming children, incessantly barking dogs, domestic abusers, serial arguers, musicians, loud-music players, door slammers, hoarders, methheads, curry cookers, smokers, 5x/day vacuumers, or a thousand other ways to annoy.
I would not buy a townhouse unless it was a historically designated one in a city. I grew up in a "townhome," and there are just too many negatives. Your quality of life is determined by your neighbors and how many of the units close to you are rentals. But outside of that, your roi won't be as much as a single home.
Obviously, others will disagree. But having grown up in that environment, I would never go back. Add HOA on top of that, and I don't feel it's the best use of funds.
The fact that everyone ignores here is that it's way cheaper. "Doesn't appreciate as fast" is not such a bad thing when you're looking to buy, because, well, it hasn't been appreciating as fast. The difference isn't all that enormous either, like 3% vs 4%. Real estate isn't that great of an investment anyway..
We couldn't quite swing a SFH like we want where we want so options were essentially buy an old shitty ($400k plus heavy maintenance bills) SFH, rent an old shitty roach infested SFH, SFH way away from the nice neighborhood we're in, or buy a nice ($360k) condo while we wait ~3 years so that we can get around the $800k mark for a nice, sufficiently large SFH in our nice neighborhood. I do not regret it at all. It was a compromise for sure, but the alternate compromises were less desirable to us.
Have you checked if there is any land for sale reasonably cheap in your area and the cost to have a house built, or a manufactured home put on the land if you purchased the land? It can be less expensive than buying a home, but it can also be more expensive, so it depends on your area.
The good news is if it is less expensive you can continue to save while you live with your parents and the house gets built. You can also have some say in what gets put in the home and the design of the home.
I’m renting a townhome now and I’m closing on my new house in a few weeks. I’m up right now at 6 AM because I have to feed my cat lol. But last night my neighbors were up till about 1 or 2am laughing extremely loud, screaming, playing loud music, and banging doors.
My first home I bought was a townhome and it was fine, so basically you never know what you’re going to get. Remember you have to factor in the HOA fees which can go up at any time but at least you don’t have to worry about the upkeep of the outside of the house. HOA are definitely a nightmare. Look up, John Oliver Hoa on YouTube For a good laugh and some horror stories.
Owning dogs is holding you back from living life. You should be living in an apartment and be in or seeking out a relationship.
If it’s feasible, have your parents watch the dogs, visit occasionally, and rent an apartment. Focus on developing a relationship and consider buying something when you either are in a committed relationship, or are 40+
I have to agree. We all stigmatize crazy cat people with 10 cats (for good reason) and yet it's somehow perfectly reasonable to have an equivalent weight of animals in dogs. More than 2 dogs (tbh more than 1 if it's large) is unhinged.
You aren’t wrong. Dogs are my life though and that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to take. I recently broke up with my boyfriend and we were planning on getting a house together so that put a damper on things a bit. At this point, I want to get my own place so I can get back into dating eventually and have my own space. It’s embarrassing to tell people I still live with my parents, especially people I’m interested in dating. My ex would stay with me a lot here at my parents mainly bc my dogs are here and I have to be here to take care of them. In my next relationship I don’t want to be doing that again. Only want to bring my partner to my parents if I’m visiting lol.
Eh don't be embarrassed about it. Times are rough and just being in a position where you can even think about buying a home makes you better off than a lot of people in our age range. It took me a long time to get out of my parents place for good. I couldn't find a career after I graduated from college so ended up in low wage positions for several years. Even after I went back to school and got a second degree it still took me several years to have a job where I could save up for a home. It is fortunate to have parents that are so supportive to let you live with them for so long. They love you and want to see you succeed. That is nothing to be ashamed of.
In my not limited life experience having a great variety of pets and having many positive relationships, the majority of people with pets have better emotional intelligence and are better at relationships than those without. If you can afford owing (and maintaining) a home of any type, the decision to buy seems more a personal values issue. The financial angle is always a gamble.
Dogs are great and they can adapt. Think about this, dogs live in NYC and they're happy. If you take them out and exercise them you won't have problems and they'll be happy.
Does living with your parents benefit you or them? Is the townhouse in a good area and within your price range? Maybe you can buy a house later and rent the townhouse.
There are no rules in life so do what's best for you and your family. Happiness in life is irrelevant to where you live (house, apartment, townhouse) so find what makes you happy. If you stay at your parents then invest all the money you save and you'll benefit from that
Since townhouses are in such close proximity, check if your would be neighbors have dogs, too. Or even indoor/outdoor cats. With 4+ animals in the mix, I imagine it would cause an increase in barking and under fence digging.
Also, there may be rules about what kind of fence you can install if there isn't an existing fence there already.
If it matters to you, SFH generally hold their value better. But you could argue a townhouse community with a strict association may hold value better than a SFH with no association, so I guess its case dependant. I hate having a HOA bc I don't like being told to do with our own house. But I do like that it helps maintain property value and prevents crappy neighbors from putting derelict vehicles in their yard up on blocks.
*Unpopular take here*: prices are only going to go higher and higher. Get in while you can.
* some expect lowered interest rates, which = hotter market
* realtor commission changes may lead to a hotter market
[https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/real-estate/housing-market-predictions/](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/real-estate/housing-market-predictions/)
If your dogs bark, that makes me uncomfortable with a townhouse.
There are several things to consider:
Townhouse can be very hard to sell later on compare to single family home. You may be able to rent it out and use that as your "passive" income down the road.
However, are we talking about 70k town home vs 170k single home or 700k town home vs 770k single home? Anything more 400-500k that are not single home might be much harder to sell in the long term.
Some HOA managed subdivisions may have dog park or good trail to take the dog out (but you can't leave the dog unattended).
Are there maybe duplex that perhaps you can buy, live in one of them, and rent another out?
This is my second townhome, we don't really have much of a yard at all ( never mind any fences). We have one small dog, the neighborhood is quiet and expansive so I try to take our dog out on walks often. We love our townhouse. The first one we lived in, the HOA was stupid not because they enforce too much, but they didn't enforce or follow any rules and the area suffered for it. The current one we love and the HOA is perfectly fine. In neither cases was the HOA expensive. So the HOA really depends on the area and is a case-by-case basis. As far as a townhome, really the only thing is the attached walls to a neighbor or two but we feel this house of ours is as big as many single family homes we were looking at anyway.
So in short: make sure the HOA of the house you are looking at is decent and not overpriced. And just as importantly, get a feel for the neighbors. Your immediate neighbors will make or break your quality of living!
Buy the townhouse. But only quality that has good soundproofing.
The builder may give you specs if it's newer. Older - go knock on neighbors doors and just adk how they are
I preferred the less yard work.
Talk to your potential neighbors and see what do they say about the HOA and make sure if they are fine with your dogs especially if they bark a lot. There are many newer condos/TH that don’t share walls with neighbors even if the properties look like to be fully connected from the outside. If your target is one of them, it’s better for your dogs and neighbors. Also read the HOA rules and annual financial reports instead of just blindly trust others’ sayings.
This subreddit is very extravagant about HOAs, but HOA and SFH are not mutually exclusive. I have multiple properties across the US and most of them have a HOA regardless of whether it’s a SFH or condo/TH. I personally have no issues with any HOAs in the last decade, most of their HOA fee grew slower than the inflation including those in the VHCOL areas.
We were on the same boat. We felt our lives behind the walls of a townhome would definitely be a lot more comfortable because for the same price as an SFH, everything was just newer and more updated. New AC, first owners, high efficiency features, etc. But we couldn't bring ourselves to pay the HOA, knowing that the costs will most certainly increase over the years and the potential drama behind having someone else dictate what we can/can't do to our building. What pushed us over the edge was us realizing how valuable land was lol. It's obvious to say out loud, but it became more apparent to notice how our area is built out and no one can build SFHs on an empty lot anymore. New construction are 99% going to be dense housing due to the housing crisis and state mandate to address it. We found a decent SFH and the yard maintenance is annoying, but we live in peace knowing we have the entire lot and building to ourselves and the autonomy to do almost anything to it. Less neighbors and less chance to come across bad apples is nice too.
Like everyone said, it depends what you value.
30, just bought out first townhome its great. We know the family connected to us, desirable neighborhood, brand new. We've both held parties and both times couldn't hear a single thing.
BUT this wont happen to everyone, sometimes you MIGHT have a shitty neighbor, you MIGHT hear every single noise they make, maybe the price isnt worth it.
So it can be a great way to get into your first new home as it was for my wife and I, but theres lots of variables to think about.
I have owned 2 condos in my lifetime, HOA's were fine in both. Not sure why ppl complain, especially since you can join the HOA yourself to balance things out, but for some reason nobody ever talks about this aspect. For both condos they were renovated and very nicely done. It surprised me when OP said he would "fix it up" and then sell it. Why would you buy a fixer if you didn't have to? Threw me for a loop there. Currently in a 2BR condo in Vegas 1140 sq ft. I have stereo systems in the 2BR's and the living room. Neighbors cannot hear my sound system in any room inexplicably. I keep asking them if they can hear me and they can't, despite the fact that I can listen to my music at really loud levels, and I have subwoofers in each room too. A condo is not a bad idea for starter home. I thought it was a great idea. I sold that condo in Seattle after 7 years and doubled my money. You'll learn what it is to be a homeowner which is pretty useful.
Buying a townhouse, occupied with 3 dogs, to later sell in the future? I dunno. Maybe your dogs are the best trained dogs in the world but they kinda ruin homes over time. It's much like going into a smoker's house, but everything smells like dog. Patio yard probably gone. Inside it's always going to have dog hair, pee, poop, and kibble smell.
A townhouse can be a good answer for homeownership for young or old. Do the homework though. Is the HOA run by residents or some company? What does it cover? Are short term rentals allowed (VRBO)?
Unless u specifically want to be apart of an HOA I would avoid it like the plague. Take ur time. Save money. Buy a piece of land that way you'll always have a place to put a house plus it's a great money investment. U can get land REALLY cheap in a lot of areas
There are high transaction costs to moving, so ideally you don’t buy/sell houses often. And IMO with housing affordability relatively low, there’s not much room for appreciation in the market and it could go down. It already is in some places.
So if there’s a place you want to live in for 20 years, it might be worth buying, but if not, you’re probably better off renting and investing the money you’d tie up in your house in the markets. It’ll likely grow much better there, and then if or when you do want to buy, you will need to able to afford more house.
I realize renting with pets can be a pain, but hopefully you can make that work. Maybe offer a big deposit or something?
I have owned 4 houses and started with a tiny duplex. If you can afford the townhouse, buy it and start there. Once you own one property it’s much easier to buy up if you choose to.
Also, learning how to maintain a home is easier when it’s smaller.
We have a new construction townhome and the soundproofing is outstanding. I’ve never once heard my neighbors, and they claim to play movies with the volume turned up very loud.
I rented a townhouse a couple of years ago. Having owned 3 homes, I will say as a practical matter with the market what it is getting a townhome is a good idea as a starter home and then upgrade in 5-7 years. Even if the market doesn't improve, your finances should if you start earning more from promotions or better job opportunities, and the equity you will build will make that purchase of a SFH easier later down the line.
I have a medium sized dog. The townhouse I rented was nice: 3 br, 1.5 bath, about 1500 square feet (it had a finished basement). The backyard was postage stamped sized (maybe 300 square feet and fenced) which was just big enough to let her out to do her business. Fortunately for me there was a large grassy area with trees that was part of the common areas of the complex so I could play with her and exercise her there. Plus there was a bike path nearby we could take long walks on. I don't do dog parks.
So depending on the amenities of the place, you could do just fine in this situation.
Living with your parents has benefits when it comes to saving so do think about that. Ultimately you will have to weight the pros and cons but it is doable.
If- the maintenance fees are reasonable,
- the building is in a great state of repair,
AND
- property values go up reliably over time where you are
... I'd vote yes now..
Why? Because while you pay DOWN the mortgage, the Value goes Up.. so there are 2 forces expanding your equity
This leads to bigger gains than savings. Especially now with almost zero interest savings account..
...
I have owned 6 properties and have profited considerably on every purchase.
YMMV.
If you plan to be there 3+ years (or whatever it takes in your area to recover the closing costs), get the TH and yard. You'll be building equity.
If you are <3 years from a stand alone house, keep saving.
Townhouse is a bad idea, been there done that. Hoa no way in hell would I let stranger dictate every bit of my home environment. (that's what wives are for)
I have literally bought two houses and fences for my dogs quality of life. I appreciate what it gave me too, but at the end of the day I did it for them and all my future dogs cause that’s the lifestyle I like. But I work a ton to afford that house and payoff that fence so it’s a give and take. They’d be thrilled if I was jobless in a shack with them… so it’s a matter of what makes you happy.
No one can really answer this for you. You will likely save more if you stay with your parents. You will build equity and get on the housing ladder with a townhouse. Depending on your area townhouses maybe worth more or less. I’ve lived in condos and townhouses for 20 years and just bought our first single family at 40+ years old. I loved our townhouse. We were walking distant to lots of stuff. We finished the basement to be everything wanted. The price was great so we saved a ton. But. The neighbors tv blared through the walls. They smoked pot right outside my sons bedroom window whenever the weather was nice. The backyard was tiny. The driveway was tandem and tiny. There are pros and cons to everything. Only you can decide what is best for you. And honestly nobody really knows what is best. We all just make our best guesses and then roll with it. Good luck.
One of the most balanced and reasonable answers ever. 👍🏻
Spot on for OP to consider neighbors. Avoiding smoking of any kind is the reason I'm limited to single family homes... yet, pot smoke from a neighbor still drifts into my windows and over our deck because they choose to smoke less than 6 feet from the fence. Edit: choose, not chose
In addition to that great post I'd say OP should consider whether the dogs barking could become an issue with a shared wall. A frequent loud nocturnal barker might be bad unless wall neighbor is super chill or deaf. On the other hand if the dogs are quiet types or good sleepers (never noisy at night) that might be no problem at all. My vote with the dogs involved but no wife/kids is to focus on getting a SFH with a yard that includes a fenced area. Money saved on smaller house can buy more yard
You can hear your neighbors sneezing in a lot of townhouses. Your neighbors might hate you if your dogs bark all night. If you are in good relations with your parents and there aren't any tension about you leaving the nest, I would stay and save save save for that detached house. That's just me though.
Yeah I went through that in the townhouse rental. The noise wasn't much of an issue but then again I worked nights. But two of my neighbors smoked pot all day long and I could not open the windows when the weather was nice because of it. My driveway was tiny and the detached garage too small for my truck.
Definitely don't get another dog homeboy. Keep finding ways to save, you'll get there.
Yep. I really wish people wouldn’t get pets when they haven’t achieved stable independence. Not saying home ownership, although that’s even better. Just not 20ish loosey-goosey.
Unpopular opinion: If any of your three active dogs is very vocal around strangers or while playing, you should not move into a property with shared walls. The occasional yip is one thing. But there are few things more frustrating than having a neighbor with a dog who barks or howls constantly.
I can think of one, a neighbour with 3 dogs.
What about a neighbor with 4 dogs?
THIS. Having a next door neighbor with barking dogs is HELL and it’s 10x worse if a wall is shared.
FACTS. \- signed, I love your dog forever and ever but sometimes I gotta be outside doing stuff.
Ha. My condo association banned dogs for this reason.
That's not an unpopular opinion at all. \- signed, neighbor of dog owners.
Home ownership is more than a monthly “rent” payment to the bank. You’re paying selling fees, property taxes, house insurance, maintenance, and all the unexpected costs the rear their ugly head after moving in. I can’t tell you what to do, however if I were in your position I would wait.
That’s the nice part about a townhouse though. Half the maintenance is already taken care of. The HOA fees generally net out even with maintenance of an SFH. Only advantage of SFH is you can choose to fix it all yourself. But for VHCOL areas, to even afford the SFH in the first place, you probably dual-income and both having high pressure jobs in tech, medicine or finance. And then you just want to enjoy your home in your free time.
Depending on where you are, the HOA dues may be very high, which could eat into any price differential you will see going to a townhome versus a single family home. I had a coworker that sold their townhome in NY and bought a new townhome in NC. For the townhome in NY, the HOA dues was $1,500 a month. The townhome in NC only had HOA dues of $300 a month.
Yeah but an SFH in NYC would have been astronomically more expensive than the townhome in NYC. I’m talking about townhome and SFH in the same region.
It was upstate NY just north of NYC, not NYC. When she sold her townhome, she sold it for $600k. A SFH of the same size would have cost about $750k. But it is also true that property taxes for a condo or TH is significantly lower than property taxes for a SFH because the property is assessed by the government differently.
Gotcha. I have never heard of a $1500 a month HOA fee and I live in coastal California where it’s also extremely expensive. That seems like a pretty large exception.
you could buy an HOA if that’s your thing. Be carful tho because you could be paying more then what you actually receive, and you are also handcuffed to what you can or cannot do. I personally would avoid strata, I couldn’t imagine sitting in a meeting and listening to other folks debate their bi-laws, complaints, etc. id rather roll around in in broken glass and be hosed with vinegar while little people tossed salt at me. If you’re spending a good amount of coin on a property would you not want the freedom to do with it as you please? 🍻
I think one of the reasons it was that high was because her townhome complex was over 20 years old, so pretty much all of the TH's in her complex were coming due for roof replacements. Also when her central air went out, the HOA covered the cost of the replacement. And just because you are shopping for SFH's does not necessarily means you can avoid a HOA. A few years back before COVID, my wife and I was thinking of relocating to Florida. We went down there for a house hunting trip and looked at several new housing developments. We were only looking at SFH's, but every single one of those new developments all had HOA's to cover the cost of community pools and clubhouses.
Unless the property significantly increases in value in only a few years, or you choose upgrades carefully, selecting only those that yield the highest ratio of $'s [increase in home value] per $1 of project cost, you'll likely need to stay there for more than a few years to make it worth paying the sale fees again. Also, and I know it's very difficult to avoid HOA's these days, but the idea that an HOA (or the management company hired for the purpose) will "handle a bunch of the b.s. for you and free time toy can spend enjoying your home" is definitely a minority experience, if not an outlier. Getting them to agree to pay for and manage projects even for scenarios clearly detailed in the CC&Rs as being the HOA's responsibility to oversee and process can be extremely difficult. The companies that get hired to manage an HOA are usually paid a flat fee, so you'd think it would be easy, assuming there are sufficient funds, to get them to approve spending your own money that you have been contributing over time, since spending it or not doesn't change their pay. But the way that they make money is by charging that flat fee and then not billing as many hours as that flat fee is meant to cover, hence convincing them to coordinate any project, or even respond to questions in a reasonable amount of time, can be...uncommon. There are exceptions to every rule or trend though, and they may simply be impossible to avoid, but if it's at all possible, I would ask some of the neighbors what experiences they have had, or at least get a copy of the CC&Rs and read through it. There are definitely good ones out there but if the dues are significant I would at least do some due diligence and find out anything I can, especially if you may end up staying there longer than a few years, which I imagine would be the most likely scenario. It's a pain in the butt to buy, move, list, sell, and buy and move again. And timing everything do you don't have underlap...it all takes time. All that being said, I've met some lasting friends that were my next door neighbors in apartment & townhouse style living, so its definitely not all horrible HOAs and annoying neighbors. Especially if you favor being social with your neighbors, it can be preferable to being more isolated by privacy. To echo another responder here, it just depends on the specific situations and the specific individuals (you and your puppies 🐶🐶🐶) what will work best for you. Good luck!
I own a townhouse with a small backyard and have a dog. It's fine. Reddit loves to crap all over HOAs and townhouse/condos. But when you buy a townhouse-condo, HOAs are very necessary. Someone has to be responsible for shared roofs, shared siding, shared pavement, etc... Most HOAs for townhouses are just fine. And even convenient. Do your due diligence and research their Financials, talk to neighbors before you offer, and all that. A key to looking at HOAs is to figure out what other similar HOAs charge monthly. If that HOA is low, that's a red flag. It could be a sign of frequent assessments or under-funded reserves. Your bigger issue will be whether the HOA allows dogs (most townhouses in my area do), but the bigger problem will be ... how many, what size, and if there are breed restrictions. I've rarely seen HOAs that allow three dogs. (Although, I own a townhouse and a standard tiny condo in the city, my townhouse HOA limits the number of pets in general, my city condo doesn't at all... weird). I personally love living in townhouses and condos and have never had HOA problems. I loke condo/townhouse living better than SFRs. I've also owned SFRs where I've been left holding the bag for 50-60k repairs or more and one SFR where my neighbors were batcrap crazy, and louder and more problematic than any townhouse/condo I've owned. The townhouse I own now was built in 1980, its HOAs are on the higher side of average, the complex is well funded and has never had an assessment. The condo I own in the city winds up with an assessment about every three years for anywhere from $1200-2400, payable over a year. That's a conscious choice by the HOA. Their dues are lower than similar units, but it's a small building with only 18 units, so things cost more per unit. Condo/Townhouse HOAs can be just fine... just make sure you research the HOA first. It would help to have an agent that's well versed in HOAs too so they can help with that research. My favorite "why HOAs are good" story happened a few years ago. My husband and I noticed our roof was leaking. We sent the HOA manager an email, with pictures. The next morning, a crew was at my place re-roofing. The re-roofing was on Christmas Eve. Easy peasy. No calling for contractors, no scheduling, no climbing up a dangerous roof to spread tarps, no missed days of work. Just an email and like magic, my roof was fixed. No bill, either since the operating and reserve budget covered it.
Very helpful information thank you! If the hoa has a two dog rule, do you think I can get by with saying I just have two? Or will they catch me? I do have the option to leave one of my dogs with my parents if I really have to until I can get a house. My dad has a very special bond with one of them and wants to keep him but I really don’t want to separate him from the other two. They are best friends so that would break my heart to leave him behind even though we would still see him all the time. I did find another townhouse that has no hoa, it’s a bit smaller but it has a fenced in huge yard.. idk if that’s a good or bad thing it doesn’t have an hoa though. I’m scheduled to look at that one later today as well.
Don’t do it. If the HOA says 2 dogs, don’t be that self-entitled owner who thinks the rules don’t apply to them.
*In my experience* (and IANAL) no one will want to bother with your extra dog until it becomes an issue... but when it does become an issue, you're going to have to decide which dog to give up. It sounds like you have a backup plan, but still: you willing to make that choice?
In your home search and decision-making, I'd advise you to never lie. When you buy into an HOA, you're signing a contract that states you'll follow the rules. Lying by having 3 dogs when only 2 are allowed puts you in the position of being sued for breach of contract. Don't start your homeownership life by lying.
That would be a crapshoot to try and smuggle a third in if there is a two dog limit. My townhouse has a 2-pet limit. So 1 dog, 1 cat for example, or two dogs. But I know people have more... my neighbors below me have three small dogs. No one cares unless there's a problem. But, I've owned in other complexes that had much tighter rules and were militant about their pet rules. A townhouse with no HOA is pretty uncommon. They do exist, but very rarely in my area. A townhouse is usually a reference to the style of unit.. 2+ stories, it's a building style description, not a legal description. They are almost always legally condos in most places. The ones that have no HOA are legally described as SFR-attached. These are where you not only own your unit, but you also own the property your unit occupies. They can be fairly common in some east coast areas like Philadelphia, Brooklyn (the classic brownstone), or New Jersey, and even the greater DC areas. Everywhere else, they are somewhat rare (although, I'm starting to see some new build SFR-Attached popping up in the Seattle area to help combat the housing crunch). I'd always say if you are trying to score that first property, a townhouse might be a good choice. Building equity is always good. I have no experience owning an SFR-attached, but I'm sure like everything, they have their pros and cons.
A shared property without anything performing the functions of an HOA (regardless of what you call it) would be a nightmare. What, you gonna go to court over every disagreement about who owes what for upkeep?
I live in a group of townhouses & we are freehold, so no group fees & we are all responsible for our own houses. We've managed to collectively get our roofs repaired, (got a deal too because they did the whole block at a time) & manage to take care of things amongst ourselves. I grew up in a condo & I didn't want to be stuck in a condo house where I couldn't choose what colour flowers I had, (seriously, my friend is in such a condo townhouse) & I especially didn't want to pay condo fees which almost always are like another mortgage payment in my city. My house is my own & it's a good neighbourhood & we all take care of our homes. It has a decent front & back yard & the garage is detatched & set behind our yards. I can walk everywhere, there's a waterfront park & beach, 2 blocks away. All schools are also in walking distance, groceries, drug store, pizza, liquor store & lots of other stores are within walking distance. I also have 24 hr buses, trains & the highway is about a 10 minute drive away. This was a very carefully planned out neighbourhood & I wish that more could be built like mine. And when I close my windows, it's quiet & I can't hear cars or neighbours, unless they really try. It's not difficult to live without a condo fee (or what you call an HOA in the U.S.). And it's nice to be able to choose what I want to do with my house & not have to get permission for every wee thing.
These do exist, largely on the east coast. They're also starting to build some of these in my area on the west coast. Some have quasi HOAs that have a fund for shared driveways, but they don't cover anything else. The new ones they're putting up around here may also have some CC&Rs that stipulate you can't, for example, strip off stucco siding and replace with cedar shake or something like that. But there's no real HOA. The buildings are attached, but are often individually framed, have independent roofs... Basically, they're houses that are just built really close to/touching the neighbors.
These do exist, largely on the east coast. They're also starting to build some of these in my area on the west coast. Some have quasi HOAs that have a fund for shared driveways, but they don't cover anything else. The new ones they're putting up around here may also have some CC&Rs that stipulate you can't, for example, strip off stucco siding and replace with cedar shake or something like that. But there's no real HOA. The buildings are attached, but are often individually framed, have independent roofs... Basically, they're houses that are just built really close to/touching the neighbors.
Check out the townhouse community and read the association rules. I owned a townhouse as a dog owner. I had a corner unit which had the advantage of a larger yard, which was actually as big as some single family homes in the area. You will find that communities vary greatly. My townhome community even had a dog park. Or maybe there is a public dog park close by. My community had a low HOA fee, less than $75 IIRC. Some will be higher or lower depending on amenities and how much "common area" (such as landscaped areas, pools, and other amenities) are maintained by the association.Another set of factors are the financial costs of a sf home versus a town home. Taxes and insurance are likely to be higher for a sf home. Also, if you're in a tight market for sf homes and you are limited to fixer uppers or homes with deferred maintenance, you should factor in those costs. A newer th is going to have less update and maintenance costs than a dated sf home. A good buyer's agent can help you consider all these factors.
I got a nice townhouse in a gated community of just townhouses. Everyone is basically 70+. It’s really quiet and aside from the HOA meetings being a shit show, we love it here. We can walk our dogs around the neighborhood. We got a garage. A driveway. A backyard. We can build a fence! I know we wanted desperately to get a house as well. So did so many other people we knew. We inspected 4 houses and every house had 40+ pages of things that needed to be fixed. It was a bitch.
100k less? Get the house
Honestly, a townhouse doesn't sound ideal for your situation with 3 dogs. Are you aware of the new federal program to assist first time home buyers? They're providing $400/mo towards your mortgage for the first two years. Another option: buy a house and get a roommate for the first few years to help offset the expenses. If you would buy a house in a neighborhood without an HOA, the HOA at the townhouse would probably negate any savings you might achieve.
HOAs aren't exclusive to townhomes or condos. In many areas, single family homes built in the last 2-3 decades have HOAs as well. HOAs aren't evil. Bad people exist. When bad people get control that allow them to make others lives miserable, they take advantage of that. Whether that role is HOA board member or an elected official in City, County, State, or Federal government. Your dogs will do fine in any housing situation. When you live in an apartment, condo, or townhome, you take them to a dog park instead of having the SFH benefit out letting them out in your private backyard.
The very first thing to check is to see if the rules and regulations will even allow 3 dogs. Most of the TH communities in my area have a 1 or 2 pet max allowed. Some have other restrictions such as breed or size (in pounds). TH's are great but if you are a pet owner with multiple pets it may not be an option for you.
You lived at home till 30. You can live at home for a couple more years. I first moved out into a townhouse & I had no idea how I'd hear neighbors, hear dogs barking from other neighbors & countless other annoyances. If you've never lived in a townhouse you won't really understand. A lot of town houses aren't built great either so they age horribly because siding looks like crap etc. vs all brick or just you maintaining your siding. Townhouses also tend to go downhill more in a lot of cases because like you mentioned. It's cheaper. And unfortunately cheaper real estate normally equates to people who are less likely to take care of it. Not to mention a lot of townhouses can turn into section 8 houses so I'd be concerned about that. Very possible what i just explained might not be in the same area you're looking at just thought you should be aware. I speak from my own personal experience. And where section 8 houses is normally is more headache from neighbors that don't care about being good neighbors. You also need to ask yourself how long do you plan on living there? Ideally if you felt like this might be your "forever" home and you'll never move than it might make more sense. But, if you feel like this is just a more temporary place say 10 years or less until you might get married/start a family. You need to remember that you might have a harder time selling for the reasons I mentioned above. Some people wont' even entertain the idea of living in a town house. EDIT: Just re-read your last point about fixing it up and selling. Might want to consider renting it out if it makes sense. Personally I wouldn't want to rent out just mentioning it could be a good move if you feel selling will be difficult. I hear ya though on the mental thing living at home. It can mentally be frustrating with no end in sight. I'd just be very careful because at the end of the day. While you are living at home you at least know that eventually that day will come versus getting into something you really hate & having that frustrating feeling of being stuck in a mortgage around annoying neighbors, HOA etc.. Also, You might be a great dog owner. This might not apply to you. But I speak from experience where I lived in a townhouse & the neighbors dogs would be outside for many hours of the day just barking all the time. I hated it. It's why I wanted to get out. My point is that some neighbors could become a pain if you let your dogs out early morning or late at night. They could end up come banging on your door telling you they got woke up & be a pain even though you don't think your doing anything wrong. So just keep in mind having 3 dogs in a relatively small area being town house could impact your neighbors more than you realize & that could come with retaliation. Again, you might not be like that but just throwing that out there.
3 dogs? Consider your neighbours as well before making this decision.
Hoa will likely have a pet limit, even size limit
Be aware of the pet rules wherever you buy… I don’t know of any condo or townhouse complexes that would allow three dogs of any size in my area …
Between the dogs and the desire for a yard, I'd wait. Yeah, living with your parents might suck. Channel that annoyance into boosting your down payment for what you really want. With the costs involved with buying and selling a property, building equity and coming out ahead in just a few years is a crap shoot. This only really works if property values in that area are rising quickly and interest rates are low. Otherwise, the small amount of equity you've accumulated is consumed by closing costs.
You should really investigate the HOA rules before acting like you even have a choice. A large dog plus two medium dogs is going to limit your options in a lot of ways. And the places that are ok with it aren’t generally desirable. You’ve been living with your parents for over a decade as an adult, so if you haven’t managed to save up money for a down payment tgen you have bigger issues.
Man, your last sentence is why everyone needs to start posting their general location. In VHCOL areas, like coastal California, you would need about $350k cash saved up for a down payment + closing costs on a SFH. Your mortgage would then be about $9k a month…so saving up less than 20% down would mean your monthly is ASTRONOMICAL for a first time buyer. Try to comprehend that. Telling OP he “should’ve saved more living with his parents” doesn’t make sense at all. Not everybody lives in a cheaper part of the country nor would they want to. I’m so grateful to be a homeowner in San Diego. Most of you will never know what it’s like to go surfing before work, enjoy 70 degree weather year-round AND have access to a good job market (relative, not as good as SF or NYC but better than anywhere else).
Region matters in these discussions, for sure. Personally I didn't like SD, no disrespect. But I prefer hiking and kayaking and biking and walking to surfing. And I like seasons. Plus, it's nice Feb-Nov which is fine by me. As such I'm not in a VHCOL, house and acre and a half of land was under 150k and financed @ 3%. Required down payment was 0 for an 800 dollar mortgage. I get to step out, watch the sun both rise and set and enjoy all sorts of cool stuff for half the rent I paid in Nashville. Shit, my mortgage is less than \*my half\* of renting a second residence in Denver. So yes, harder discussion without regions.
I’m sorry but the hiking, kayaking and biking in San Diego absolutely SHIT on Tennessee 😂 What are you even smoking?? That said, you have a cheaper mortgage forsure.
>I’m sorry but the hiking, kayaking and biking in San Diego absolutely SHIT on Tennessee Definitely a very subjective thing. For what it's worth, TN has 4 more national parks than California does and is in my opinion _way_ more beautiful than Cali. Just keep in mind that not everyone is looking for the same aesthetics, weather, etc. Trying to say any place is objectively better than the other is silly unless we're talking about Antarctica or something lol and I'm sure there is someone out there who would love to live there anyway.
Yeah California was one of my childhood travel goals and when I got there I was pretty let down by how well, ugly, most of it is. I think I just didn't expect a desert. There are beautiful parts of California (lookin @ you Death Valley) but if I was going to go do some landscape photography to sell it'd be in TN or NC. You have to go so far between things in CA. States like TN or NC the next cool outdoor thing is 15-20 minutes max.
Maybe, but I can objectively say most people prefer one for a reason. Supply and demand is not subjective.
Good thing I don't live in Tennessee anymore then? Also, the Smokies are gorgeous. Not sure what you're smoking to sleep on those.
Not saying Tennessee doesn’t have natural beauty, just that you’re trippin if you think the hiking, kayaking and biking scene is better there than SD.
I'm not looking for a 'scene' to be part of. I'm talking about aesthetics/a nice environment, access, and lack of crowds. I'm not trying to deal with a bunch of people, that's the exact opposite of why I go out.
You’re mistaking what I mean by “scene”. I’m not talking about the social aspects. I’m talking about everything you mentioned.
> Try to comprehend that. Try moving somewhere cheaper if you want to own a home with 3 dogs in location where your current wage can't support homeownership.
With that many dogs, wait until you can afford a house with some land between you and the neighbors…
Buy a house and build the equity
Live with your parents until you've saved enough to buy a house and have a nest egg for repairs, savings, etc.
Personally, I’d wait for a house.
I bought a townhome a year ago and love it. It’s new construction so the sound proofing between houses is amazing. I hear my neighbors maybe once a week and it’s for 10 seconds as their dog is running somewhere I think. We get *more* privacy than our SFH in the neighborhood as they only have 6 ft of space between their houses and their neighbors but there are windows facing each other. We miss out on a little bit of light on the sides and we don’t have a yard, but our house is 25% cheaper for 90% the house so I think it’s worth it. If you’re buying an old town home though I’d be a little weary. Both my siblings live in townhomes. My sister’s is relatively new (10 years) and she can’t hear her neighbors either. Her dog is log af and she says she’s sorry all the time but they claim they can’t hear her dog. My brother on the other hand has one that’s 30 years old and they can hear their neighbors pretty much all day on the weekends/weeknights. You do miss out on a yard though, and if that’s all you care about then yeah don’t do it. Otherwise, I’m really surprised at how much I love my townhome.
HOA fees have been going up dramatically because insurance is out of control. I don't see this changing anytime soon and expect HOA fees to go up even more next year. Our insurance has doubled twice in the last few years and I expect another increase next year. The question is, is that townhome really more affordable than a house when you include the increasing HOA fees?
Very true. Thats my biggest worry with the hoa, them increasing it. I did just find a townhouse that’s a little smaller, almost 900 sq feet but it has no hoa AND a huge fenced in yard. I’m scheduled to look at that one later today. To me, the bigger yard and no hoa makes up for it being smaller inside so fingers crossed on that one!
A townhouse without an HOA sounds sketchy too. Do they just do assessments for exterior maintenance, trash, outside lighting? What about insurance? Would you be responsible for your own? There's a lot of questions about a townhouse with no HOA. I'd definitely get a good inspection to make sure things like siding and the roof are in good shape.
Where I'm at, it's called a freehold townhouse. A developer built townhouses instead of detached. They exist and nothing sketchy about it.
Question: since the units are attached, how is the roof maintained? The exterior maintained? I would expect each owner to maintain the exterior and roof but then you end up with a patchwork of roof colors, styles, ages etc not to mention differences in paint and materials TH to TH. How does that freehold TH community look - cohesive or disjointed? Just a question.
You have to buy insurance for the house as well. Having shared walls results in lower insurance for equivalent square footages. That was one of the main reasons we went with a condo for now. $4300/yr in HOA fees plus insurance vs. $7000/yr insurance on a SFH with similar square footage.
This depends where you live. My insurance jumped up a bit one year but the price of my home also had a big jump. It's stayed relatively stagnant the last 3 years for me so this is very region dependent.
Yeah, I'm in a wooded area so everyone is worried about an increase in forest fires. But we are also seeing increases in hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes so I'm guessing you are in the minority.
I'm a house guy, with a shop for hobbies etc. But yah I guess a draw back is all the maintenance that is inevitable with a home vs a condo where the association might do all landscaping, maintenance outside etc, can really simplify your life not having to worry stuff like a new roof or cutting the grass etc . Good luck
Get the house!
House
Nothing wrong with a townhouse!! 🏡
House is better. My coworker has mice issues cause the neighbor is a hoarder. The mice crawl from their dirty house to coworkers house through the walls.
Don't forget bugs that crawl through the walls too....ugh. . a friend lived in a townhouse and ended up with roaches cause of the neighbors.
10 years of savings should afford an enormous down payment
We got a townhouse. It's been great! Would love a yard and a garage, but you can't beat the price, our neighbors are wonderful, and I'm grateful that the condo association handles stuff like plowing. It's like homeownership lite, which feels like an easier introduction to the whole thing.
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Don’t count on this being an easy sale if the house smells like 3 dogs live there.
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And where to put the dogs while that work is going on? Time on market while it’s being shown? They’d have to be living somewhere else already. Yeah I wouldn’t buy a house with the expectation of selling it in a couple years, if detached home is what OP really wants. I bought a starter house 11 years ago, believing I was only going to be here <5 years. Still here, all that time it just didn’t make sense to move. So my lesson from that is: only buy if you’d be happy to stay many years.
Do it! Get on the property ladder! A lot can change in your 30s (I'm 37) and you can always sell if it doesn't work out. :)
Until he has to rehome his dogs. I have a condo that shares only the garage walls, and it's still a nightmare with my neighbors who have one dog. We have small yards, and having three dogs in a small yard is horrible for the dogs. Best intentions aside. Sometimes, it's not easy with that many dogs.
That is your experience, but may not be everyone's experience, so I don't see the point of your comment. I have 3 dogs myself.
Because it's animal abuse not to have a decent size yard.
It’s difficult to live with your parents once you’re an adult. I bought a house during Covid and my father lives with me. The housing market has been trash for a while. Not sure when or if it will get any better… Do what’s best for you. Your plan sounds pretty good though.
My first home purchase was a townhome style condominium with an HOA. There are rules about dogs and it can be a hindrance having large dogs or multiple dogs with a small yard. You could start exploring your options so you know what they are. The neighborhood where I purchased was very nice, new, clean, and with minimal issues as far as neighbors go.
I started in a townhome at 28. It was great! There is nothing wrong with a townhome and you can always sell and buy another home later. While my townhome is smaller then my current home it was actually five years never and had a better master bedroom.
My first home was a townhouse. If your goal is a home, then stick to that goal and wait. Ultimately, long term a townhouse is a much larger money pit than a home. Almost as bad as buying a brand new car imho. Condo fees will rise, taxes, special assessments and you really don’t “own” the property in the same way you own a home built on land. Buying a townhome just gets you out from under a landlord and gives you the opportunity to say you’re a “homeowner.” But as mentioned, you may not have a landlord but you could then be dealing with an HOA. Privacy as well can be an issue. People are a lot nosier in condo complexes, concerning themselves with noise, the comings and goings of other guests, their pets, etc. I had a dog and someone came after me once for dog droppings not being picked up (wasn’t me) and barking noise (wasn’t my dog). Both times I had to deal with the complaints as if it were my fault, very frustrating. Get yourself a house!
If you get along with your parents and they’re cool with you being there- stay. How much longer would it take to fulfill your dream rather than settle for less? What difference does 32 make to 30? Personally, I couldn’t do a townhouse. It’s just an apartment you own. And your neighbors aren’t 50 feet away you share walls with them. And never, ever, ever, could I do an HOA. Just me. YMMV. Best to you.
We got a townhouse due to the high interest rates and high home prices last year. We have NO regrets! So much better than apartment.
Most townhouses have pet limits for number and size. You may find one that suits your needs, but a house is probably better.
Be very careful & very thorough in your research of the HOA rules for your dogs, most do not allow 3 dogs & lots have breed restrictions or weight restrictions & such. You don't want ppl to have power to put a lien on your home due to your dogs or force you to re-home them. Also check the county/city rules on pet ownership, certain towns don't even allow 3 dogs (officially) typically not gonna be a problem unless you get a shitty neighbor or live next to an over reaching board member or your dogs are obnoxious & people start reporting noise & such but definitely need to be aware of all of that living in closer quarters.
In some areas a townhouse is not the worst place to live. My sister has been in one with her spouse and two dogs for years now. Their only complaints concern one of their neighbors. Other town houses in her area are nicer and have HOAs. Her place does not have an HOA. I'm not a fan of HOAs but they do mitigate some issues.
Can you tolerate a roommate (temporarily) to make up the difference in townhome vs SFH mortgage? Instead of moving twice, just get someone in a spare bedroom until your income grows into affording the home on your own income.
I'd say get the townhouse now. You can upgrade to a house later. In the meantime, the townhouse should go up in value so that when you do decide to sell, that could give you extra money for the house you'd be buying. My sister bought a townhouse for 89k and recently sold it for close to 400K. I'm not sure how long she had it for, but it was over 10 years. Right now, it's a sellers market, and that probably won't change anytime soon. Of course, the value of real-estate prices is dependent on location. If you hate having an HOA, there are homes that have no HOA, and I suggest looking for a home without an HOA. That's what I will be doing when and if I buy a house.
Owning a townhome, your resale value will be directly impacted by neighbours that also can only afford a townhome. Not to be elitist, but you would be better in a house. Bad neighbours are always bad, but the class of bad can make a difference. I have always tried to find the lowest priced home in a nice subdivision. If their home has a higher price point, it drags mine up, instead of dragging it down.
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Single family homes are all different in the same neighborhood. Townhomes are all the fucking same. What’s your logic? Keep laughing.
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Seriously? You give nothing material to discuss, just pointless opinion. Clearly you’re just a troll.
Keep in mind Townhouse HOA fees are often SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive than a house. I've seen upwards of $500 to $1k PER MONTH in some locations. Make sure you know what the monthly HOA fee is for any townhouse you are looking at, combined with the mortgage, you may end up spending more per month than a house with a much lower HOA fee.
Not always. Mine is $300/mo. That basically just covers the exterior insurances, plus a little extra for the rainy day fund. It was actually cheaper, as I'm in one of the "climate change" states and the wind insurance is proportionate to your external surface area, which is much lower if you're sharing walls.
Also, the monthly fees can fluxuate, although usually just in one direction (up). When we bought our house (technically considered a condo) I think they were around $150/$180 and now they are $280. That was over the course of 10 years ,but still it's something to consider. And if there are special assessments, you have to pay even if you are not directly impacted. Several ponds in our neighborhood needed retaining walls built to keep the land from eroding in order to protect peoples' yards, fences, and ultimately their homes. Our house doesn't even have a pond view, you can't see it at all! But we had to cough up the money regardless- somewhere between $500-$700.
Honestly, I think you need another dog. And not just a small one, get yourself a Saint Bernard or something. 3 dogs? You going to limit yourself to only odd numbers? When I was 30 and living with my parents I had no less than 8. I’m talking they were pissing and shitting and humping on each other, screaming at the top of their lungs and making my parents trip and fall ALL THE TIME. Man, I was LIVING. I look back upon those days and weep. What have I become?
You should wait until you can afford a freestanding house. The main reason being the dogs. Otherwise, in terms of noise and cooking odors and cigarette smoke and just plain annoying behavior and rules a townhouse is nothing but an apartment with more expenses. Bide your time.
Never buy shared walls
What makes you say that?
All the bad parts of living in an apartment plus all the bad parts of owning.
The bad part about living in an apartment is that you don't own it and it perpetually costs thousands of dollars per month
You’ve never shared walls or floors/ceilings with heavy walkers, early risers, shift workers, heavy weed smokers, screaming children, incessantly barking dogs, domestic abusers, serial arguers, musicians, loud-music players, door slammers, hoarders, methheads, curry cookers, smokers, 5x/day vacuumers, or a thousand other ways to annoy.
I would not buy a townhouse unless it was a historically designated one in a city. I grew up in a "townhome," and there are just too many negatives. Your quality of life is determined by your neighbors and how many of the units close to you are rentals. But outside of that, your roi won't be as much as a single home. Obviously, others will disagree. But having grown up in that environment, I would never go back. Add HOA on top of that, and I don't feel it's the best use of funds.
The fact that everyone ignores here is that it's way cheaper. "Doesn't appreciate as fast" is not such a bad thing when you're looking to buy, because, well, it hasn't been appreciating as fast. The difference isn't all that enormous either, like 3% vs 4%. Real estate isn't that great of an investment anyway.. We couldn't quite swing a SFH like we want where we want so options were essentially buy an old shitty ($400k plus heavy maintenance bills) SFH, rent an old shitty roach infested SFH, SFH way away from the nice neighborhood we're in, or buy a nice ($360k) condo while we wait ~3 years so that we can get around the $800k mark for a nice, sufficiently large SFH in our nice neighborhood. I do not regret it at all. It was a compromise for sure, but the alternate compromises were less desirable to us.
Have you checked if there is any land for sale reasonably cheap in your area and the cost to have a house built, or a manufactured home put on the land if you purchased the land? It can be less expensive than buying a home, but it can also be more expensive, so it depends on your area. The good news is if it is less expensive you can continue to save while you live with your parents and the house gets built. You can also have some say in what gets put in the home and the design of the home.
I’m renting a townhome now and I’m closing on my new house in a few weeks. I’m up right now at 6 AM because I have to feed my cat lol. But last night my neighbors were up till about 1 or 2am laughing extremely loud, screaming, playing loud music, and banging doors. My first home I bought was a townhome and it was fine, so basically you never know what you’re going to get. Remember you have to factor in the HOA fees which can go up at any time but at least you don’t have to worry about the upkeep of the outside of the house. HOA are definitely a nightmare. Look up, John Oliver Hoa on YouTube For a good laugh and some horror stories.
Reading reddit, my take is that HOA boards are largely comprised of three factions: incompetent idiots, West Coast lunatics and power-hungry fascists.
I can't think of any complex in my market that allows 3 dogs. Very few even allow two.
Owning dogs is holding you back from living life. You should be living in an apartment and be in or seeking out a relationship. If it’s feasible, have your parents watch the dogs, visit occasionally, and rent an apartment. Focus on developing a relationship and consider buying something when you either are in a committed relationship, or are 40+
I have to agree. We all stigmatize crazy cat people with 10 cats (for good reason) and yet it's somehow perfectly reasonable to have an equivalent weight of animals in dogs. More than 2 dogs (tbh more than 1 if it's large) is unhinged.
What horrible advice.
You aren’t wrong. Dogs are my life though and that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to take. I recently broke up with my boyfriend and we were planning on getting a house together so that put a damper on things a bit. At this point, I want to get my own place so I can get back into dating eventually and have my own space. It’s embarrassing to tell people I still live with my parents, especially people I’m interested in dating. My ex would stay with me a lot here at my parents mainly bc my dogs are here and I have to be here to take care of them. In my next relationship I don’t want to be doing that again. Only want to bring my partner to my parents if I’m visiting lol.
Eh don't be embarrassed about it. Times are rough and just being in a position where you can even think about buying a home makes you better off than a lot of people in our age range. It took me a long time to get out of my parents place for good. I couldn't find a career after I graduated from college so ended up in low wage positions for several years. Even after I went back to school and got a second degree it still took me several years to have a job where I could save up for a home. It is fortunate to have parents that are so supportive to let you live with them for so long. They love you and want to see you succeed. That is nothing to be ashamed of.
In my not limited life experience having a great variety of pets and having many positive relationships, the majority of people with pets have better emotional intelligence and are better at relationships than those without. If you can afford owing (and maintaining) a home of any type, the decision to buy seems more a personal values issue. The financial angle is always a gamble.
Dogs are great and they can adapt. Think about this, dogs live in NYC and they're happy. If you take them out and exercise them you won't have problems and they'll be happy. Does living with your parents benefit you or them? Is the townhouse in a good area and within your price range? Maybe you can buy a house later and rent the townhouse. There are no rules in life so do what's best for you and your family. Happiness in life is irrelevant to where you live (house, apartment, townhouse) so find what makes you happy. If you stay at your parents then invest all the money you save and you'll benefit from that
Since townhouses are in such close proximity, check if your would be neighbors have dogs, too. Or even indoor/outdoor cats. With 4+ animals in the mix, I imagine it would cause an increase in barking and under fence digging. Also, there may be rules about what kind of fence you can install if there isn't an existing fence there already. If it matters to you, SFH generally hold their value better. But you could argue a townhouse community with a strict association may hold value better than a SFH with no association, so I guess its case dependant. I hate having a HOA bc I don't like being told to do with our own house. But I do like that it helps maintain property value and prevents crappy neighbors from putting derelict vehicles in their yard up on blocks.
*Unpopular take here*: prices are only going to go higher and higher. Get in while you can. * some expect lowered interest rates, which = hotter market * realtor commission changes may lead to a hotter market [https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/real-estate/housing-market-predictions/](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/real-estate/housing-market-predictions/) If your dogs bark, that makes me uncomfortable with a townhouse.
There are several things to consider: Townhouse can be very hard to sell later on compare to single family home. You may be able to rent it out and use that as your "passive" income down the road. However, are we talking about 70k town home vs 170k single home or 700k town home vs 770k single home? Anything more 400-500k that are not single home might be much harder to sell in the long term. Some HOA managed subdivisions may have dog park or good trail to take the dog out (but you can't leave the dog unattended). Are there maybe duplex that perhaps you can buy, live in one of them, and rent another out?
This is my second townhome, we don't really have much of a yard at all ( never mind any fences). We have one small dog, the neighborhood is quiet and expansive so I try to take our dog out on walks often. We love our townhouse. The first one we lived in, the HOA was stupid not because they enforce too much, but they didn't enforce or follow any rules and the area suffered for it. The current one we love and the HOA is perfectly fine. In neither cases was the HOA expensive. So the HOA really depends on the area and is a case-by-case basis. As far as a townhome, really the only thing is the attached walls to a neighbor or two but we feel this house of ours is as big as many single family homes we were looking at anyway. So in short: make sure the HOA of the house you are looking at is decent and not overpriced. And just as importantly, get a feel for the neighbors. Your immediate neighbors will make or break your quality of living!
Buy the townhouse. But only quality that has good soundproofing. The builder may give you specs if it's newer. Older - go knock on neighbors doors and just adk how they are I preferred the less yard work.
it's not likely that you can save faster than the increase in house prices. buy now, buy bigger later.
Talk to your potential neighbors and see what do they say about the HOA and make sure if they are fine with your dogs especially if they bark a lot. There are many newer condos/TH that don’t share walls with neighbors even if the properties look like to be fully connected from the outside. If your target is one of them, it’s better for your dogs and neighbors. Also read the HOA rules and annual financial reports instead of just blindly trust others’ sayings. This subreddit is very extravagant about HOAs, but HOA and SFH are not mutually exclusive. I have multiple properties across the US and most of them have a HOA regardless of whether it’s a SFH or condo/TH. I personally have no issues with any HOAs in the last decade, most of their HOA fee grew slower than the inflation including those in the VHCOL areas.
We were on the same boat. We felt our lives behind the walls of a townhome would definitely be a lot more comfortable because for the same price as an SFH, everything was just newer and more updated. New AC, first owners, high efficiency features, etc. But we couldn't bring ourselves to pay the HOA, knowing that the costs will most certainly increase over the years and the potential drama behind having someone else dictate what we can/can't do to our building. What pushed us over the edge was us realizing how valuable land was lol. It's obvious to say out loud, but it became more apparent to notice how our area is built out and no one can build SFHs on an empty lot anymore. New construction are 99% going to be dense housing due to the housing crisis and state mandate to address it. We found a decent SFH and the yard maintenance is annoying, but we live in peace knowing we have the entire lot and building to ourselves and the autonomy to do almost anything to it. Less neighbors and less chance to come across bad apples is nice too. Like everyone said, it depends what you value.
30, just bought out first townhome its great. We know the family connected to us, desirable neighborhood, brand new. We've both held parties and both times couldn't hear a single thing. BUT this wont happen to everyone, sometimes you MIGHT have a shitty neighbor, you MIGHT hear every single noise they make, maybe the price isnt worth it. So it can be a great way to get into your first new home as it was for my wife and I, but theres lots of variables to think about.
I have owned 2 condos in my lifetime, HOA's were fine in both. Not sure why ppl complain, especially since you can join the HOA yourself to balance things out, but for some reason nobody ever talks about this aspect. For both condos they were renovated and very nicely done. It surprised me when OP said he would "fix it up" and then sell it. Why would you buy a fixer if you didn't have to? Threw me for a loop there. Currently in a 2BR condo in Vegas 1140 sq ft. I have stereo systems in the 2BR's and the living room. Neighbors cannot hear my sound system in any room inexplicably. I keep asking them if they can hear me and they can't, despite the fact that I can listen to my music at really loud levels, and I have subwoofers in each room too. A condo is not a bad idea for starter home. I thought it was a great idea. I sold that condo in Seattle after 7 years and doubled my money. You'll learn what it is to be a homeowner which is pretty useful.
get rid of 2 dogs and get a townhouse
Buying a townhouse, occupied with 3 dogs, to later sell in the future? I dunno. Maybe your dogs are the best trained dogs in the world but they kinda ruin homes over time. It's much like going into a smoker's house, but everything smells like dog. Patio yard probably gone. Inside it's always going to have dog hair, pee, poop, and kibble smell.
Buy what you can now, prices aren’t going down
You buy what you can afford RIGHT NOW. Waiting will just price you out of the market more and more.
A townhouse can be a good answer for homeownership for young or old. Do the homework though. Is the HOA run by residents or some company? What does it cover? Are short term rentals allowed (VRBO)?
Stay away from HOA's!!!
Unless u specifically want to be apart of an HOA I would avoid it like the plague. Take ur time. Save money. Buy a piece of land that way you'll always have a place to put a house plus it's a great money investment. U can get land REALLY cheap in a lot of areas
There are high transaction costs to moving, so ideally you don’t buy/sell houses often. And IMO with housing affordability relatively low, there’s not much room for appreciation in the market and it could go down. It already is in some places. So if there’s a place you want to live in for 20 years, it might be worth buying, but if not, you’re probably better off renting and investing the money you’d tie up in your house in the markets. It’ll likely grow much better there, and then if or when you do want to buy, you will need to able to afford more house. I realize renting with pets can be a pain, but hopefully you can make that work. Maybe offer a big deposit or something?
Look at monthly costs with HOA fees. Made a house a better option for us over a townhouse in the end
Wait. You don’t want a surprised HOA special assessment to wreck your savings.
I have owned 4 houses and started with a tiny duplex. If you can afford the townhouse, buy it and start there. Once you own one property it’s much easier to buy up if you choose to. Also, learning how to maintain a home is easier when it’s smaller.
Townhome is good as long as there's no HOA to charge you 150 to cut your little patch of grass every month
We have a new construction townhome and the soundproofing is outstanding. I’ve never once heard my neighbors, and they claim to play movies with the volume turned up very loud.
I rented a townhouse a couple of years ago. Having owned 3 homes, I will say as a practical matter with the market what it is getting a townhome is a good idea as a starter home and then upgrade in 5-7 years. Even if the market doesn't improve, your finances should if you start earning more from promotions or better job opportunities, and the equity you will build will make that purchase of a SFH easier later down the line. I have a medium sized dog. The townhouse I rented was nice: 3 br, 1.5 bath, about 1500 square feet (it had a finished basement). The backyard was postage stamped sized (maybe 300 square feet and fenced) which was just big enough to let her out to do her business. Fortunately for me there was a large grassy area with trees that was part of the common areas of the complex so I could play with her and exercise her there. Plus there was a bike path nearby we could take long walks on. I don't do dog parks. So depending on the amenities of the place, you could do just fine in this situation. Living with your parents has benefits when it comes to saving so do think about that. Ultimately you will have to weight the pros and cons but it is doable.
If- the maintenance fees are reasonable, - the building is in a great state of repair, AND - property values go up reliably over time where you are ... I'd vote yes now.. Why? Because while you pay DOWN the mortgage, the Value goes Up.. so there are 2 forces expanding your equity This leads to bigger gains than savings. Especially now with almost zero interest savings account.. ... I have owned 6 properties and have profited considerably on every purchase. YMMV.
If you plan to be there 3+ years (or whatever it takes in your area to recover the closing costs), get the TH and yard. You'll be building equity. If you are <3 years from a stand alone house, keep saving.
What’s wrong with smoking pot? Everyone else drinks high proof alcohol.
Townhouse is a bad idea, been there done that. Hoa no way in hell would I let stranger dictate every bit of my home environment. (that's what wives are for)
Move to a city where you can buy a house now
Townhouses have limits on pets. Most have a max of 2 pets. Definitely check before you make any offers.
I have literally bought two houses and fences for my dogs quality of life. I appreciate what it gave me too, but at the end of the day I did it for them and all my future dogs cause that’s the lifestyle I like. But I work a ton to afford that house and payoff that fence so it’s a give and take. They’d be thrilled if I was jobless in a shack with them… so it’s a matter of what makes you happy.
Look seriously into town houses. They are usually more than houses once you include all the fees and resale isn’t very good.