Sound Off: Should I buy a condo over a home?

A: There are many reasons why someone would purchase a condominium over a singlefamily home.

In San Francisco, we have many empty nesters who want less maintenance and paying a homeowners association fee can relieve some of the maintenance responsibilities of owning a single-family home.

Newer high-rise buildings built in the last 10 years in San Francisco have given many the opportunity to live a luxurious lifestyle with many amenities they wouldn’t have living in a single-family home.

We also have the busy single or couple professionals who have a busy work schedule, so owning a condominium providing less hands-on maintenance, which makes more sense.

Quite often in the city, we see many investors and families who want to purchase a condominium as a second home or as a rental investment. There are, however, assessments that could become due depending on one’s length of condominium ownership.

David Ayerdi, McGuire Real Estate,

415-794-3212, dayerdi@mcguire.com.

A: Whether or not a condo would be right for you depends upon your budget, needs and personal preferences.

Condo ownership is more affordable than purchasing a well-located single family residence but brings with it its own set of issues to consider.

Co-ownership requires adherence to homeowners association rules and payment of monthly fees to cover costs such as insurance, building maintenance, etc.

Condo associations are governed by a board and individual unit owners are affected by the decisions of those boards.

Condo living is higher density than single-family residences and involves shared walls, which can mean more noise.

And last, but not least, when the market begins to cool, it is often the value of condominiums that declines first.

Nevertheless, it remains true that many people prefer condo ownership as condos are easier to maintain and often located closer to the urban amenities they desire.

Karen Starr, the Grubb Co.,

510-339-0400, ext. 224, starr@grubbco.com; Brenda Schaefer, the Grubb Co., 510-339-0400 Ext. 352, bschaefer@grubbco.com.

A: Lifestyle counts. A single-family home requires tending to maintenance and upkeep. Who calls the plumber, gardener and arranges for repair? Condominium owners rely on an homeowners association management team to take care of repairs and upkeep, which takes less time, but costs average monthly HOA fees from $400 to $3,000.

Other than adjoining boundary lines and perhaps views or a tree dispute, single-family homes offer privacy. Security measures are needed to protect it 24/7.

Condos provide security and protection. Buyers, especially those not familiar with living in the Bay Area are best off selecting a Realtor who works in the neighborhoods they choose.

Buyers may be anxious to look at properties. The best approach is to sit down with the Realtor and clearly define the buyers’ likes and dislikes.

An experienced Realtor will spend from one to two hours asking questions and explaining the buying process. The results are well worth the effort down the line.

Anne Lawrence, Vanguard Properties, 415-533-6980, annelawrence@

vanguardsf.com.