Customer Reviews

Tips & Traps When Buying A Condo, Co-op, or Townhouse

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you are even thinking of even buying a condo, townhouse or condo, this book is a definite buy. It's definitely worth the price to educate yourself about some things to look out for when looking to buy. It is in a question/answer/tip/trap quick and to the point format. I bought the book because it was recommended as one of the top ten real estate books to buy in the real estate section in the Washington Post for 2000. Highly recommend.

As a prospective first-time property purchaser, I found this book to contain some good information on the particulars of condos and townhouses. I did not read the section on Co-ops however. Parts of the book seemed to contain redundant information, not necessarily for emphasis. Perhaps the chapters were intended to be somewhat self-contained. "Buying a home for Dummies" has been my first resource. I'd recommend reading something like it first in order to fully appreciate the differences w/condos and townhouses described in this book.

As a board member of a homeowner asociation I found this book very useful in explaining the rights of homeowners and the function of the board. Good advice about dealing with the board as a homeowner, and some examples of dealing with homeowners as a member of the board. Very readable--a good, quick guide that will help me explain the board's actions to homeowners.

This book showed me the "red flags" to look for when evaluating a shared ownership developement and helped me to avoid buying into a nightmare. Ohhh, I'm so glad I read this book.

I read 4 other books on buying a condo and this book was by far the most practical and answered my questions. The format is easy to read and quickly search.

The tips and traps opens your eyes to what you're getting yourself into. Learn from the experiences of others and make the right choice for your lifestyle. Don't buy into a dysfunctional developement. It can be a legal, financial and emotional nightmare.

Thanks to Robert Irwin's advice, I passed on several developements and kept searching until I found the right condo developement for me. It has been a great choice. The book was a helpful resource during the buying process. Highly recommend.

As someone just getting in the market, I really had no idea what differentiated condos from single-family homes other than the way they looked. This book really helped me think about the pros and cons of both types of homes. I found myself drawn to condos because you don't have to worry about any exterior elements, like yards, community areas, etc. All of that is taken care of for you. But, that comes with a cost. This book shows you how to decide if that cost is worth it, what to ask about so that you don't end up in a building with a bunch of lawsuits pending (that you might end up paying for) and how to know if your building is prepared for disasters, new roofs and other such events. It was really eye-opening!

I was actually insulted reading this book. The author appears to look down on people buying a co-op as "settling" or "not being able to afford" a "real house." He also notes you couldn't possibly want to live near people or within a few blocks of a store. Or that you could possibly live in less than 1400 square feet. There are a few references to things being different in Manhattan, but it felt like an afterthought. And New York City has more to it than Manhattan. Things are different in Manhattan than the rest of NYC too.

He also said that in NY the word "apartment" is used synonymously with co-op or condo. No it's not. I live in an apartment right now. Which I rent from the landlord. No co-op or condo involved.

I laughed when he said a co-op is like a "small apartment for sale." Bingo. That's what it is in NYC. But that isn't a bad thing. I did like the comparison of a co-op to an inn. "You are an honored guest whose rights end where the next honored guest's begin."

I'm sure there was good content in the book, but other books have good content too without making it sound like buying a co-op is settling.

This is a very good, informative book on condos and townhouses. It is written in an easy-to-read style. I learned a lot, for example, did you know that when you buy a condo you're just buying an airspace up in the sky that just happens to be enclosed by a building? If an earthquake destroys the building in 50 seconds, you're out on the street, homeless, even though your airspace is still up there floating in space, and you will still owe the mortgage payments on it! Also, you have to get permission from the HOA (homeowner's association) to make any little changes to the condo or your unit. They are often power-mad control freaks who won't let you change anything, and there is political infighting. Makes you think twice about buying a condo! The author also covers all the sneaky traps lying in wait for the naive buyer. A must read for first time condo/townhouse buyers.

The title may talk about "condo, co-op, or townhouse" but it is clear the author has nothing in mind but those awful suburban townhouse or condo developments. There are numerous references to density being bad and to things like counting the number of parking places. Not of use to someone who is interested in purchasing actual city housing.

Tip & Traps when Buying a Condo, Co-op, or Townhouse, was an excellent source of information. It is a "must have" for any new home buyer looking for property. I found it to be very helpful while searching for my home.

Like all the books I've read on this subject, you'll get some useful advice, but you'll have to wade through a lot of filler.