we are thinking about selling our home and buying a cool condo downtown

[demtenjeep]

our home is nice and big 4 bedrooms 2 "living rooms" 3 bath

but we both work close to downtown. The hubs doesn't drive in the big city and we are both tired of the up-keep yard ect. This area would give us access to both our work and play without driving a lot for either one of us. Additionally, the hubs could still enjoy life after I am gone should I die before him.


We have been here 15 years. During that time, we have helped others by letting them stay when they had no place else to go and now that everyone is settled, we want some fun and think this just might be the ticket.

We attended a "concert in the park" sponsored by the condo company and toured them. Think we are going to put in a bid.

We are excited, but anxious because of the housing market. Our neighborhood is pretty solid, tho, and in the 15 years we have been here, only 3 homes in our area have been for sale and they sell pretty quickly.

There are a lot of things to consider. We have two boxers a 2 year old and a 4 month old. I would have to sell my piano and organ and just get a nice keyboard. The hubs is a HAM and would have to figure out some kind of antenna since he won't have his tower.


here is a link to the condos...

http://www.wichitawaterwalk.com/waterwalk-place-live.html

[Lint Head]

1. We are thinking about doing the same thing.

[demtenjeep]

2. awesome!

part of me is really excited

part of me wants to stay in the home my daughter grew up in and we will have room for grandchildren in the future

[Lint Head]

3. Same here. Our son is moving out this week. We have been here 20 something years.

It's home and it's hard but convenience maybe make the decision for us.

[monmouth]

7. Just so you know, kids very often move back in temporarily for various reasons...LOL..n/t

[Lint Head]

18. Fingers crossed!

[Seedersandleechers]

4. How much per month

is the homeowners association fees?

[demtenjeep]

6. good question I hadn't thought of that

I am also a bit nervous about having "neighbors" on the other side of the wall. I don't like to worry about fire or what they might do that could affect us.

I also worry about not being able to open the back door and just letting our dogs run inside our fenced back yard. It would be quite an adjustment

[monmouth]

8. Ask people there about the "Condo Commandos"...

[ellenfl]

31. the condo commandos CAN change with every election.

get yourself elected to the board and you won't have to worry about it. our condo commando (who does not live on site) believes the less the rest of us know, the more the board can 'get done'.

also remember, most all decisions about YOUR new home will be made by committee and your money may not be spent as you want. i wouldn't live in a condo again or be subject to any homeowners' association.

before you sign a contract, GET AN ATTORNEY! seriously, as a real estate paralegal, that's the very best advice i can give you. don't sign any contract until an attorney has reviewed it. and remember that almost everything in the contract is negotiable.

ellen fl

[yardwork]

9. Find out everything you can about the homeowners' association.

If you buy a condo in a shared community then you own property as part of a group. All decisions about the communally-owned property have to be made by the group. Ask to see all the governing documents, restrictive covenants, guidelines, etc. Find out what you are and aren't allowed to do. Find out if the HOA is solvent, if they are expecting any big assessments soon, if they have a well-run, functional board, how much input non-board members have, etc.

It can be a BIG adjustment to go from a single family home to living in a condo association. Find out all the details before you sign.

[demtenjeep]

10. thank you

all great points!

[Seedersandleechers]

11. Monthly fees can be upward to $600 a month or more.

Personally I would buy a condo without any monthly fee and mow my own lawn. The condos do look very nice.

[demtenjeep]

12. we can cover that

our home is pretty much paid for so the equity of the sale would knock down the price of the condo



That, however, is another issue. Not having a house payment is pretty sweet and this would put us back into the situation of making payments. We can do it easily (unless the Crohn's makes it impossible for me to work)


we also have a lot of "stuff" so we would have to consider that as well. It is a big decision but we both love downtown.

[peacebird]

5. Awesome! We love our mountainsisde 5 acres, but the appeals of city living/less upkeep I totally get

Good luck!!!

[demtenjeep]

13. thanks. It is a lot to consider. We have 4 levels

because our basement is fully finished as well, we would be giving up a lot of space



We have also had my side of the family for Christmas since we have been in our home. I don't think it would be possible if we got the condo but after 15 years, maybe it is time for my brothers or sisters to do the honors.

[peacebird]

16. I wonder about the holidays as well, mom is 84 & we still go there. My home & my brothers are nice

but... They are not where holiday magic happens... That is moms place, and has been forever.
Sorry, very off topic, but dear gawd I do love her, what will we do when she passes?

[NNN0LHI]

14. Better read the condo owners rules carefully before jumping

They usually don't allow antennas.

The hubs had better be prepared to look for a different hobby other than amateur radio like playing checkers or something.

Bet they don't allow dogs either so you had better start looking for a new home for the Boxers.

And the people trying to sell the condos will lie about this stuff too. They will tell you, "Oh sure, dogs and antennas will be alright.", just to make the sale.

After you get moved in you will find out the agent was lying through his/her teeth.

Been down this road before so I am speaking from experience.

Don

[demtenjeep]

15. They make antennas for apartments, we already checked that out

but we would not lose our dogs!

We haven't made the jump yet, we are just strongly pulled.

There is a lot to consider.

[NNN0LHI]

17. I have owned one of those apartment antennas before

It was worthless. Couldn't talk across the street with it much use it to talk DX. Biggest waste of money ever. Threw it in the garbage. Couldn't sell it for two bucks at a hamfest. If hubs likes to sit in front of a very quiet radio he might like it? I couldn't even pick up WWV with it. Tell hubs that.

Order one now and try it in your house once.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news here.

Don

[demtenjeep]

21. that is something for him to think about~ What is your call?

thank you for the advice

[NNN0LHI]

26. This is your guys call

Just wanted to relate some of my own experiences with this issue.

Best of luck to both of you.

Don

[demtenjeep]

28. no, I meant your call sign

sounded like you were a fellow "ham"

[NNN0LHI]

30. My screen name is my Navy-Marine Corps MARS call sign

[oldhippie]

27. Concur .....

If hubs has had a tower and a beam, he is NOT gonna be happy with an "apartment antenna."

[CTyankee]

19. We have a nice 3 BR house but I think we'll need to sell and move into an apartment.

I want to rent.We are too old to buy a condo. I just want a nice, one floor 2 BR 1 1/2 bath, either a high rise with an elevator or one level, in our neighborhood, mainly because my husband wouldn't like the change of venue altho I could cope. It would just be too much for him.

I really, really, really don't want to have to do laundry in the basement any more. Husband has spinal issues and can't help schlep the laundry and I am TIRED of hauling those laundry baskets up 2 flights of stairs.

My only worry is that we won't get an apt. that has a gas stove. I cannot cook on electric stoves. I screw up. I hate them. I love my gas stove but I fear I won't find one out there in apt. land!

[demtenjeep]

20. totally understand

we don't know for sure if we are doing this but are very very interested

I like the idea of one level as well

[CTyankee]

22. As you get older it is sometimes no longer a choice but a necessity. My husband has had

TWO spinal surgeries, never had a problem before and then WHAMO. By the time I could get him into the neurosurgeon for an appt. he was in a wheelchair!

You just NEVER know! I never thought this would be the case, EVER!

We had to retrofit the house and it wasn't free. He spent 3 weeks in rehab after the last surgery while i had the retrofitting done (about $1,000).

[Beacool]

23. Think about it carefully since you have dogs.

Take it from someone who lives 15 minutes from Manhattan. Condo associations are a royal pain in the rear end. Check the fine print carefully if you choose to buy one and talk to other people who live there before committing yourself. Don't rush into anything.

Good luck!!!

[kaiden]

24. I moved from Wichita to Denver 28 years ago.

Cannot believe there are condos downtown. I'd love to see what has happened to that lovely place. I usually spent my weekend nights at Kirby's Beer Store.

[demtenjeep]

25. they are pretty new. I would say less than 2 years

they are revitalizing and expanding the waterwalk and put in a Gander Mountain and that is where the new Arena is.... downtown North of Kellogg and around the baseball stadium

[tularetom]

29. Make sure the people running the homeowners association aren't dicks

We have a condo that we bought out of my uncle's estate. He was a builder and built the complex back in the 80's and kept one unit for himself. It was at the beach but in a not so good neighborhood so it wasn't nice enough for his kids. He knew I'd always liked it (I actually helped him build it) so he specified in his will I could have first crack at it for a reasonable price.

Anyway, over the years the condo owners association got taken over by some nazis who got very fussy about parking your car on the street, what kind of screen door you could have, satellite dishes on the roof, christmas and halloween decorations, how big of a dog you could keep there and on and on ad nauseum. The meetings which once were sort of an opportunity for the owners to get together and party (most of us are absentee owners) turned into a kangaroo court where a certain group tried to punish those who in their opinion failed to conform.

Finally some of the absentee owners got fed up and we staged a coup. We got enough votes together to call for an election of directors and voted the douchebags out, but it took three years to get this done after we once started. Now the thing is being governed in a reasonable fashion, there is much more emphasis on repairs to the common areas, preventive maintenance, and capital improvements and less on dinging those owners who aren't good Germans.

I don't know how big your complex is but make sure you get a copy of the association by laws and if possible get acquainted with some of the association mucky mucks. A good association can make condo ownership a positive experience, a bad one can make it hell.

[demtenjeep]

32. well, the 3 br and the 2br 2 ba are taken

and I don't want a 1 bedroom. I have to have at least 2 br so my husband can have a computer room office.


We are gonna hold off for now

[nicv]

33. Did you buy the condo?

Did you end up buying the condo? What are your experiences with the HOA?