Home Buying Advice - Salt Lake City Condos

If you are thinking of buying a Salt Lake City condo then you may want to read this list of advantages and disadvantages of owning condos.

Advantages

Facilities. Some condominium complexes include facilities such as a gym, swimming pool etc.
Maintenance Free. If you don't like yard work then a condo could be for you. If addition to yard work some other outside maintenance could also taken care of. For example, window cleaning, painting, snow removal.
Security. Most complexes provide some sort of security. This could just be a keypad entry system or in some of the larger complexes they have security personnel at the front door.

Disadvantages

HOA Fee. Most condos require a home association fee. This monthly fee pays for the facilities (pool etc), maintenance, building insurance, some utilities (could include cable, gas, electric).
Outdoor Space. Most condominums do not include any private outdoor space such as a back yard.
Storage. There is no basement or attic you can use for storage. Sometimes lockers are provided in the garage area.
Rules. What you can and cannot do is to a certain extent governed by the HOA. Some may disallow pets, not allow you to run a home based business, rent out your condo etc.
HOA. The home owners association is responsible for the outside maintenance of the property. If they don't do thier job correctly then it can impact you. They may have a large repair bill they have not planned for, or have trouble collecting the HOA fees. If they get into real problems it can make it very difficult to sell your property. Always check the recent minutes from the HOA meetings for any signs of problems.