Condominiums are going up in cities all over the world at a rapid pace. For many people it will be their first home. Many buy without knowing what they are getting themselves into. In this book you will: 1. Explore whether condominium living is for you. 2. Come to understand the different types of condominiums. 3. Be introduced to various legal condominium documents. 4. Understand what you own if you buy a condominium. 5. Learn how a condominium is run, and the role of the Board. 6. Understand how and where maintenance fees are spent. 7. Explore your rights and responsibilities as an owner. 8. Narrow down which condominium is right for you. 9. Learn to protect your investment if buying a new condominium. 10.Know what to look for in a real estate agent. 11.Find out about other professionals who can help you. 12.Learn what a Reserve Fund Study is. 13.And much more. Find out what you need to know before and after buying a Condominium or Townhouse by reading this book.

If you've been thinking about buying a co-op, condo, or townhouse, you probably know that you can't get much useful information from the books about buying houses. The obstacles you face are different-and often a lot more complicated. If you're not fully prepared and properly informed, the buying process and even ownership itself could turn into a nightmare. Price and financial situation are only part of the equation, and it's important to understand all the factors before deciding what sort of home to pursue. Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Co-op, Condo, or Townhouse is a one-stop guide to the particular challenges of buying, owning, living in and ultimately selling these homes.

"Featuring Kay's exclusive buyer's checklists"--Cover.

Condo Buying Mistakes: 46 Costly Mistakes Condominium Buyers Make...And How to Steer Clear of Them teaches homebuyers about the risks, pitfalls, and mistakes that buyers make when purchasing a condominium. In this book you will learn: - The most important items to look for in the condominium document disclosures - What causes buyers to walk out of a condo within 10 seconds of viewing the unit - How to properly value comparable condo sales (and why you've probably been doing it wrong) - Why the common grounds of a condominium are just as important as the unit itself. - Why doing a few unconventional things when you view a condo in-person can help save a big headache down the road. - The biggest mistake to avoid when purchasing a large condo unit that had been combined by the joining of two adjacent units. - How the amenity package will factor into your decision (even if you do not care about amenities) - Why capping the maximum monthly condo fees in your search may end up hurting your search. - And so much more... Who is this book for? This book is for any homebuyer, investor, or real estate agent that is looking to purchase a condominium and wants to ensure that they are leaving no stone unturned. This book will help to analyze all aspects of the transaction and help to provide the framework for a condominium purchase so that you can be sure that you are asking the right questions and are keeping a keen eye out for any mistakes that could be on the horizon.

Whether you?re a first-time real estate investor or a seasoned professional, The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings helps you map out your future, find apartment buildings at a fair price, finance purchases, and manage your properties. Now revised and expanded, this Second Edition includes tax planning advice, case studies of real acquisitions, and appendixes that add detail to the big picture. Plus, it includes a handy glossary of all the terms investors need to know, helpful sample forms that make paperwork quick and easy, and updated real estate forecasts. With this comprehensive guide at hand you?ll find profits easy to come by.

The first comprehensive architectural and cultural history of condominium and cooperative housing in twentieth-century America. Today, one in five homeowners in American cities and suburbs lives in a multifamily home rather than a single-family house. As the American dream evolves, precipitated by rising real estate prices and a renewed interest in urban living, many predict that condos will become the predominant form of housing in the twenty-first century. In this unprecedented study, Matthew Gordon Lasner explores the history of co-owned multifamily housing in the United States, from New York City’s first co-op, in 1881, to contemporary condominium and townhouse complexes coast to coast. Lasner explains the complicated social, economic, and political factors that have increased demand for this way of living, situating the trend within the larger housing market and broad shifts in residential architecture and family life. He contrasts the prevalence and popularity of condos, townhouses, and other privately governed communities with their ambiguous economic, legal, and social standing, as well as their striking absence from urban and architectural history.

Offers a complete overview of these special, usually smaller, residences. It points out dozens of hints and suggestion as to what to look for as well as demonstrating the many mistakes common with these types of investments. You will learn how to find the best opportunities, to negotiate, finance, budget, handle pre-construction issues, set values, and make the offer. You will be able to define what you are buying (and what you are not) issues on your right to sell, lease, or mortgage. You will be prepared for restrictions pertaining to children, pets, parking, vehicles, boats, music, maintenance of windows, doors, screens, air conditioners, plumbing, club memberships, recreation facility leases, use of recreational facilities, and common areas. In addition, you will learn the advantages of using credit reports, home warranties, insurance, creative financing, closing procedures, moving plans, closing and settlement inspections, and certain legal contracts. You will have instruction in obtaining mortgages -- which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, IRA use, hiring an attorney, calculating monthly payments, and establishing an escrow account. The real estate and mortgage glossaries alone are invaluable resources, even for the 'old hand' at property acquisition.