Message Boards

...as many others on here trying to sell in this tough market, I seriously wish I could move to a beautiful apartment! Some of my happiest times were when I lived in a lovely apt., overlooking a beautiful pool. I drove in each night to manicured lawns with seasonal, colorful plantings and I could just sit on my deck and look at it all!

With an apt., one can move at the yearly renewal time with no penalties...right now, for me, home ownership is for the birds!!!

Aw, big hugs! It really does stink that the market is the way it is right now. I have to keep reminding myself of all the wonderful memories we have made in our house.

I guess it comes a time in everyone's life that apartment living in great, for me is now, although I have a house.
Eventually, I see myself in a studio apartment, I even have it all decorated in my mind.

quote:

Originally posted by CJO:
...as many others on here trying to sell in this tough market, I seriously wish I could move to a beautiful apartment! Some of my happiest times were when I lived in a lovely apt., overlooking a beautiful pool. I drove in each night to manicured lawns with seasonal, colorful plantings and I could just sit on my deck and look at it all!
With an apt., one can move at the yearly renewal time with no penalties...right now, for me, home ownership is for the birds!!!

You, too? DH and I are preparing to put our home on the market next spring. Our fondest hope, once our home sells, is to find a gorgeous 2 BR/2BA apartment in a good location and be done with owning a home once and for all. We are sick of it and the expense. Just a place we can lock and leave when we want to travel.

Awww, CJO and all the others, I hear you loud and clear!

Reminds me that "to everything, there is a season" - can't post the remainder or my post will surely be intercepted! But, yes, there is a time to own and also a time to rent - just takes time to make the transition back and forth whichever direction you are heading - so hang in there. It really will all work out in the end!

Any chance you could have a management co. rent and maintain your country (IIRC) home?

You've probably already considered it.

quote:

Originally posted by astroluvr:
Any chance you could have a management co. rent and maintain your country (IIRC) home?

You've probably already considered it.

No, had not considered, but the cost would be prohibitive...tx for the idea tho; I appreciate the thought

Too bad, don't know but I've heard rents have gone up in many areas.

Well, hope you sell soon!

Awww CJO, your house will sell, I'm sure of it!
(((hugs)))

My older sister just moved into a gorgeous 2 bedroom apartment in Cary, NC. She loves it and is so glad to be done with yard upkeep, maintainence and the whole responsibility of keeping a house up.

It must be very frustrating for you wanting to sell in this market but hopefully things will turn around soon.

DH doesn't know this, but first chance I get I would sell everything and by an ocean front condo.
No yard, no stairs!

Oh, good, Charming come here! Since you are a Realtor..you will love to sell in the Florida market!

CJO, so sorry, can you repost your listing here.
..or start a new thread. What is your Realtor telling you. What city and state are you in?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: real estate lady,

I hear ya!!!

We sold our home and moved to a condo on the water in Florida and YES it is heavenly looking out at the manicured lawns and shrubs and palms knowing someone else does the work. I still prefer homeownership as it does have its perks, just condo homeownership!

DH and I getting to the point now at our age that the homeowner deal has got to go. We have put a lot of money into this home but when you get to the age when you can't keep up, we need to change our lifestyle. I just don't know where to go. The monthly fees would be a big problem for us. We only have to pay a small hoa fee yearly now and living on a limited income is tough. We are just starting to look into a villa type situation.

We lived in a beautiful apartment for 3 years. There were large people with a huge dog in the beautiful apartment above us. Our chandelier shook when they played "fetch" in the living room on rainy days. The dog barked all night. The apartment management said they couldn't do anything about it.

Soon after we moved in, the apartment complex was sold. The new management company didn't bother with upkeep. The wood rotted in the window frames & the garages. The security gates weren't kept up. We found mice in the complex. There were more & more break ins.

New tenants came in. Some didn't have to pay rent for a year because of a special incentive. The new people threw garbage over the beautiful grounds & put chairs into the ponds with fountains. They let their dogs swim in the pool.

An apartment CAN be great, but it can also quickly turn into a nightmare.

But timtam the beautiful thing about your apartment living, you can move out, you don't suffer the financial loss of poor maintenance, if what you describe was in a condo building you paid for, you would need to wait and sell and probably suffer financially.
I didn't think I would love living in a rental but am pleasantly surprised how much I like it. I do live in a condo building, most are owners, but a few unsold units are long term rentals and some are short term vacation rentals. I love the no maintenance living, right now workers are repainting all the exteriors, the grounds are beautiful, I love the pool. When I look at paying $500K for what I have versus paying $15K a year and walking away when I want, the decision is easy.
I've talked several times with an owner here, this is a second home for her, she loves it, she is a designer and is loving putting all her touches on her vacation home, good for her, but I don't see it in the math for me. Right now renting is easy and fun. As I said I'm very surprised I love renting so much.

In 2005, we finally dumped 3 houses we had been trying to sell for several years...long story, but short version is moved to Coastal SC then bought a lot to build on and starting the selling process for house 1. Meantime, I decide I can't live there (can't acclimate, too far from family) so now both houses are on the market and we move back North, buy a house then decide we hate it! Now 3 houses on the market...all three sell within a few months (after years on the market) and we decide to give ourselves a break...rent a condo, no maintenance, no taxes, no HOA fees...heav en, right? DH goes batty with nothing to do and less than two years later, we buy again.

Renting is perfect for those who don't feel the need to remodel, garden, fix and tweak. That, apparently, is not US!

Excellent points, Meischa! We were SO thankful to be able to just walk away after 3 years!