Real Estate Information

Important Information For Condo Buyers


Here is a step by step guide for buyers looking to buy a condo in any area. These are important tactics to make a solid and accurate judgement on the property you're looking to purchase.

- When purchasing a condominium make sure that you ask for the last three to six months of the condominium minutes. This infomation will provide you with alot of insight into what is happening in the building.

- Obtain a copy of the Declaration, the bylaws, and any rules and regulations from the Condo Association.

- To make sure you are buying into a financially sound building, it is also advisable to find out if the building has any outstanding loans with a bank. Some buildings may take out loans instead of doing a special assessment as a way of doing major work such as new elevators or the exterior facade of the building.

- Make sure you obtain a statement from the Condo Association of any capital expenditures anticapted by the Board within the current or succeeding two fiscal years.

- Find out from the Condo Association if there are any pending suits or judgements in which the Board is a party.

- If the building is newer, find out if the parking is deeded or assigned and whether you can sell it to a purchaser outside the building .Also, make sure you see the exact location of the garage spot before you write a contract to purchase the property.

- Buildings with substantial reserves and lower assessments tend to appreciate at a faster rate than other buildings in a similiar location. Keep in mind that assessments are based on how many amenities are in the building.

- Resale in six flats tend to have better resale value than three flats. The rationale is that a six flat unit is a wider unit since it is constructed on a 50 x 125 foot lot.

- The more horizontal a unit is the more apt it will have better resale value. Vertical units tend to have more hallways and typically do not have split bedrooms.

- The higher the ceilings in a unit the larger the unit will feel. Most people typically prefer 9 foot ceilings or higher hence the height of the ceilings will usually effect resale.

About The Author

Sheldon Salnick is a Realtor with Rubloff Residential Properties. He has worked with new construction buyers for the last 13 years and has represented over $200 million in new construction. For more information or guidance in the purchase of a new construction home, townhome or condominium please visit http://www.SheldonChicago.com.

info@SheldonChicago.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Globe and Mail

Bernanke Wants to Lend to Real Estate Investors
TheStreet.com
By Shanthi Bharatwaj 02/10/12 - 02:59 PM EST NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday that making loans more easily available to real estate investors for bulk purchases of homes would be an important step in resolving ...
Home builders and investors both see signs of a turnDetroit Free Press
Bernanke's speech to home buildersReuters
Bernanke Says Housing Holds Back Fed Efforts to Boost EconomyBloomberg

all 265 news articles »


Real-Estate Crash Aids the Green Movement
Wall Street Journal
By LAURA KUSISTO The real-estate crash left pockets of the region's rural areas littered with the remnants of would-be golf courses, shopping centers and luxury subdivisions that never got off the ground. But the market swoon has yielded an unexpected ...

and more »


Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market ...
Chicago Tribune
The housing market might be fragile at best, but some professors and MBA's say real estate is one area where business school students can find jobs. David Hartzell, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of North Carolina--Chapel ...

and more »


Top 10 U.S. Real Estate Sector ETFs
TheStreet.com
By Dave Fry 02/10/12 - 03:58 PM EST There is currently an expanding list of nearly 20 ETFs oriented to primarily REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) with more on the way. The following analysis features a fair representation of ETFs available.
Trading the Run on Real Estate Investment TrustsSchaeffers Research

all 3 news articles »


RisMedia.com

Builders group sees pickup in housing this year
San Francisco Chronicle
By ALEX VEIGA, AP Real Estate Writer The US housing market will begin to mount a turnaround this year, building toward a solid recovery in 2013, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the chief economist of a homebuilding industry trade group.
This week's Real Estate storiesMarketWatch
Menendez Bill Applauded by Home Builders for Restoring the Flow of Credit for ...LoanSafe

all 147 news articles »


Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers Names CEO of European Operations
Sacramento Bee
By Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 10, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, one of the world's largest real estate investment advisers, has named Charles Weeks as chief executive officer of its European ...

and more »


Press-Enterprise

Shrinking the foreclosed real estate glut
Boston Globe
But it isn't going to fix the nation's residential real estate mess. That mess - millions of homeowners underwater on their mortgages, a stagnant residential sales market that lacks buyers and a clog of foreclosed property - can't be cleaned up with ...
REAL ESTATE: California receives up to $18 billion in multistate settlementPress-Enterprise
Foreclosure settlement could actually hurt real estate marketThe Real Deal New York (blog)
Florida Gets $8.4 Billion Share of Foreclosure SettlementLoanSafe
Sacramento Bee -GlobeSt.com -Statesman Journal
all 3,484 news articles »


Fort Worth Star Telegram

Evangelical real estate developer brought Santorum to North Texas
Fort Worth Star Telegram
By Bud Kennedy If Rick Santorum eventually wins Texas Republicans over, one of Texas' leading real estate developers should share credit. Last month, Jeff Blackard of the McKinney-based Blackard Group went undercover in South Carolina as a walk-in ...

and more »


Florida Commercial Real Estate Market Looks Good for Recovery
LoanSafe
by Alex Ferreras on February 10, 2012 in Real Estate (Source: CB Richard Ellis) – The industry's leading commercial real estate professionals believe it is safe to say that as we head into 2012, the worst of the economic turmoil is behind us and ...
FLORIDA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET ON TRACK FOR RECOVERYRealEstateRama (press release)

all 2 news articles »


New York Times

For Sellers, High End Is Hot
New York Times
WHILE the economy remains stubbornly sluggish and home sales nationwide continue to sag, Manhattan's real estate market has largely stabilized, with apartments in some neighborhoods selling for prices not seen since the headiest days of the boom.

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006