[quote=FlyerInHi]I just saw a 2000sf condo. That would be fine for a family.
Why is a house a necessity if you have kids? I’m enjoying condo living and never want a house again.
I wish they’d build more condos. Mid to high rises over 4 stories so they are solid concrete and steel. I think in Irvine and Carmel Valley, the Asians and tech workers would buy them up like hot cakes.[/quote]
Condos are fine for a family who has a parent regularly available to take the kids to a park where they can run and play … OR the kids go to after-school care until 5-6 pm and their parent(s) take them to a park on weekends. Condos are bad for large dogs and all dogs in units which are not on the ground floor (with dog doors installed to the outside). A condo’s outside enclosed ground-floor courtyard needs some dirt and grass for dogs and so many of them are just concrete.
HOA Assns have many rules prohibiting kids from playing in the common area due to owner complaints about trampling landscaping, littering and throwing balls too close to windows, etc. It’s not ideal to raise kid(s) in, even if there is a tot lot on the premises (which needs a chaperone in attendance for kids visiting it). If the parent at home needs to get work done inside the unit, the kids can only play on their enclosed balcony, patio or courtyard, where the parent can see them. With their own fenced backyard and playthings, kids can busy themselves much longer so the parent can get some work done.
For a family with teenagers, a condo may be fine, as long as the family doesn’t have too many cars for their garage and/or assigned parking spaces. If they do, it will be an everyday hassle to figure out where to park their extra vehicles and keep them from being ticketed.
Families with kids are typically bulging out of condos within a very short time after move-in. I’ve seen listings of condos with families of 4 or more living in them which were literally stuffed with junk in every closet, wall and crevice. I have no idea how those inhabitants were able to move around in there and enter and use all the rooms, etc.
No matter what size the house is, having a lot which is owned eases the burden of storing unused items in your condo unit, especially in those units without a garage. With a backyard, a homeowner can always buy storage shed(s) or even expand the footprint of the rear of their home. With a condo, you’re essentially stuck with the way it was built for the length of your ownership.
A condo is mostly NOT ideal for people with dogs and/or young families in SoCal, which is very car-dependent.
