[quote=nostradamus]Interesting SDEng. I had wondered about that.
What kind of advantage would a “twin home” have over an SFR? The way I see it, you pay SFR price for a condo life!
Yes AN, those sales comps in 2008 are what have me perplexed. Even then there were cheaper houses. I wonder if it’s because this is just about the furthest North-West in Mira Mesa you can get.[/quote]
Oh, there aren’t any advantages really that I can see with a twin home vs. a SFR, other than they’re generally cheaper, for largely the same experience (most twinhomes I’ve seen have similar sized yards to SFR’s, which are different from townhomes which from what I’ve seen generally don’t have much more than a patio if anything at all). You share one wall, and, at least if my brother’s twinhome is representative, the insulation between the twinhomes is enough that you’re more likely to hear your neighbor on the other side through his facing windows. You do give up a side yard though.
There are quite a few advantages compared to a condo – mostly that you are in charge of the exterior upkeep of the home, and the other owners are in charge of theirs – which makes you only resposible for yours. Should a dozen homes in a condo development require re-roofing, the entire HOA would probably get a major assessment.
Generally twin homes and townhomes are also cheaper than an SFR – as I indicated up top, I think these are “wishing prices” based on the most recent comparables, and not really realizing that the market has dropped further since those comparables sold. They are, however, more expensive than condo’s.
According to a number of realtors I’ve talked to, this also holds true long term. True SFR’s appreciate better than twinhomes, which appreciate better than townhomes, with condos bringing up the rear. They’re also easier to sell in about that order.
