Think of a condo HOA as a “new roof savings account”. It’s also deductible if you ever turn it into a rental. Some are unacceptably and unnecessarily high, though.
Being a family that has done both (1,200sf condo/20-minute commute and 2,100sf sfr/1-hour commute) I can say that we will next be aiming for a small house, about 1,500sf, with a 20-30 minute commute. The neighborhood is more important to us than price – if we can’t afford to buy where we want to live, we’ll rent and invest in a rental elsewhere. Not considering a condo again unless it’s a screamin’ deal and a park-like setting, like say a golf course view. I’ve never personally had a bad experience in a condo – they can be perfectly acceptable, quiet places to live. Just gotta find the right one, which can be difficult depending on the area.
