buying a condo in phoenix az

Sounds great. Property prices are depressed in most places and probably permanately.
Same type of deals in Las Vegas also. My sister-in-law just snapped up a good deal in Las Vegas similar to what you describe.
A condo is good for a trucker. It's worth the association fee.

 

What's the wheelbase of the condo? What engine does it have?

 

Yes, have to be careful and get in the right neighborhood. Sometimes a strict HOA with good managers can be a blessing; a poorly run HOA can be a nightmare. The one my sister-in-law bought is strict. The carpet was worn so she wanted to replace it with hardwood flooring. Had to get permission from the owner of the condo below her and agree to put in the best soundproof insulation under the hardwood so there's no noise when walking on it. Sounds strict, but makes sense when you think about it. Her HOA fee is $195.00 a month in Chinatown Las Vegas. She used the same agent I did when I bought mine in Las Vegas area, so knew she would get a fair deal.

 

it may be against the rules for you to buy to rent out. you may be required to live in it yourself. I am not against buying a condo , but I could never consider it,to me it's like buying an apartment. ever thought about buying some land with a home? somewhere in the south. it is not hard to find good places to live.

 

I don't know, found my house on Redfin website, then lucked out with a good agent. Did a lot of research on that website concerning matching location to the best rated schools. Usually, the best rated schools will be in the high quality neighborhoods.

Even if you don't have children and don't want any in the future; looking at best rated schools is a good way to search for a house/condo in the best areas. Property taxes may be a little higher, but it's worth it for the parents with school age children. HOA fees in those areas should be stable.

 

I don't know what's fair. I think sometimes they raise the HOA fees to force the no-load slugs out of the neighborhood. I looked at some condos in Las Vegas that were very reasonably priced, but then discovered the HOA plus property taxes ran $1840.00 a month. Bunch of those rich people trying to unload them during the housing crash. All those high rollers living beyond their means. Those high fees and property taxes were designed to keep us blue collar workers in our place!
Look for family oriented neighborhoods near good schools and you won't have to deal with all the drama.

 

this young man is coming from CA everything everywhere looks cheap