Recent comments in /f/CambridgeMA

[deleted] t1_j7q6f48 wrote

Reply to People who have bought condos in Camberville - how has your experience been? by NaiveWrongdoer3

I bought my condo in Somerville 10 years ago and it's doubled in value despite very little being done in the way of renovations. Go on Zillow or any of those websites and look at the price history of some of these condos, I think you'll find that it is a pretty solid investment. HOA and noise are kind of an annoyance but I'm willing to deal with it to live in a convenient and cool urban setting. I think buying a place in the suburbs or more rural is a riskier investment; demand for housing in dense urban neighborhoods will always be there.

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thisiscjfool t1_j7ptgkx wrote

Reply to People who have bought condos in Camberville - how has your experience been? by NaiveWrongdoer3

Bought one of two condos in a former single family on the border of Camberville a little over a year ago now with my now-fiancee and dog who is probably similar size and weight to your small human child.
I second the consensus of other commenters that condos in Camberville will still be a decent investment. This is something I heard from almost any long-term Boston area resident we spoke to prior to purchasing.
As far as noise, HOA, etc goes, I think this is very situational. We got lucky with our upstairs neighbors (bought same time, similar demographic to us) because we both don't really care about a strict HOA and just talk to each other if we want to do house / property work. The noise isnt much different to a similarly dense Camberville neighborhood and if you hear your upstairs neighbors or not depends on them as well as your insulation.

Regrets? No! Having lived in a (non-local) more car-dependent suburb before, I much much prefer a smaller living space in a more walkable, dense urban neighborhood.

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blackdynomitesnewbag t1_j7pso5j wrote

Reply to People who have bought condos in Camberville - how has your experience been? by NaiveWrongdoer3

I bought a condo in 2015 and it was the correct decision. Stuff breaks, I’ve got to deal with my condo neighbors, and all the usual home ownership stuff, but I’m still glad I did it. I’m friends with most of the people in my building, there’s zero chance of my mortgage payment increasing, and my housing is stable. Even if it didn’t appreciate in value, which it does, I still make money in equity by paying down the principle every month.

Ultimately, you have to decide what’s right for you. Every case is different.

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BuckyWunderlick007 t1_j7pjqff wrote

Reply to People who have bought condos in Camberville - how has your experience been? by NaiveWrongdoer3

Condos in Cambridge have historically preformed very well compared to SFH in Cambridge. We’ll see if upzoning has any impact on that in the future.

Our family has lived in a condo here for over a decade and raised children with our any problem. Our neighbors are part of their community and it is wonderful.

In general my feeling is the smaller the HOA, the less headaches. I would not want to be in a triplex with neighbors above or below with small children, but side by side is fine. If you have a shared wall, there is a bit of unknown there until you move in. However, unless you’re buying a SFH in west Cambridge, you’re going to have neighbors in close proximity. That’s just part of living in a city. Don’t feel forced to make an offer at an open house or site unseen. Make sure your real estate agent knows you want to have a private showing to assess how sound transfers in your unit. Review the HOA docs and capital and annual budgets. Make sure you have access to outdoor space with kids. Such as a deeded yard (no matter the size), low traffic shared driveway or parking lot, parks and playgrounds within walking distance.

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vhalros t1_j7pjomj wrote

Reply to People who have bought condos in Camberville - how has your experience been? by NaiveWrongdoer3

> I know from a general economic standpoint there is an idea that condos do not appreciate as well as SFH and are not as solid of an investment.

This doesn't seem to apply to this market at all.

> People also have issues with HOAs, noise, etc.

Potentially a problem. My condo just has two units, and so I am most of the HOA. It still means the other owners can veto new projects, but managing something like this is pretty essay.

Noise; nailed down hardwood floors are going to conduct a lot of noise, and there generally isn't a lot of sound proofing in older construction. New construction or recently renovated stuff can be better, but it is difficult to evaluate. You should definitely ask about what sound proofing ha been done.

Shared walls, as opposed to shared floors, are easier to soundproof generally. Mostly because they don't have people stomping on them.

> Any regrets not moving to an inner suburb instead?

Everything has plusses and minuses. But no, not really. I love being able to walk and bicycle with my kids every where more than anything I would gain from a suburb.

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donjose22 t1_j7pfoch wrote

Reply to People who have bought condos in Camberville - how has your experience been? by NaiveWrongdoer3

The idea that condos aren't a good investment is dependent on where you are geographically . In some markets they're great, in others they're riskier. In Cambridge and Somerville you'll be fine.

Condos however can be a pain with families because you have to deal with an HOA usually. Sometimes, it can be not a big deal, if the HOA is easy going. Other times it can be a nightmare.

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