7 Tips for Buying a Pre-Selling Condo (2024)

FAQs

Is it okay to buy pre-selling condo? ›

Besides having a sense of security and less maintenance to worry about, the purchase price of a condo is comparatively lower than a house and lot. This shows that condo investing, particularly pre-selling condos, is a good start for investors.

Housemethod.com recommends calculating a price based on similar homes and coming in 4% – 7% below to begin negotiations. So if the asking price is $260,000, you should start your negotiations somewhere between $241,800 – $249,000. If the seller doesn't accept your offer, they may make a counteroffer.

Late spring — specifically, the month of May — is the best time to sell a house. Homes sold in May net a 12.6 percent seller premium (the amount above the home's market value), based on ATTOM's analysis of single-family home and condo sales over the past 10 years.

Do Condos Appreciate In Value? Although properties can appreciate in value faster if they're in a desirable location, the fact remains that most condos appreciate in value at a slower rate than single-family homes.

A condo questionnaire asks about: Basic project information: facts such as the project's legal name and details about the homeowner association. The questionnaire also asks whether the building contains features and constraints such as supportive care for seniors and resale or deed restrictions.

Improvements to the kitchen often yield the highest return for condo owners. The kitchen holds many areas for improvement including cabinets, countertops, sinks, faucets, and lighting. Often considered the heart of the home, the kitchen can make or break the perceived value of a condo.

How to negotiate a lower price on a condo? ›

On the other hand, when you purchase a condominium, you only own the specific unit. No land = less value. Also, it's likely that more condominium units can fit on single plot of land than single family homes, as condos are often built up instead of out. This higher supply of condos can in turn drive prices down.

Condo pros

Less maintenance – If you own a house, all of the upkeep of the property falls on you. If you don't want to worry about maintenance as much, a condo might be a better fit. More perks – Unlike a house, many condo communities come with amenities like a pool or playground, and features like security systems.

What day of the week do most house showings occur? Sunday is the day of the week with the most home showings.

Most listings hit the market in a short window between the months of April and June. If you're planning to buy in a market with harsh winter weather, May and June typically have twice as many active listings as December or January.

Winter is usually the cheapest time of year to purchase a home. Sellers are often motivated, which automatically translates into an advantage to you. Most people suspend their listings from around Thanksgiving to the New Year because they assume buyers are scarce.

In general, condos appreciate in value at a slower rate than single-family homes. The median sales price of a condo was up nearly 10% year-over-year in October 2020, according to a report from Redfin. But the median sales price of single-family homes was up more than 15% in the same timeframe.

Do condos typically appreciate or depreciate in value? More often, depreciate. Land is actually what rises while the physical building tends to lose money over time. Condos don't provide you true ownership of the land so often they depreciate over the long run.

Yes, condos generally appreciate in value. That's true of any piece of property—as long as it doesn't have wheels or come from a trailer park. But, if you're trying to decide between a condo or a house, keep in mind that a single-family home is usually going to grow in value faster than a condo will.

What is the rule of thumb when making an offer on a home? ›

The rule of thumb is usually between 5 and 10 percent of the home price. Bear in mind that you could lose the money if the deal falls through, so it's important not to put up so much that you'd be ruined if you lost the cash.

The Condominium Project Questionnaire (Form 1076) helps lenders collect data to determine condo project eligibility. This form is optional; however, lenders are encouraged to use and retain the form in the loan file. A substantially similar form may also be used in its place.

A homebuyer questionnaire is a list of questions provided by a real estate agent to help them get a better idea of what you're looking for in a home and how they can best help you. Along with your basic information, the questionnaire typically asks questions about the specific things you want and need in a home.

A condo questionnaire is a document lenders require to fund a property designated as a townhouse or condominium that's part of a homeowner's association. The document offers evidence that condominium projects such as Eighty Seven Park Miami comply with the lender's underwriting prerequisites.

Loans can be harder to get for a condo because some lenders have strict requirements regarding owner occupancy and loan-to-value ratios. Condo owners will have to abide by the covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) of the complex or risk being fined, forced to comply, or sued.

Generally speaking, condominium owners have an individual unit within a larger complex. Townhouse owners, alternatively, may share a wall with their neighbors, but they also own the structure of the home itself and the property's surrounding land.

Condo maintenance fees can vary wildly from $50 to $1,000. Again, there are a lot of factors that can affect the cost. Average condo fees, though, sit somewhere in the $300 to $400 range.

Higher condos get more resale value

From an investment perspective, higher condos are always better as they give the most return on the value. Investors are more interested in buying condos on a higher floor as they are aware of its demand in the market.

Is it smart to flip a condo? ›

The bottom line. Flipping condos can be a great way for new real estate investors to get started. The property purchase price and renovation costs are often cheaper, the risk of unforeseen structural problems is far lower, and there tends to be less direct competition from other investors.

As part of the property cooling measures introduced on 30 Sep 2022, private residential property owners (PPOs) and ex-PPOs are required to serve a wait-out period of 15 months after the disposal of their private properties before they are eligible to buy a non-subsidised resale flat.

Pre-Selling Example #1: Zoe Linda—“$1,500 Generated in Sales Without a Single Sales Page in Sight” Zoe Linda helps people create affiliate programs for their digital products by providing them with the tools and templates they need. She launched her first online course while having zero pre-orders.