LogFAQs > #972560088

Infrastructure economics are all over the place. Utility prices can be different in neighborhoods, and often higher in denser city condo areas since the construction there is so much more expensive relatively. There's also better options in denser areas (i.e. auto trash pickup) which is overall more expensive, but worth it. SFH neighborhood infra costs are also often paid by the developers and baked into the housing prices, or HOA fees. Same with condo developments, but the point is you do pay for it.

If your condo is in such a great location that you don't need to use parking, that's a HUGE boost to your home's monetary and psychic value that an SFH will never be able to match. Location is everything and your condo will appreciate like crazy in this case. Suburban condos obviously don't have this benefit, I wouldn't consider one for this reason alone.

Bartzyx posted...

If land appreciates at, say 10% per annum, and the value of the physical structure remains constant (a generous assumption), then which $5k plumbing job has the greater return?

If both appreciate at 10% then obviously both are equal. SFH has to pay way more overall for maintenance, and it's not automatic that appreciation will be higher, so you're making a big gamble on those higher costs. If you justify it by hoping the favorable stats used to sell you a mortgage will come true, you're gonna get burned like millions of others in the multiple housing crashes we've had in our lifetime.