When deciding to buy a condo or any other property, you should make a checklist of the things you want in your property. You should split the list into two parts; features that are necessary and things that you don’t have to have. Here are some checklist items that you should consider if you are looking at condos for sale in SF.
Price
Is the price worth the area? This means if the area is high in crime or any other undesirable characteristics, you might not want to pay more. Always think about property taxes as well. Even if the price of the condo itself is fair and within your price range, the property taxes can be expensive in certain areas.
Management
If the condo is managed by an individual, you might want to sit with them one on one to see what kind of person they are. Many people can get a good idea of who someone is as a person from a simple conversation. You can also ask any tenants you run into how they feel about management. If it is managed by a company, you can do some research on the company. Some companies have ridiculous policies that you might not agree with.
Cleanliness
This one might seem a little silly to some people, but it could mean a big deal. Does the entire building seem clean and in good shape? If you notice a lot of minor issues, such as holes in walls, cracking paint, or broken windows, it could mean that management or the tenants don’t care about fixing cosmetic issues. Other tenants can also cause clutter and trash, which would make the condo difficult to look at or judge fairly. Most tenants that don’t keep good care of their property because they don’t own it; but this also depends on the person.
When you use a checklist such as this, you will easily and quickly find the right condo for you.