Condo Living 101

イラスト提供: kindnessofstrangerstravel.com

施設を貸す要因の一つに、買い手がどれだけの頭金を用意する事が出来るのかということがあります。 頭金は借り手の「信用保証金」で、ローンの支払いを遂行する意志と、借り手が月額支払いの義務を怠る場合のリスクを軽減する、貸し手の補償を意味します。 頭金が大きいほど、高額なローン額を得るチャンスもより多くなり、あるいは、月々の返済金もより低くなるのです。 一般的に、借り手は、頭金に支払う大金は手元には所持してはいません。 しかし、貯蓄として蓄えた別の資金は所持しています。 家族、友人、親戚、株、債権などの売上金から得ることも出来ます。

限られた頭金しかない買い手に便宜を図る為に、設備の貸し出しや他の住宅金融専門会社は、革新的な解決策を生み出しました。

• 頭金ゼロのローン。言葉通りこのローンは、頭金を必要としません。これは普通、初めて購買する人達で、返済は出来るが、頭金を貸す事のできる、家族、友人、親戚などがいない人達を対象にしたものです。
  欠点は、利率や月々の返済額が、通常高めだと言う事です。
• 購入選択権付き賃貸。 買い手が、借り手として契約を行い、賃貸期間中、所有者の許容範囲内の価格であれば、何時でも物件を買える選択があるというもの。 大抵の場合、支払った賃貸料が、全体、または部分的に頭金として適用されます。

補助金制度が、地域作りに力を入れている町によって時に実施されていることもあります。

もしあなたが分譲マンション（コンド）を購入したばかり、または購入する事を計画しているのなら１ヶ月の管理費用を見逃しているかもしれない。 これらは住宅ローンに加え、計算間違いにより支払う事のできない主な費用だ。 毎月の管理費は、分譲マンション（コンドミニアム）が所有する娯楽施設やサービスによりさまざまだ。 通常、１つのスクエアやメーターにより計算されている。 管理費用と同じようにメンバー費用も、マンションの持つ娯楽施設を使用する為に払う必要がある。 結局プール、ジム、ジョギング用のトラック、テニスコート等カントリークラブに通常支払う必要な事だ。 またこれらの費用は、ビルの警備費、メインテナンス、処分権、庭の手入れ等に使われ、あなたの家に通常費やす事だが、不動産屋により行われているという事だ。 管理費を毎月の費用として検討する必要がある。そして覚えておくべき事は、あなたがマンションや娯楽施設を使用していなくても、この費用は支払わなければならない事だ。

Image Source:gardenersanonymous.com

Plants in pots do not get the same nutrients from the soil like plants grown in regular soil. Since they are in a controlled condition, very little natural fertilizer is available in the soil. To correct the situation, you can use slow-release fertilizers into the soil according to the size of the plant. Rotting vegetation and insects have a symbiotic relationship with different organisms and root systems which makes nitrogen and minerals available to plants. An adequate soil mixture is made up of 10 parts cheap regular soil, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat moss and 1 part sand. Put in the fertilizer and follow the package instructions because too much fertilizer can burn roots even if it is from a natural source.

Image Source: kindnessofstrangerstravel.com

One of the factors that lending institutions look at is how much downpayment can a buyer make. A downpayment is a borrower’s “goodwill money” and a sign of his intent to make good on a loan and a lender’s assurance to lessen the risk in case the borrower defaults on his monthly payments. The bigger the downpayment, the bigger the chances of getting a higher loan amount or a lower monthly amortization. Generally, borrowers do not have big amounts of cash on hand to be given as downpayment. However, they do have other sources of funds aside from their own savings. It could be from family, friends, relatives, money from sales of stocks or bonds or a qualified co-maker.

To accomodate buyers with a limited downpayment, lending institutions and other mortgage companies have come up with innovative solutions:

• Zero downpayment loans. As the name implies, this loan does not require a downpayment. This is usually offered to first time buyers who can make the monthly amortizations but have no family , friends or relatives who can lend them the downpayment.
  The downside however is that the interest rates or the monthly amortizations are usually higher.
• Rent to own loans. A buyer starts off as a renter with the option to buy the property any time during the term of the lease, at a price acceptable to the owner. In most cases, the rent amount you paid will be fully or partially applied as downpayment.

Subsidy programs are sometimes even offered by cities that are hoping to expand their communities.

If you’ve just bought a condo, or are planning to buy one, you might have overlooked the cost of your monthly dues. These, in addition to your mortgage, are major costs you cannot afford to miscalculate. Monthly dues can vary according to the amenities and services a condominium has. It’s usually calculated per square foot or meter. Think of these as fees as membership fees you need to pay to use the amenities your building has. After all, you have a pool, gym, jogging track, tennis courts, etc, amenities you would usually need to pay a country club for. Also, these fees will go toward building security, maintenance, disposal, gardening & landscaping, etc., all services you would normally have to do in a regular home, but is now being handled by a property manager. You’ll need to consider this part of your monthly expenses, remember too that these dues can’t be taken off, even if you’re not using the condo or it’s amenities.

Image Source: www.alibaba.com
Your stylish new home at the Emerald Chicago condos and residences on Green Street puts you right in the middle of the New Loop, from which you can easily walk to the financial and business districts of downtown Chicago, which means no hassle with driving or parking after work. All you have to do is just…go. Living at the Emerald Chicago condos also gives you a front-row seat to the fine dining establishments of Restaurant Row on Randolph Street and shopping boutiques, not to mention everyday sort of things that you need like grocery stores and the major transportation routes around the city. One of the things that you will have easy access to just by living at one of the Emerald Chicago condos is the Hancock Observatory at the John Hancock Center. You will see some of Chicago’s most inspiring cityscapes, enjoy the pleasure of using the center’s talking telescopes and see the wonderful historical exhibits. You can also get a look at the largest and most complete T. Rex ever to exist in human possession, or learn about NASA and the universe at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, or check out the Omnimax screen at the Museum of Science and Industry.

A condominium unit can be decorated according to your own style and individuality. You can add bits and pieces of interesting pictures to reminisce the memory lane. Display cabinets too can transform a room and at the same time is lovely idea to stack items. Definitely, one can do wonders in decorating a condo unit.

With the magnitude of post-construction condo profits no longer a sure thing, some folks may want to take some more time to fully evaluate whether it’s right for them.

Here are some things to keep in mind when buying a condo as you drive past a construction site:

� What is the builder’s track record at completing projects on spec and on time?
� What is the marketing company’s track record at communicating with buyers throughout the sales process and before closing?
� What will the unit feel like? How can you evaluate the floor plan as realistically as possible?
� What upgrades are appropriate and how are they priced?
� Should you lock your interest rate? Lock it sooner and pay for the costs or lock it later when the construction is closer to completion or not lock it at all?
� How is the unit priced in light of a market trends and other projects in the pipeline?
� How will you time selling your current property and close on the new one?
� How prepared are you for the project finishing 6 months late?
� What is the developer’s reputation for handling pre-closing punch list and post-construction defects?

Source: Seattle Condo Review

If you really wish to have more storage in your condo you can install high rise cabinets or wall mounted cabinets so that you can put things in there. But if you do not wish to drill the walls or occupy some floor spaces in your condo (maybe you have other things to put in there), maybe you can settle for an ottoman.

An ottoman is a sofa type (without a backrest) wherein you could put things inside. The lid of the sofa can be opened, so you can stack things inside. The ottoman can serve as sofa for entertaining guests and a storage room for your stuff! Talk about double purpose!

Photo taken from http://www.artefac.com

Last tip to make sure you are getting your penny’s worth is to take a peek at the condo’s owner’s association. They are the ones who are making the rules of the condo, so you should familiarize yourself with the ones on top. A condo’s owner’s association will do its very best to maintain the exterior as well as the interior of the condo. Inspecting the condo’s ins and outs can be very helpful in determining how good the owner’s association is. The sight of a small crack at the corner of the hallway is not a good sign. You might want to look for another one.

Photo taken from http://www.sealtitebasements.com