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I Will Sell This House Today!

Clock is ticking, people. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to buy a walk-in closet in the heart of San Francisco for half a million dollars. I mean, seriously, who in their right mind would pass on my humble abode?

All joking aside, we are holding a final open house this weekend Saturday and Sunday from 2-4pm, and taking offers by Monday at 4pm.

My place only went on the market a week ago so I’m totally floored at the expedited timing.

There’s no way a suburban dweller can fathom the benefits of my $499k 1-bedroom condo, but let me quickly list them here:

I live across from the Kaiser Emergency Room and Labor & Delivery so if ever you find yourself suffering from symptoms of preeclampsia (that’s a nod to Downton Abbey), you can stumble across Geary Blvd for some medical assistance.

Free washer & dryer. Yes free! Not that coin-operated bullshit that’s reminiscent of our dorm days.

A backyard. Sure it’s a shared backyard, but there are a total of 3 units in the building, with only 3 current occupants. You’re guaranteed to have it all to yourself. If Dean and I lived there, I could totally see Dean working on the backyard on the weekends, tending to his flowers and an avocado tree.

A garage parking space. Need I say more?

I find homeowner association dues for condos in the city mind-boggling. These are fees used to pay for common area items, property insurance, and to fund an ever-growing reserve that never gets used. These HOAs are paid every month for the duration of the time that you live in your property. Like an STD, they never go away, not even after you’ve fully paid your mortgage. So when condos are marketed as having low HOAs and the HOAs are $300-400 a month, I’m like that is CRAY-CRAY! Mortgage payment + HOAs + property taxes = Is this property even worth it?

All that said, my HOAs are $200. I am not a fan of HOA fees (as I think they’re stupid), but if you’re going to buy a condo, my place is it.

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02.28.13

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Comments

  1. affinity

    February 28, 2013 at 10:39 am

    Fabulous price. I have no doubt you will sell it this week.

    Reply
  2. Chelle

    March 1, 2013 at 10:04 am

    Good luck on selling. We’ve got some new condos and townhomes popping up all around us and they are nice but yes the HOA’s or the Mellies are threw the roof sometimes.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      March 3, 2013 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you Chelle. We’ll see what offers come in for my condo. Very curious on how the real estate market will be affecting me personally. Interesting times.

      Reply

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Welcome to my site, derived from an advice column I wrote while getting my MBA. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I give helpful, opinionated advice based on my own experience and from the expertise of my extensive network. For more, click here.

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