All forms of home ownership are good options... It’s a matter of finding the best fit for your family.
A house gives you more independence, but also greater responsibility, and with higher costs.
A condo or townhouse has the security of more regular expenses, but you may still experience noise from attached units.
With mini homes, your family can enjoy quiet, detached home ownership with more affordable monthly mortgage payments, and the freedom to enjoy a nice yard. Land leased communities can offer convenient locations within the city’s limits and lot rent payments will provide the re-assurance of avoiding additional water consumption and sewer costs.
Please refer to the comparison table below, to determine the best housing solution for your family!
|
Mini Home
|
Condo
|
Town House
|
Stick Built Home
|
| Total Privacy |
A condominium is an apartment (noise from above, sides and below) |
At least one side wall will be shared, usually both sides are shared |
Total Privacy |
| Affordable Low Price |
May be very expensive |
May be very expensive |
Very Expensive |
| NO legal fees, NO real estate agent fees (with new homes) and NO hidden closing costs |
Legal fees and real estate agent fees will be required |
Legal fees and real estate agent fees will be required |
Legal fees and real estate agent fees will be required |
| Great Re-sale value |
Volatile re-sale market |
Good re-sale value |
Good re-sale value |
| One Level Living (good for arthritis, easier to clean, safer fire exists, carrying groceries, wheelchair accessibility, etc) |
Most often one level in a multi-level building |
Often multi-level, sometimes with basement. Stairs can be hard on joints, harder to clean home, cumbersome for bringing in groceries, etc |
Can be built as one level, or multiple level home |
| Mini Home is a House |
Apartment style building with shared entry and hallways, may have elevator |
Enter directly into unit from outside, own from the ground to the sky |
Detached or semi-detached homes available |
| Land Leased Communities offers double-car parking for each home. Private land home sites have no restrictions to build any size garage. |
May have heated underground parking, parking in detached garages, assigned or unassigned open parking stalls or on-street parking only |
Garage or double driveway is usually attached |
May or may not have garage or car port. Private land has no restrictions to build any size garage. |
| Mini Homes can range in size, according to needs |
Condos are usually apartment sized, with limited storage and may not offer enough room for growing families |
Complexes can be large or small |
Site built homes can be built to meet any size requirements, for a price! |
| No monthly fee on private land (except for property tax). Monthly Lot Rent in Land Leased communities (services to include: water treatment/ consumption, sewer, on-site garbage pick up, road snow removal, road maintenance and local mail delivery). |
Most condo fees will range from $100-$400/m and should include heat, water/sewer, trash removal, snow/lawn care, outside maintenance and some may even include cable bill. |
Townhouse complexes may or may not include monthly association fees to cover outside maintenance, snow removal and road driveway / parking lot repair. |
No monthly fees for private land, but water and septic/sewer expenses will be incurred by homeowner. Annual property taxes can be very high for private land. |
| Can be re-located to a different location in future |
Cannot be relocated |
Cannot be relocated |
Cannot usually be relocated |
| Each Mini Home will have its own in-house laundry facility. |
Laundry area is more often than not, shared with fellow tenants. |
Each Townhouse will usually have its own in-house laundry facility. |
Site-built homes will have their own in-house laundry facility. |
| Deck Size of your Choice (BBQ, patio furniture, etc) |
Some units may not have balconies, or only very small ones. Restrictive Covenants may prevent use of bbq, furniture, birdfeeders, wind chimes, etc |
Deck Size of your Choice (BBQ, patio furniture, etc) |
Deck Size of your Choice (BBQ, patio furniture, etc) |
