I lived in my gf’s condo building for maybe ten years before I decided to buy a condo unit of my own. I didn’t really know what to look for other than superficial stuff: physical security, eyeballing the amenities, responsiveness of staff, etc.
On the basis of what I could see (and what my realtor’s inspector told me) I got it. But I might have made a different decision if I had known to ask about the building’s trajectory of insurance rates, the building’s plumbing history, the HVAC units that were installed by the builder, etc.
I am not totally jaded by the unsightly messiness of “democracy” and will 100% get another condo when I sell this one. But I would like to be better prepared to evaluate my alternatives.
My question is just as much aimed at property managers, btw. How do YOU GUYS see things in ways we don’t?
What makes a building a great investment? What raises concerns?
Bonus if anyone has any dirt on amazing/horrible condo buildings in DC.