Many buyers have been coming to me over these past few months looking to buy lower priced condos and homes around Puget Sound.  With today's low interest rates or line of equity cash purchases this is a great investment for you and a safe and friendly environment for your kids.

Many of the jobs for younger employees are near the urban hubs of Bellevue, Kirkland and Seattle.  Although there are plenty of apartments to choose from, they can costs thousands to rent.  I am sure you can find plenty of financial calculators like investment calculators on the iPhone and don't need my help understanding the numbers of buy vs rent.  What has been the bigger concern is the risk of "what happens if she moves" .  The key is to buy one of the chosen few in type and location.  It will make it easier for you to keep the property rented or retain better odds of selling success and that investment gain.
 

In some geographies, in some price ranges with certain amenities getting a condo may not only be the right choice, it may be the only one.  In similar price ranges and geographies especially with kids, a house may be essential but to an ever-growing range of demographics, that isn’t a requirement.
Owning a home has costs that may equate to the same or more as the condo dues you are wondering about.  Insurance, water, sewer, garbage, maintenance, upgrades, roofs, cleaning, lawn care, etc, etc., all adds up easily to several hundred dollars per month.  These costs are not a part of the mortgage and are not tax deductable.  Buying a condo in a development that has already conducted all the upgrades and doesn’t have upcoming assessments for the next several years may actually be a very suitable alternative and allow the buyer to live and work in the area they want.  HOA dues may initially appear to reduce what the buyer can qualify for but the yearly cash outlay may be quite similar to a home.
In some cases recently constructed condo buildings have what seem to be quite high dues per square foot and the buyer may be helping pay for what is an expensive design and expensive to manage property.
Other condo buildings that have been well maintained and/or upgraded with many amenities like trails, pools, grounds, walk ability, large square footage and low maintenance may initially deter the buyer offer but upon deeper research the buyer often finds the true cost is worth it considering what the condo is, where it is located and what the future holds for the neighborhood.
Lake Bellevue Village is a prime example.
The dues seem to be perhaps $150/month higher than other condos, however LBV has a long list of supportive elements that make the cost a wash with many alternatives.