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Buying in Bloomfield, New Jersey: Should You Buy a Home or a Condo in Whitestone Gardens Condominium Complex?

By
Real Estate Agent with Lattimer Realty

buy your first home in Bloomfield, New JerseyDeciding to buy your first home in Bloomfield, New Jersey is one of the biggest and most important decisions you will ever make.  One of the biggest questions first-time homebuyers face is whether to buy a condo or a single family home.   There are advantages and disadvantages of each and only YOU can decide what's right for you.  Sometimes just taking a look at your lifestyle can help make the decision on which is right for you.

 

When buying in Bloomfield, New Jersey, giving careful consideration to the following outline can assist when asking yourself if you should buy a home or a Whitestone Gardens condo:

  • Location - Where do you want to be? Are there options for both condos and single-family houses in this area?
  • Privacy - Is it important to you to have complete privacy or do you find close neighbors to be a comfort?
  • Responsibility - Do you need total control over decisions affecting your home or are you attracted to the idea of sharing decision-making with your neighbors?
  • Maintenance - Are you a homebody who enjoys getting dirty in the yard or are you delighted with the idea of never having to cut a blade of grass again?
  • Budget - How much do you have to spend? Depending on where you want to live, a condo may be the only option that meets your budget.

In addition to the outline, try making a list of pros and cons.

Buying a condo in Whitestone GardensFor example, pros for buying a condo in the Whitestone Gardens may include:

Maintenance:  Do you lead a busy life? Whitestone Gardensoffers you a comfortable home free of yard-work and home-maintenance responsibilities. If you're not a hands-on, do-it-yourselfer, having a maintenance crew take care of the upkeep at Whitestone Gardens is a definite plus.

LocationWhitestone Gardens provides the option of living conveniently located and in walking distance to transportation, stores and parks. 

In addition, cons for buying a condo in the Whitestone Gardens may include: 

Condo fees: Whitestone Gardens has monthly maintenance fees. The money goes toward the collective upkeep and development of the property. Combine these fees with monthly mortgage payments and taxes and you can sometimes end up paying more per month for a condo than a house of equal value.

Buying a home in Bloomfield New JerseyOn the other hand, pros for buying a single family home in Bloomfield New Jersey may include:

Family friendly: With their own yards and generally more square-footage, houses tend to be more family friendly. A fenced-in backyard for children to play in can be a big benefit in your Bloomfield New Jersey home.  

Extra living space: Not only do kids need space, so do most grown-ups. If you're a couple, you have to determine how much time you will be spending together at home and whether or not you need quiet, private rooms. The same is true if you work from home or have a hobby that requires dedicated space. 

Whereas, cons for buying a single family home in Bloomfield New Jersey may include:

Upkeep: When you own your own house, you're responsible for all the maintenance. The bigger your property, the more time and money you can end up sinking into it. The upside is that money you put into home improvements will likely pay off in terms of a higher resale value of your Bloomfield New Jersey home.

Additional items: All the extra space a house provides can have a downside. You need to fill that space with additional furniture. You also need to buy extra items to maintain the garden. And you can expect to have higher heating and/or cooling costs with a bigger Bloomfield, New Jersey home.

Determing which lifestyle better suits your needs is important and remember, in the future, if your interests and priorities change, you can always sell your Whitestone Gardens condo or Bloomfield, New Jersey home and make a move, this time not only with Gina Chirico at your side but also with personal experience as your guide

Catherine Chaudemanche - Edison & Central NJ
Metuchen Keller Williams Elite Realty / Middlesex County, NJ - Edison, NJ
Full Time, Informed and Involved- Results Driven

Hi Gina, this is a great post with helpful guidance for those not sure which home ownership would be best for them.

Apr 26, 2010 10:24 PM
Gina Chirico
Lattimer Realty - Fairfield, NJ
Real Estate Agent - Essex County, New Jersey

Thanks Cathy.

Apr 28, 2010 01:23 AM