Think your condo board and management companies don’t play a role in your value retention?
Center City condominium buildings are like a business and should be run as such. From maintenance to condo association policy, seems many folks have a hand in the determination of your resale value. Value within any given building is a moving target, and if I were King of the World, I would suggest that any association would want to evaluate their policies considering:
1) Pets- A hot button item. Buildings are often overlooked by potential buyers based upon the buildings’ pet policies. Buyers often request a pet- friendly building, but never have I had a buyer express to me that a pet-free building is on their wish list. Associations may want to limit pets based upon breed, size and allow such freedoms to only the owner occupants and not tenants.
2) Common Area Presentation – The death knell for many buildings in town in terms of value retention. Often, buyers refuse to walk into a Philadelphia condo unit after being walked through the common building foyer and through the halls. Some hallways smell- and haven’t been painted or had any new lighting in 20 years. I would have to suggest you rid your association of anyone who could be responsible for such lack of attention. The cost is SO MINIMAL to improve common area elements that it really makes no sense not to keep your common areas in tip top shape. This is where the “Investment Multiplier” comes into effect- for every dollar you put in, you get two back. Simple math here folks.
3) Transparent and Open Communications – There is a reason why Society Hill Tower, Hopkinson House, and The Washington Square West Condos at 12xx South St. are known to be very well run. I would suggest it has to do with the accessibility and transparency of the condo associations and or management companies. From condo docs, to board minutes – THINGS BUYERS WANT TO KNOW- Are but a click away on but a handful of condo sites. The surreptitious and somewhat mysterious ways that associations fail to hold out the information to scrutiny can be a serious concern for many buyers. And making a buyer wait up to 4 weeks to get condo docs – REALLY? That is a great way to piss off a new buyer and possibly a new member of the condo association.
4) Rentals- It is fairly standard for a building to allow a certain percentage of the condominiums in the association to be rented out. But having NO policy which addresses rentals can be a real disaster. Fannie Mae has rules about owner-occupancy ratios. A lack of adherence to those rules can lead to the need for buyers to put more money down AND pay a higher interest rate.
Which of course can reduce demand for your building, raise inventory levels, and ultimately lower your values. Ain’t no rocket science involved in that equation….
Below is a fantastic site with some great information. If you are a board member of an association here in town, you might want to bookmark this website:
