You're ready to buy your own desert hideaway, but what should it be a house or condominium? The answer lies in your needs: what do you want from a home?
Do you like gardening, landscaping, swimming and playing in your own yard? Then a home is right for you. When deciding what to buy, first look at your immediate and future needs. Do you need room for an addition? Are you interested in putting in a Jacuzzi or a pool? Do you want to build a deck or put in an outdoor fireplace? If you are, only a home will suffice. When you buy a single family home, you buy the dwelling and the lot, and can do pretty much as you please with it (provided you follow city ordinances and homeowners' association guidelines).
If you own a home, you will be responsible for all its maintenance and upkeep. You will pay for services such as electricity, water, sewer and trash. You may or may not have homeowner's association fees, depending on whether you live in a planned subdivision or not.
If you're looking for a maintenance-free vacation home or freedom from yard work, a condominium may be a better buy. Many people, especially single people and seniors, prefer condominiums.
In a condominium, the owner owns the home's interior, up to its inner walls. The exterior, the surrounding land and amenities, are owned by the condominium association, of which you become a member and partial owner when you buy. You'll be responsible for paying condominium association fees and may pay for all services, although some, such as trash service, may be included in your condo fees.
