Hil, check to see what the status of the condo corporation's reserve fund is like before you commit to a purchase. If there is a large pending repair (like roof, or pool, as Laura mentioned), then you could be on the hook for a chunk of that. Otherwise, condo living is pretty good. How do they heat/cool the units? What shape is the plumbing like in the building? How do they do garbage, recycling, etc.? I'm trying to think of things that I didn't think of as a new/prospective condo owner that has potential to be annoying.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I've also thought about getting a house, because the selection of accessible condos in Cincinnati is pretty slim, but a house would mean having to pay someone to do all the yard work and maintenance stuff and things like that. Plus, there aren't that many one-story houses around here, either.

Hil, my advice would be to see a lender first if you haven't already, and secure funding before you start looking for a place. That way you'll know how much you have to spend (well, they'll offer you more than you probably want, IMO - I feel it's safer to set a price point under what a mortgage banker thinks you can afford). I can recommend a bank if you want - they are in your neighborhood and do a large percentage of local mortgages. I can also recommend our realtor who is lovely and could probably discuss the local condo market in detail, and/or recommend neighborhoods with single-story houses (though I would recommend a condo - houses are a continuing litany of maintenance.)

In re condos - one thing to check is whether they have a number of condos being rented out. A lot of rentals is bad. That's about the sum total of my knowledge of ownership.

The CCRs may also set a limit on the number/percentage of units that can be rented out.

Thanks, everyone. flea, I'll probably message you for that info once I start getting more organized.

I just went to the allergist, and got the whole litany of skin prick tests. So that was blah. She basically said that I'm already on pretty much every medication that I can be on for my allergies and asthma, so she wants to start me on allergy shots. I don't think I've ever gotten to the "You're on every medication that we could possibly give you" point before.

Also, I noticed that one of my distant cousins was listed on the list of doctors at this office. I didn't even know that he lived in Cincinnati -- I've only emailed with him. (He's my mom's third cousin, I think.)

Achievement unlocked?

The skin prick test is a whole lot of no fun, but the desensitization shots can make a world of difference. I got them for 10 years.

The doctor said that, for dust mites (which is the thing I reacted most strongly to, by far), there's a new thing where I can do the desensitization with pills at home, rather than having to go to the doctor's office once a week for years, which is probably a better option for me.

The doctor said that, for dust mites (which is the thing I reacted most strongly to, by far), there's a new thing where I can do the desensitization with pills at home, rather than having to go to the doctor's office once a week for years

Holy cow, this is very exciting news that I will certainly be contacting my allergist to hear more about!