• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sacramento Appraisal Blog | Real Estate Appraiser

Real estate appraisals for divorce, estate settlement, loans, property tax appeal, pre-listing and more. We cover Sacramento, Placer and Yolo County. We're professional, courteous and timely.

  • About
  • Appraisals
  • Order
  • Ask Ryan
  • Areas
  • Classes
  • Press
  • Trends
  • Share
  • Contact

Sacramento condominiums

The L Street Lofts, Kevin Martin & Condo Sales

April 20, 2011 By Ryan Lundquist 1 Comment

It’s Day 3 of “Condo Week” on the Sacramento Appraisal Blog, so let’s take a look at all condominium sales in the City of Sacramento in Downtown and Midtown over the past three years. You can see all condo sales in a previous post if you wish to see the overall context of the condo market. What do you see in the graph below?

Most of the higher condominium sales over the past three years are from the L Street Lofts in Midtown Sacramento. These lofts have quite a selling range depending on floor location, view and size of course. Between the lofts not being listed on the market between June 2008 to the end of 2009, a challenging real estate market in general, and difficulties for buyers to obtain financing in this development, there have been few loft sales as shown above. Per conversation this week with Michael Onstead of Coldwell Banker, there were many buyers lined up to purchase lofts, but financing stood in the way. With that being said, imagine the graph above with more sales at higher levels. That could change the overall look of the trend line, couldn’t it?

Right now the lofts on L Street are typically listed between $300,000 to $600,000 for the most part (that doesn’t include penthouse lofts though). If you’re local, you’ve probably seen or read stories about the L Street Lofts having gone into foreclosure. Hopefully this unique project will be able to resume their sales program soon. 

As an FYI, former Sacramento Kings basketball player Kevin Martin is currently selling his penthouse loft on L Street. He paid $1,340,000 in September 2008 and it is currently listed as pending in MLS at $899,000. This is one beautiful property!!

What is your favorite condominium development in Sacramento? Why?

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook. 

Share:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Market Trends Tagged With: #herewebuild, #herewestay, appraiser in Sacramento, Condo Week, condoweek, downtown sacramento condos, here we build, Kevin Martin NBA, Kevin Martin's Sacramento Condo, L Street Lofts, midtown sacramento condos, sacramento appraisers, Sacramento condominiums, Sacramento Kings, trend graph of condo sales

What’s the difference between a condominium and townhouse?

April 18, 2011 By Ryan Lundquist 17 Comments

This week is “Condo Week” on the Sacramento Appraisal Blog, so we’ll be talking about condominiums throughout the week. Exciting stuff, right? It seems fitting to kick things off by discussing what a condominium is and how you can tell the difference between a condo and a townhouse (PUD) in the Sacramento area. 

What is a condominium?

A condominium is a multiple-unit dwelling in which there is separate and distinct ownership of individual units and joint ownership of common areas. For example, in an apartment house [or condo development], the individual owners would each own their own apartments while all the owners of the separate apartments would together own the parts of the building common to all of them, such as the entrances, laundry rooms, elevators, and hallways. The building is managed by the condominium association, either directly or through a professional manager. The owners of the individual units are jointly responsible for the costs of maintaining the building and common areas, but they are individually responsible for the maintenance expenses of their particular units. (definition from Free Dictionary)

Sometimes it’s not clear if a property is a condominium or townhouse though. How do you know the difference when these types of units can actually look very similar on the outside? The terms “condo” and “townhouse” are used interchangeably quite a bit too, which complicates things (sort of like “manufactured” and “modular”). There is usually an HOA managing the condo or townhouse development, but the big difference really boils down to a condominium owner not owning the individual parcel and a townhouse owner actually owning the land on which the unit is built.

It’s still not easy to identify whether a property is a condominium or townhouse though sometimes, so let me give you a few pointers if you’re searching in the Sacramento area. These tips may or may not work in other areas.

How can you identify a condominium in comparison to a townhouse in the Sacramento area?

1)  Are the units called condos or townhouses by the development? This is the first step to identify a property. I know this sounds simplistic, but most of the time units are not called “condos” unless that is what they are.

2)  Is there a lot size listed in Tax Records? If there is a lot size, this often means the property is a townhouse and not a condo. However, don’t use this “proof” by itself because many times condominiums actually have a specific lot size mentioned (even though they don’t have an individual lot). Ultimately, keep in mind that Tax Records is not the authority on determining what a property is and is not. 

3)  Does the plat map show specific lot dimensions for the individual unit on a parcel? If so, it’s most likely a townhouse PUD and not a condominium. This is an important indicator. The owner of the condominium does not have ownership of the entire site on which the unit is built, so there is no reason to give specific dimensions on the plat map for the lot shape. If an individual parcel is identified with dimensions on the plat map for the individual lot, it’s not a condo. Click the thumbnails to view larger images.

     

4)  What does the local planning department say about ownership?

5)  What does the preliminary title report say about ownership? This is the best source to identify what form of ownership a property has.

How else would you describe the difference between condominiums and townhouses?

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook. 

Share:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Appraisal Stuff, Resources Tagged With: condo appraiser in Sacramento, Condo Week, condominium ownership, condoweek, difference between confominium and townhome, Lundquist Appraisal Company, Planned Unit Development, plat map view of condo and townhome, PUD, sacramento appraisers, Sacramento condominiums, Sacramento Real Estate Appraiser, Tax Records, townhome, Townhouse vs. Condominium

What impact can pending litigation have on a condominium association?

March 16, 2011 By Ryan Lundquist 2 Comments

Litigation happens, right? Well, how does pending litigation impact a condominium association? The truth is that sometimes lenders will not lend on a property when there is current litigation against the association – depending on what the lawsuit is of course. The lender’s concern is that a substantial settlement will ultimately force the HOA into bankruptcy because insurance payouts do not cover the cost of the settlement.

I was thinking about this because there is a complex right now in the Sacramento area (Fair Oaks) that is facing this very situation and it’s been more difficult for sellers because lenders have seemed hesitant on making loans on properties in the complex right now. The litigation in this case involves construction defects in the common areas and actually has nothing to do with the actual units (built in 2007 – very nice).

Action Steps & Wisdom:

1) If you are buying a condominium in the Sacramento area, do your homework to make sure the HOA does not have any big litigation that might impede lending. Also, make sure the association is not on the verge of bankruptcy either due to massive vacancy or non-payment of dues (or some other issue).

2) If you live in a complex with an HOA and you are considering filing a lawsuit against the HOA, make sure the issue is worth the potential risk of impacting lending in your entire complex. There is definitely a place for lawsuits, but just know what you’re dealing with. You may be wise to consult with other home owners and do a team approach so you are not the sole individual to bring about the lawsuit. Before proceeding, it may be worth talking to some of the key real estate agents who sell property in the community and an experienced attorney. Disclaimer: This is not legal advice.

Do you have any experience with HOAs and litigation? Maybe you’re a lender, loan officer, real estate agent, home owner or prospective buyer. Share your story below.

If you have any real estate appraisal, valuation consulting, or property tax appeal needs, contact me at 916.595.3735, www.LundquistCompany.com or via Facebook.

Share:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Appraisal Stuff, Resources Tagged With: appraiser in Fair Oaks, appraisers in Sacramento, condo appraisal in Fair Oaks, condominium real estate apprasier in Sacramento, Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks appraisals, getting a loan when there is pending litigation, HOA, Home Owner's Association, lenders and litigation in HOA, litigation in a condominium complex, sacramento appraisers, Sacramento condominiums, Sacramento litigation, Sundance condominiums

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Ryan

 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram

Subscribe to Weekly Post

* indicates required

Search this site

Blog Categories

  • Appraisal Stuff (407)
  • Bankruptcy (3)
  • Divorce (4)
  • Estate Settlement (6)
  • FHA Appraisal Articles (56)
  • Internet (53)
  • Market Trends (481)
  • Photos from the Field (126)
  • Property Taxes (70)
  • Random Stuff (231)
  • Resources (566)
  • Videos (161)

Blog Archives: 2009 – 2021

Lundquist Appraisal Links

  • Appraisal Order Form
  • Appraisal Website
  • Rancho Cordova Appraiser Website
  • Sacramento Appraisal Blog Sitemap
  • Sacramento Real Estate Appraiser Facebook Page
  • Twitter: Sacramento Appraiser (@SacAppraiser)
  • YouTube: Sacramento Appraiser Channel

Most Recent Posts

  • How long can this market keep going?
  • What is your housing persona?
  • Rapid price growth & the Gilmore Girls next door
  • Are first-time buyers targeting 2-4 unit properties?
  • Stale real estate headlines & buyers flocking to El Dorado County
  • My new sewer line adds huge value, right?
  • The housing market nobody predicted
  • Real estate trends to watch in 2021
  • You carried me & a spreadsheet for Christmas
  • Real estate drama (and a market update)

Disclaimer

First off, thank you for being here. Now let's get into the fine print. The material and information contained on this website is the copyrighted property of Ryan Lundquist and Lundquist Appraisal Company. Content on this website may not be reproduced or republished without prior written permission from Ryan Lundquist.

Please see my Sharing Policy on the navigation bar if you are interested in sharing portions of any content on this blog.

The information on this website is meant entirely for educational purposes and is not intended in any way to support an opinion of value for your appraisal needs or any sort of value conclusion for a loan, litigation, tax appeal or any other potential real estate or non-real estate purpose. The material found on this website is meant for casual reading only and is not intended for use in a court of law or any other legal use. Ryan will not appear in court in any capacity based on any information posted here. For more detailed market analysis to be used for an appraisal report or any appraisal-related purpose or valuation consulting, please contact Ryan at 916-595-3735 for more information.

There are no affiliate links on this blog, but there are three advertisements. Please do your homework before doing business with any advertisers as advertisements are not affiliated with this blog in any way. Two ads are located on the sidebar and one is at the bottom of each post. The ads earn a minor amount of revenue and are a simple reward for providing consistent original content to readers. If you think the ads interfere with your blog experience or the integrity of the blog somehow, let me know. I'm always open to feedback. Thank you again for being here.

Copyright © 2021 Sacramento Appraisal Blog