We have lived in our small condo for almost three years, since downsizing in the spring of 2006. All in all we've been pretty lucky regarding any needed inside repairs until now. The HOA takes care of all the outside repairs. We do, however, pay $240 in monthly HOA fees that cover all outside maintenance, insurance, and garbage collection. The complex has several swimming pools, greenbelts, and common areas, so I don't think our HOA fee is exorbitant. In fact, we have friends who live in a nearby gated complex requiring a 24/7 guard and their fees are three times higher.
Our unit has a gas fireplace we turn on with a switch. We love the way it heats up the room quickly, not to mention the lovely atmosphere it provides. But it suddenly stopped working in early December. I called the power company to see if maybe the pilot light had gone out and I learned that it doesn't even have a pilot. But the service call was free and the technician said the problem was a bad spark ignition module. The next step was to get referrals and call around. Then I scheduled a service call with the longest-established company whose fees were in line with others.
Well, the repairman came early this morning. The company charged $122 to just walk through the door. Then after a 10-minute inspection, we were told the part that needs replacement would cost an additional $329 and it has to be ordered. Thank goodness for the household reserve savings, where we have $$ stashed for this kind of situation. If it takes care of the problem, I will be happy, although I am still surprised at the high cost of the service call.
Thank Goodness for the Reserve Account
January 13th, 2009 at 05:28 pm
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Knowing the area, $250/month seems like a steal.
That is one reason why owning a house is so much cheaper for us now. Everything else is about the same (mortgage, property taxes, insurance, even utilities). HOA is only $69 and has only gone up once. $4k/year is plenty for maintenance. Turns out to be quite a wash.
Yay for the reserve account!
January 13th, 2009 at 07:57 pm 1231876663