As you start your search looking for just the right Long Beach condo, you likely will fire up any number of the real estate apps out there (Realtor, Trulia/Zillow, Redfin, etc.). After all your phone is with you 24/7, what better way to start your search than with the power of your phone. With any of these apps it is simple, you basically enter simple criteria such as the following:
- Number of Bedrooms
- Number of Bathrooms
- Price
Once you enter this criteria the map will light up with any number of availability icons, you can swipe easily from one neighborhood to the next and you can dive into each listing to see an assortment of pictures to see if the condo is right for you. But if that is all there is to searching for a condo, why are there so many apps? In fact if it is that simple why are there so many real estate agents?
Finding the right condo goes far beyond the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and price ( of course those are still core requirements). Don’t worry this isn’t a thinly disguised sales pitch to use a real estate agent, we want you to really dig deep into what is possible with your condo search to help you find just the right property for you.
Before we dive into the key questions to ask yourself what will help you find the right condo, one of the challenges with the mobile apps is they focus on currently available condos for sale. You might be thinking… “uh, yeah I want to buy one that’s available so of course” but we do challenge your thought process to make sure you know which condos are possible beyond the current inventory of today! We are constantly adding to our Long Beach by HOA page that lists detailed information about Long Beach condos (regardless of if they are available for sale or not) to help you see which complex could be right for you. Using this as a guide you can then keep your eye out for exactly which condo will meet your goals and hopefully exceed your expectations.
Now, we invite you to ask yourself 7 questions to help you find just the right Long Beach condo complex.
7 Questions to Help Your Long Beach Condo Search
What is your ideal neighborhood? And where is that condo in that neighborhood?
Long Beach has over 30 different neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own unique personality, unique offerings (think restaurants, parks, etc.) , proximity to freeway, and much more. Long Beach even has specially designated historic areas…in addition to wonderful historic buildings. While you can easily swipe around a map, understanding the different neighborhoods that are possible will truly help you to focus your searching efforts.
Within your desired neighborhood we challenge you to think more about the specific street location of your condo complex. Some condos are located on busier streets and some are on quieter streets. For some buyers it doesn’t matter but sometimes people forget to talk about this and that can waste their time during the searching process. With major streets like 7th, Anaheim, and even Pine Ave there are a number of great lofts and condos but you might need to tolerate a bit more ambient noise.
What items that aren’t necessarily listed in a listing are important to you?
Listings tend to highlight the common information of the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage. While in a home you might be able to get away with only focusing on these items, we do recommend taking a few additional items into consideration as you look for a condo as you don’t have control over every aspect.
Consider the following three items:
- Laundry and location – With a condo not every condo has inside laundry. For the condos that do have inside laundry some will accommodate side by side and others only stackable. For condos with community laundry there are condo complexes with community laundry on each floor and those with 1 common laundry facility for the entire complex. As you look online and in person don’t forget to check out your laundry options.
- Parking – Parking is one of the most essential (in our opinion) aspects to evaluate in a condo development. Especially in the beach neighborhoods such as Belmont Heights and Belmont Shore, parking is essential. If you have 2 bedrooms do you get 2 parking spaces? Is there parking deeded/assigned to your specific unit? How do you get access to the parking area? Even if it is listed in the listing information make sure to ask and verify that parking is associated with your unit via your HOA documents and title report.
- Pet Policy – Oh our beloved furry friends. This is one that some people forget to have on their checklist, especially if they don’t yet have a pet and are planning on one. Many of the condo complexes have weight limits on pets (i.e. 35lbs) and others may still limit the number of pets. Take time to ask upfront about the pet policies and read your HOA documents to understand all aspects about the policy.
Where is the condo located within the building?
This is one that is not often thought about but can make a big difference. Looking at the pictures of the front entrances of condo complexes is cool when you can see spacious balconies and great sliding glass doors but those condos only represent a fraction of what is contained within the entire building.
Take time to understand the orientation of the building (i.e. does the building face North, South, East, or West) and then where is the condo you are evaluating within that complex. For many buildings where you see balconies, not every unit will have a balcony as one side of the building may not even have balconies because one side might face an alley. We invite you to consider that in the larger condo complexes (think greater than 50 units) there can even be condos that don’t face the outside. These condos can be wonderful options for many but if you were thinking you would have a view you would likely be disappointed.
In Long Beach the orientation towards to the ocean is most commonly for units that face South. This means that many of your East/West running streets (think 2nd St, Broadway, etc.) can enjoy coveted South facing units towards to the ocean.
Do you enjoy outdoor space?
One of the most requested features for condo buyers is that of having some outdoor space to themselves. For the few townhomes that exist in Long Beach this can mean a small yard, but for the majority of buyers this means a balcony.
As you are evaluating condos in your online search take the time to see which complexes have the size balcony that you desire. Often buildings from the 1960’s have larger balconies than those of the 1980’s or 1990’s. You will see this most prevalent when comparing buildings such as La Contessa vs. 1001 Park Ave. Both certainly have balconies but there is a large size difference between each building’s balcony.
One of the most common questions that we find in regards is that of if BBQs are allowed on balconies. Most commonly we find that propane BBQs are allowed, although there can be size limitations that impact exactly which BBQ you could have. Even if you see other residents with BBQs on their balconies it is best to check the policies of the condo complex to ensure you are abiding by the CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions)
What are the HOA Reserves?
HOA Reserves are not an item that you will see on any listing you find online. The HOA reserves are the amount of funds that an HOA has to cover common area maintenance and even major repairs (i.e. think of a roof, elevator, or a pool resurfacing).
The most common item you will see in a listing related to HOA reserves is your monthly HOA payment. Quite often people will see a low monthly HOA payment and figure that it is great…but it might not be great if the HOA monthly payment isn’t helping to build up the reserves and keep up the common systems that all of the residents share. You will get an HOA reserve statement when you are in escrow, but it is possible to inquire if in the latest monthly HOA meeting minutes if ti was shared. You might get the answer that you have to wait for all of your HOA documents, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Do you have a passion for special events? Or do they cause you consternation?
There are neighborhoods within Long Beach that are home to wonderful events throughout the year. For Downtown Long Beach they have iconic events such as the Grand Prix, for Naples they have the Boat Parade, and there are so many more through this great city. You might be thinking what does this have to do with my condo purchase?
With many of the larger events there are street closures and influx of people that add congestion to the neighborhoods for a period of time. Many people consider this part of the charm of living here yet still others find it challenging that they literally can’t get to their property for a large block of time. As you narrow your list to your few favorite condo buildings we recommend doing a quick check to make sure you will enjoy your property year round by seeing what major events occur in your neighborhood.
What is nice to have vs. have to have?
As you look at condos online and even visit them in person one of the essential methods to help you find the right property is to narrow down which features are absolute have to haves vs. nice to haves. Yes it would be nice to get everything on your list (view, inside laundry, 2 parking spaces, massive balcony, huge floor plan…and all within your target price), but we have found that regardless of budget there is always something that ends
When you would like a bit of help navigating your condo options in Long Beach don’t hesitate to reach out. If you want a custom list sent to you please request our Hot List of properties or call us today at 562-989-7111 and we can add you to our database to receive the latest condos in the neighborhood of your choice in Long Beach and more. Even better if you would like to see the units that have sold, simply respond to our email when we send you the Hot List of available condos and request “past sales please” and we can send you past sales in any building to help you see what your options could be like.