I've had a pretty rotten year in 2016. Or I should say, it's been a really crappy year financially. It seems like I've been bleeding money faster than I can make it. It started more or less in 2015, when the board of directors moved forward with the required maintenance for the exterior of the building. The brick work had been needing repair for a few years before it was decided that it needed to be done.It finally got started in early 2015 and completed by fall of 2015. Obviously, a final bill was given to the condo corporation for the work done and the finances had to be looked at. With the amount of money that was needed to pay for such work, there wasn't enough in the reserve fund to pay for it and a special assessment was levied against the 86 owners. The notice went out early in January 2016.
Depending on the number of bedrooms you have, the "special assessment" amount that you pay would be $3600 for a one bedroom or over $5000 for a two bedroom unit. I don't know about you, I don't exactly have 3 to 5 grand lying around to drop at a moments notice. I'm lucky if on a whim, I have enough money to stop at the local coffee shop for that large coffee. Yes, I was very aware in the summer of 2015 that I should have been saving every single penny I could to pay for it but it's hard to save money when you don't know how much you'll be paying in the end.
Back in 2004, I made the decision to purchase a home because I didn't want to spend my money (and my retirement money) renting. I wanted to be secure in my old age. I chose an apartment condo because I knew that I didn't want an actual house where I had to shovel snow, rake leaves, cut grass, pull weeds out of the garden or any other outside chore. Yes, it makes me look lazy. On the other hand, I knew that owning a condo meant paying condo fees for the maintenance of the building I live in.
For many years, the condo fees in the building I live in stayed low and didn't increase as much as they should have. If the board of directors did their job they way they should have, a lot of us wouldn't be broke. If the Board stays diligent, hopefully the Reserve Fund was accurately funded now and in the future. And I wouldn't be in the financial hole that I am.
Humorous thought for the day:
(As seen on a bumper of a passing car): If I wanted a bitch, I'd buy a dog.
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