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Brock
Trad climber
RENO, NV
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 22, 2010 - 03:20pm PT
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Mammoth locals that know the buildings/condos. My wife & I are considering buying a condo in mammoth and wanted to know if there were any issues with the high HOA, condo building issues, etc. Any true input would be appreciated.
We are trying to stay away from downtown. Areas along upper Maridian Blvd and Majestic pines are nice as is Canyon area.
Thanks for the input.
Dike Wall free of snow yet at the base?
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Offnrunnin
Mountain climber
Crowley Lake
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Aug 23, 2010 - 01:28am PT
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Ask the seller for a copy of the financial report. All condo owners recieve financial reports at the end of each fiscal year. One of the reports is a reserve study that outlines the expected repair or replacement costs of the project's roof, siding, decks, etc. The study will show how much money the HOA should hold in reserve for those anticipated repairs.
Some condo HOA's will keep their dues low and when a repair is needed, or snow removal costs are high, they hit you with a special assessment. Look for an association that keeps a good reserve, and has kept the buildings in good shape.
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flakyfoont
Trad climber
carsoncity nv
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Aug 23, 2010 - 02:51am PT
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Brock, good solid input from offandrunnin,,
Check for yourself before the snow flies. Beware as Mammoth has lots of 60s and 70s money pits out there. Drive and walk the properties. Look for buckled pavement, cracks in walkways or driveways that seep water. If you see numerous patch jobs at water lateral hook ups in street suspect constant plumbing issues. Steep streets have low water pressure issues when town is maxed out in winter, and bottom of streets have excessive water pressure issues when town is empty. To the point of burst watervalves in appliances.
Orient your location. North, north-east facing = buried in winter ,icy walkways that stay that way most of winter. Constant ice dams onroofs, Also north / north east drivways suck all winter too. Steep driveways seem to lose vehicles right bsck out into the street. Its bad enough driving mammoth in gnarly snowstorms, but to hassel with a bad parking place all winter is too much crap..
Most condos dont allow for enough storage of firewood. A single cord is usually all you can store, but not enough to last all winter. Restocking
cord wood on the third floor balconey is a real bitch in mid winter.
All that said, Mammoth is a great place to live , ski and work or play.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Aug 23, 2010 - 11:37am PT
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A lot of mammoth condos were slapped together in the 70's and early 80's by LA contractors...shoddy framing , poorly insulated . 2x4 walls , single pane windows , air gaps....a unit that seems warm in the summer could be an ice box in the winter and expensive to heat.....be careful buying a downstairs unit if there are partyer types above....avoid at all costs buying at mt. shadows...the board and managers are totally dishonest, incompetent , and lazy....rj
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roy
Social climber
New Zealand -> Santa Barbara
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Aug 23, 2010 - 01:59pm PT
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Hi,
I have a condo in the area you mention. There's good advice about checking out the HOA accounts or annual report. The dues are about $450/month - this probably varies a bit, but there have been special assessments to cover water main repairs.
A lot of new fire regulations seem to be coming into force (or maybe they are just being enforced) and this has required tree trimming and clearing as well as replacing shingle roofs with metal versions. Some places are probably further along than others in doing this - at the moment this hasn't required a special assessment.
Probably the most relevant factor is the quality of the management - the board and the on-site manager. As mentioned above, most were originally put together rather cheaply. But they have been forced to upgrade over the years to keep up with code. What matters is whether or not the financial management of these upgrades is being done wisely. See if the HOA has reserve funds for upgrades; see if they have a plan for maintenance and replacement of the grounds, building exteriors, roof, utilities, pool, etc. None of this is unexpected. Apart from looking at the books, the best way to get an idea of this might be to talk to other owners in the development.
Cheers, Roy
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Aug 23, 2010 - 02:42pm PT
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I am having east side fantasies. How are the schools in Mammoth?
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Aug 23, 2010 - 08:49pm PT
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omygosh....not bad , not great....check rankings..for the most part , good teachers , quite a few who climb....great place to raise kids with all the different activities here...leave the city...rj
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