i know what you mean. i lived in a fraternity house for 3 years of college. but can the same not also be said of your neighbors at a house? most of what i'm looking at is around 1/3 acre lots. if they're playing their stereo loud or running around drunk i'm probably going to hear it.a loud stereo at 3am or a loud, drunk asshole will penetrate the walls and there you'll lay in your own bed, wishing you could just sleep.
my deal with yard work is that i don't mind doing it but i'm not so sure i'll like being forced to do it. grass is going to grow, leaves are going to fall, plants are going to do whatever plants do, and you need to address the stuff when it happens. so would i mind mowing the lawn? no that'd be fine. would i like to have to mow it twice/week for a lot of the summer? i think i can find more fun things to do
Condo & Homeowners Association fees and assesments are big negatives for me. So is contractual agreement of what you can and cannot do to YOUR property.
With the housing market like it is, look for a reasonable 1st home in a location that does not have a homeowners association. Paying for assessments and having no control over fees and what you can do would be problems for me.
townhome style is what i'm looking at. that's actually what most of them are around here for some reason. there's one nearby that is actually a good location that is not townhome style but it's low on my list and the only reason it's on my list is because all of the units are actually really nice inside. nice high ceilings, redone kitchens and baths, etc...Get a townhouse. No upstairs or downstairs neighbors (no getting woken by stamping kids or dogs)
Another thing to be careful of with a condo is special assessments. When the association decides it's time for a new roof, or a new parking lot, or new landscaping, they drop your portion of the bill in your mailbox and if you don't pay up, they can foreclose on your unit.
**** TO-THE NO. I decide when I get a roof and how much I pay for it. I decide when landscaping gets done and how much is spent on it.