Most people realize that monthly fees will be associated with buying a condo in Gulf Shores. On the other hand, many are confused about what you get for these fees (and rightly so). In this tip, you'll read about what is typically covered along with some of the differences among HOA fees for Gulf Shores condos.
Tip #4 - Find Out What Is Included in Your HOA fee.
First of all let's talk about the term. HOA stands for Home Owner's Association. You may also see this referred to as Condo Fees or COA Fees (Condo Owner's Association fees) or Association Fees. Although the difference between an HOA and a COA has to do with the type of ownership (single family home or condo), here at the beach the fees associated with a condo are generally referred to as HOA fees.
In Gulf Shores, most of the time the HOA fees will include the following:
- Association Management
- Common Area Maintenance
- Common Area Insurance
- Common Area Taxes
- Custodial Services
- Pest Control
- Recreational Facilities (Amenities)
- Reserve Funds
- Trash
- Water/Sewer
- Basic Cable
Almost every condo complex at the beach will offer the above for your monthly fees. I say almost because there is a small percentage of condo associations that do not include insurance in their HOA fees. Instead, they charge a separate assessment annually for insurance. Resort Conference Center in Fort Morgan is an example of this.
After doing a quick search I found that HOA fees for Gulf Shores condos range between $172/mo to $1,733/mo. While you will see higher fees with complexes that offer more amenities than others, there is a direct correlation between the size of the unit and how much the HOA fee is.
For instance, Oceania has a large condo with 5,223 square feet and HOA fees of $1,733. On the other hand, Colony Club's unit with 762 square feet has fees of just $172. Another thing that effects the amount of the HOA fee is the number of units that are within a complex. We find that if there are many units in the community, the cost can be spread out more versus over a small number of dwellings.
So, how much you'll pay monthly for HOA will depend on the amenities that you prefer to have available to you, the size of the unit itself, and how many units are in the community. I find that, for the most part, fees usually run between $400-$650/mo.
Tip: Be sure to address what amenities are important to you and how much square feet that you must have. Also, make sure that insurance is covered under the monthly fees or you'll have to figure in an annual assessment.
ALL GULF SHORES CONDOS FOR SALE BY PRICE
$100,000 to $200,000 – $200,000 to $300,000 – $300,000 to $400,000
$400,000 to $500,000 – $500,000 to $600,000 – $600,000 to $1,000,000
Call/text/email me today for all of your real estate needs!
