Food for Thought... Ask Questions!

"I guess I was pretty uniformed when buying new, and thought I would have a finished balcony and that the amenities would be ready when I moved in. In hindsight, one needs to ask a lot of questions when buying a new condo in a large complex: When will [fill in the blank] be ready? How much longer will construction continue after I move in, and what kind of construction will be going on?

I've now heard that construction may go on up to 2 years after I moved in, now that was difficult to grasp and hear... and very surprising to me. It was also surprising to learn was that the builder can give you a time estimate and then keep changing it...

You can ask the questions, but for the most part they can tell you whatever they want. Salespeople always tell you that the common elements will be ready "very soon after you move in", but the promise doesn't necessarily mean anything."

—First Time Condo Buyer