Condominiums or condos are big buildings in a larger community setting. Most condominiums are surrounded by coffee shops or restaurants, which are convenient for students or your average on-the-go type of person. These types of units usually require due from the homeowners association or HOA. These dues can be yearly or monthly. There are things that will need to be shared such as amenities in the units like the pool, the gym, the computer areas, or whatever amenities may be offered at the condos. Condos do have one or two shared walls.

A townhome is almost a perfect mix between a condominium and a single-family home. These may have one or two shared walls but they usually look like a single-family residence and you get a good amount of privacy, but certainly more privacy than you would get in just a condo. These usually come with a small yard or roof. Some of them come with maintenance agreements while others come with HOA fees. These are generally a lot more affordable than single family homes. These types of residences do not usually come with shared amenities such as a gym. Although designing your condo may get a little tricky, you do own the unit.

With a Co-op, everyone owns the building so everyone takes on equal responsibilities when it comes to maintenance and the HOA fees tend to be a lot lower than you would expect from a condo.