Ann Arbor condos for sale

Ann Arbor offers an eclectic, small college-town aura, yet with highlights of big city style and sophistication. Home of the University of Michigan, as well as 113,934 people (according to the informational website, Sperling's Best Places) in 2012, Ann Arbor is the state of Michigan's sixth largest city.

With an estimated median home price tag hovering around $179,000, and an average home appreciation in 2012 or 1.74 percent, according to Sperling's, Ann Arbor is an attractive city in which to live regardless of your particular station in life. It showcases world-class research and educational institutions, a state-of-the-art research center, and peaceful, close-knit neighborhoods, containing a rich blend of ethnicities and cultures.

And if you enjoy exclusive, elegant art exhibits, live jazz performances - often given by legendary musicians - and a wide variety of museums, including the recently revamped University of Michigan Museum of Art, you should check out some of the Ann Arbor condos for sale in and around the city's spectacular downtown area.

Folks who are interested, intrigued or just plain curious about Ann Arbor condos for sale should start by making sure they understand not only the definition of condos, but also what differentiates condos from apartments or townhomes. In truth, these types of housing units share some similarities, however, knowing their differences will allow you to make smarter, more confident choices when you decide to do some serious condo shopping.

A condo, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to an apartment – however, the key difference between the two is that instead of renting an apartment, condo residents own their unit outright. Condo HOA's (Home Owner’s Associations) typically own the land on which the complex sits and the main building in which the unit exists, but the condo owner personally owns the unit they live in.  Condominiums usually offer many features that are shared equally by all of the owners, such as garden areas, swimming pools, recreational facilities or community centers.  Be sure to tour any condo complex you’re interested in, and find out about all of the amenities and opportunities available thanks to condominium ownership.

In addition to more than 30 independent book stores, all of the art galleries, museums and jazz clubs, downtown Ann Arbor condos are perfectly located to take full advantage during Michigan's warmer months, of the area's myriad street fairs and outdoor festivals. This includes the Ann Arbor Art Fair, an award-winning event. Made up of four juried outdoor art fairs, this event brings approximately 500,000 people into downtown Ann Arbor, according to the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.