Re: How do you buy half a duplex? - Landlord Forum thread 263061

Re: How do you buy half a duplex? by Stephen (WA) on August 2, 2012 @21:26

Thank you all. Zero lot line, zoning, joint responsibilities, etc. I was thinking that I'd never want to get involved in something like this AND since your input I'm becoming more adamant about not doing anything like this. Some years ago we looked at a duplex that was on a common parking lot w/a shared driveway for another duplex. We thought that looked like a potential problem w/coordination & cooperation between the two owners. The shared duplex sounds like a similar problem only worse. Again, thank you.

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Re: How do you buy half a duplex? by Nicole (PA) on August 4, 2012 @12:09	[ Reply ]

I posted the other day about owning 1/2 of several duplexes. After reading these responses, I'm thinking perhaps the terminology is different for different areas. Mine are also called "semi-detached" and there are bazillions of them in my town - good neighborhoods and bad - new houses and old. I actually see quite a bit of new construction in this area of these types - again, it's a $$$ thing. I individually own my land and everything on it. I share NOTHING with the adjacent homeowner except a wall and a property line. Back at the beginning of the century when they were built, they had shared plumbing, wells, and septic, etc., due to costs. But throughout the years with public water and sewer, everything has been separated out in almost all houses. As someone said, many of them, especially older ones, don't always look so nice because of paint colors, landscaping, etc., but they're so common here no one notices, unless one looks REALLY nice due to coordination between the neighbors.