I have had different boats for over 30 years but have never had a garage to put them in so they have always been parked outside. I have had room to park them along the side of my houses but I have also had to bend over to the HOA and be creative in finding solutions. In Arizona this is really hard on the boat and covers. So I have developed an extreme case of garage envy that just gets worse and worse with every post and picture that I see on here of a garage.
A few years ago a couple of developers around the Phoenix area started building these "Storage Condos" where you buy and own your own garage. Originally I looked at them and said that no way am I paying $100/sq. ft. for a section of a metal building. With all real estate in the tank right now and having two boats to find places for, I started looking again and the cost while still over priced, is now in the range of being considered ($65/sf). There is a place that would be fairly convenient for me, so that I can pick it up on the way to and from the lake. I am looking at a 22'x45' unit that is 16' height clear, with an 18' wide by 14' high door, you get a single 20A. outlet, and a light. There is no heating or cooling, each unit is just vented. There are hose bibbs spread around outside, a wash area, dump station, and a common area with rest rooms and showers. All units have a 60' drive in front of them, so parking is easy. Security is top notch with keypad entry, 28 cameras, and every unit is alarmed. They have never had graffitti much less a break-in.
Have any of you done this or aware of any problems, etc? The annual HOA fee is $350 to cover power, water, security, maintenance, etc. Property taxes will be close to $1000/yr.
|