A family I recently met started to seriously consider their options after receiving a repair estimate for their air conditioning, which suddenly stopped in the middle of summer. They were told that they needed to replace the entire air conditioning compressor in their single-family home, which would cost thousands of dollars, and they also learned that it was time to address the roof. To simplify the question this couple posed: should they continue to maintain their single-family home, or should they move to a townhome or condo and include these large expenses in their monthly fees?

When you lay out the two options side by side, the differences become clear. In a single-family home, the homeowner is responsible for all maintenance, including the roof, air conditioning, plumbing, and yard, and costs can come as a lump sum at any time. In contrast, townhomes or condos often include exterior maintenance, roofing, and common area management in the monthly HOA fees, making expenses more predictable. However, this means that fixed monthly costs will increase.

Looking at the HOA rates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, single-family home communities range from $55 to $160 per month, while master-planned communities with pools and fitness centers can cost between $200 and $400 per month. Townhomes average between $200 and $300 per month, and condos often exceed $400 (based on data from Bay Management Group Texas and dustinpitts.com. Since specific statistics for Fort Worth are not available, this is explained based on the entire Dallas-Fort Worth metro area).

In simpler terms, while condo fees may seem high, they already include significant expenses like roof replacement or exterior painting. Conversely, single-family homes may appear to have lower regular maintenance costs, but if major issues like air conditioning or roofing arise, homeowners could face thousands of dollars in expenses in a single year.

Heating and cooling costs also need to be considered. The average electric bill in the Fort Worth area is around $260 per month, with a rate of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour (according to EnergySage). Due to the Texas summer heat, cooling often accounts for a significant portion of the electric bill, meaning that single-family homes with larger cooling areas and older insulation may face even higher costs.

If the term property tax is unfamiliar, think of it this way: Texas has no income tax, so it collects revenue through property taxes. The effective property tax rate in Tarrant County, where Fort Worth is located, is 1.47% (according to SmartAsset). If you are over 65, you can deduct $140,000 for the general homestead exemption and an additional $60,000 for the over-65 exemption from the school property tax assessment, and the school property tax is frozen based on the year you turn 65 (based on the passage of SB23 in November 2025).

Ultimately, which option is right depends on the age of the systems in the home you currently live in and whether you can afford to handle large repair costs each year. This family was able to determine their direction only after calculating potential future expenses for roofing and plumbing work that might arise within the next ten years, prompted by the air conditioning replacement estimate.

To put it another way, after retirement, income often shifts to a fixed amount from pensions or savings withdrawals. In such cases, a structure where a set amount is spent each month is much easier to manage than one where thousands of dollars can suddenly appear every few years. While the HOA fees for townhomes or condos may seem burdensome at first, in the long run, they can provide the stability of predictability.

• Single-family home - responsible for major repairs like roofing, air conditioning, plumbing, potential large expenses, low HOA
• Townhome - HOA manages exterior, roofing, $200-$300 monthly HOA, easy to predict expenses
• Condo - most maintenance included in fees, HOA over $400, single-level living possible

The prices and costs mentioned in this article are based on the time of verification and may vary by community or county. This is not investment or legal advice, and it is recommended to consult with a professional before making any actual contracts.