Buying a condo sight unseen

Last July, a third-floor condo apartment was listed for sale. It is a small condo building. The bottom floor is a commercial unit that contains a law office that has a separate entrance on the left side of the building. The residental units are above.

The unit looks great and the price and condo fees seemed reasonable.

A double-sink bathroom seems a bit overdone.

There is a roof-top lounge. The best part of it is that it is private and it is not down on the street level.

There is an outdoor parking lot. It is surrounded by a four-foot steel fence with an automatic sliding gate.

The listed boasted the the condo has a great location as it is located downtown and is within walking distance to office buildings, great shopping, bars and restaurants and small businesses. It also stated that there was a secure front entrance.

All of that is true.

The downside

Over 240 white crosses as a memorial of the deaths by drug overdoses.
(One block east of the condo)

What was not said is that the downtown is plagued with drug addictions and has open drug dealing on the streets, discarded needles all over, car break-ins, street beggers and petty theft.

Addicts one block east of the condo

Addicts two blocks west of the condo

The city’s homeless shelter is a half-block down the street and there are at least two methadone clinics a short walk from the condo. The steel fence was installed to protect the cars from thieves and to help prevent discarded needles and human waste littering the parking lot. A secure front entrance is very important in this area.

Addicts two blocks south of the condo

The lesson here is to know the neighbourhood that you are thinking of moving to. Drive to the area and take a good look around. Sudbury is a great city to live in but I would not recommend living in the downtown core.