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Health & Fitness

Purchasing a Home in an HOA With a Couple of Doggies? Better Read the Governing Documents

Many condos and townhomes have restrictions regarding your pet's weight and also the number of pets you may have.

When we purchased our town-home here on the peninsula, we had a small dachshund mix and never thought twice about asking about pet restrictions. She was a small breed and we saw some other people with dogs during the time we previewed the home, so we just assumed it was OK.

It's not a good idea to assume your pet will be accepted, especially in a condo building. These condos often have strict guidelines to having pets. Even if the CC&R's report that you may have three pets, it often means three different types of species. For example: One small dog, a pet bird, and a cat.

Pet weight restrictions are most prevalent in a condo situation. Last summer I found the perfect condo for a prospective buyer. She has two sweet Italian Greyhounds that weigh very little, however the HOA documents clearly restricted homeowners to only one dog. She luckily found a condo shortly afterwards that had a two dog limit.

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The best advice I can give you is to investigate the CC&R's pet policy before looking at a condo. It's also a good idea to see if the surrounding neighborhood has parks and walking trails that are pet friendly.

Last, but not least.....be a responsible pet owner......while walking your most precious 4  legged family member, don't forget to pick up after.........

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