Posted: February 23, 2011 By: Dave Ralston
Whether you’re a cat person, a dog person or something in between you may be impacted by the “pet restrictions” that are part of your next home purchase. When pet policies are part of a home’s or condo’s rules they can affect both your personal uses and investment potential.
For instance, in the Seattle market, I heard an interesting statistic that more home owners have pets than children. Hence when a property doesn’t allow pets it is limiting those potential buyers for the home. In a more detrimental market it could negatively impact the sales price as well.
Not having pet restrictions isn’t the greatest thing either. It can be a double edged sword when an owner decides they want to raise an exotic or undomesticated critter. For example, what if your neighbor raised wolves, rodents, wild cats, roosters, large fish breeds, etc.? It could lead to unwanted noise, safety concerns, or a really bad odors! These days, the most common restrictions on condo buildings are leash requirements, limits on number of animals , and bans on aggressive breeds. All are in place for a reason and voted on by the residence in compliance with your county’s land use guidelines.
When buying your next home, please remember that real estate is meant to be a long term investment. If your “family” may be planning to grow by way of a furry or scaly friend in the next 5 years, then it’s a good idea to be aware of the current home owner’s association (HOA) rules on pets, and possibly what is being talked about in the HOA meetings.
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