October 11, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster
We recently did a Pop Up Survey that revealed condominium owners are paying the highest monthly assessments in Minnesota, averaging more than $640 per month (and that’s with a statistically small number of condo owners responding). No real surprise but many HOA owners are scrutinizing their assessments more and more as costs continue to increase across the board.
Some condo stories from other states catch my eye, like this one from Portland, OR. You think your condo’s HOA fee is bad?
From Oregon Live:
Owner David Routt originally bought a one-bedroom Ritz-Carlton Portland condo but upgraded for more room and a corner view. The homeowners fee for his three-bedroom condo is $3,724, and he said the added space makes his vacation home better suited to host his family.
Granted this is coming from the posh Ritz Carlton tower, which has unobstructed views of the Cascade mountains and Willamette River, an on-call staff, an in-house day spa and fine dining. This is definitely a destination type place and likely serve as second (or third?) homes for those with, let’s say, extra levels of disposable income. But those monthly fees are nearly as high as the building is tall.
Kerns of Keller Williams Sunset Corridor said the indoor pool with skyline views was the strongest selling point. “My client previously owned a home with a pool,” he said. “The cost to maintain a pool is not cheap.”
Those pools. No matter where you are, they will eat up your HOA budget real quick. Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals…
This particular Portland property is purported to be 55% higher priced than the average rate of $0.84 per square foot for luxury high-rises in that city. The amenities are driving the cost. No mention of insurance in this article.
You can read sky-high story HERE.
