Obviously HOA fees are usually pretty outrageous when compared to properties where there is no HOA or it's a typical SFR neighborhood with typical HOA dues for things like cutting the grass in common areas, or servicing the neighborhood pool. 

I would compare the rates they give you with other quotes and see which gives you the best combination of coverage and price.

Bryce, the cost savings from managing your property yourself will never compare to the potential discounts and opportunities you can unlock with the right connections and focus through a good property manager.

However, when you weigh that against the reduced maintenance and energy savings, it can balance out.Longer Lease-Up Time: New construction properties might take a bit longer to lease up compared to established neighborhoods, especially if the area is still developing.5.

What should I be careful about compared to buying an existing property, and are there any key differences? 

The metrics for occupancy / income from 2020-21 are not going to be comparable to what's going on now in the area in my opinion.

Then I compared fees and found its too expensive.

Here are our pt Loma unit about 1 mile from the beach for a comparison to see how it compares to your potential purchase.   

We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

I would watch out for caveats with the strategy, and double check it of course, but I think this is just a "pull out excel" type of solution and compare the ways to go about it.