Being it's a condo, I'm guessing you don't own the pipes or the space between floors, I'd make the HOA aware of *their* problem and demand they do something about it, it's a health hazard if their plumbing system is allowing sewer gas into your unit.

we hire a property manager when we PCS to manage the properties.My lessons learned:Avoid HOAs -- they eat into your profits and generally have rules on the tenants that you are not there to enforce.Shop around for PMs -- some will offer great deals, but will also nickle and dime you to death.Take a good look at the repairs you will need to do before you PCS and budget for the work between you and the intial renters (after you have established the new Primary residence).

My net worth is sub 100k and do not want to throw 20k+ at my first investment (I also read this is a common mistake made by new investors).Came across a short sale, numbers below: List Price: $55k Taxes: ~$350/month Median Rent: $1400 (rentometer) HOA fee: 190/monthAnd took some actionable steps towards purchasing this property.1.

THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN REKEYED TO A MASTER KEY CODE AND IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE BUYER CHANGE ALL THE LOCKS AFTER CLOSING.BUYER HAS PERSONALLY VIEWED THE INTERIOR OF THE PROPERTY WITH THEIR AGENT PRIOR TO PLACING THIS OFFER.BUYER ACCEPTS THE PROPERTY WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT ANY HOA OR CONDO ASSOCIATION FEES ARE APPROXIMATE AND NOT GUARANTEED.

We submit all offers that way, even if the buyer doesn't truly need it, as the buyer can then "kick that money back in" toward things the lender won't pay, portions of second mortgages, liens, enough HOA back dues, etc.

That at least translates into spending HOA money and perhaps a special assessment.

This is a short sale property and the numbers are below:List Price: $55kTaxes: ~$350/monthMedian Rent: $1400 (rentometer)HOA fee: 190/monthFrom the pictures it looks like this property is in renting condition (freshly remodeled).

But the HOA is just another piece of the maintenance expense.

I know some PM use the rent to pay HOA first.

Try to fill in the rest of the numbers to see if it is a deal with the above value.I don't know what the HOA covers but in my experience it looks low.