HOA and build costs rising
Owning a home is getting pricier beyond mortgage rates — HOA fees are up nearly 30% since the pandemic, which is squeezing household budgets for condo and planned‑community owners (the-independent.com). Abroad, builders warn that a new Australian code could add as much as A$55,000 to Canberra home builds, a reminder that policy and codes can suddenly shift renovation and construction costs (batemansbaypost.com.au).
A home can get more expensive even after you lock in the mortgage. In the United States, the median monthly condo fee rose 29% from 2019 to 2025, reaching $420, while median homeowners association fees for single-family homes rose 26% to $63. (independent.co.uk) Those charges are showing up on more listings too. Realtor.com said 40.5% of homes for sale in 2024 had a nonzero homeowners association fee, up from 39.2% a year earlier, with the median listed fee rising to $125 a month from $110. (mediaroom.realtor.com) The pattern is strongest in the kinds of homes many first-time buyers are pushed toward. Realtor.com found 83.8% of condo listings and 69.9% of new-build listings in 2024 came with homeowners association dues, compared with 33.6% of existing single-family homes. (mediaroom.realtor.com) That means the “cheaper” home on the listing page can carry a second monthly bill for the life of ownership. The Wall Street Journal reporting cited by The Independent says owners can also get hit with special assessments for big repairs, which turns a routine fee into a surprise invoice. (independent.co.uk) By March 2026, Axios reported that 43.6% of United States listings in 2025 carried homeowners association fees. The fee is no longer a niche condo quirk in a few resort towns; it is attached to nearly half the homes many buyers now scroll through. (axios.com) A similar squeeze is showing up on the construction side in Australia, before anyone even gets keys. Builders in Canberra said changes tied to the 2025 National Construction Code could add between A$14,000 and A$55,000 to new builds, depending on the project. (mba.org.au) The National Construction Code is Australia’s baseline rulebook for how buildings are designed and built. The Australian Capital Territory government says the 2025 edition adds stronger energy-efficiency rules for commercial buildings, better waterproofing and drainage standards, more condensation and mould controls in new homes, and updated fire-safety provisions. (planning.act.gov.au) Canberra is not switching all at once. The Australian Capital Territory says projects approved from May 1, 2026 to May 1, 2027 can follow either the 2022 code or the 2025 code, but after that the new standard becomes the only path. (planning.act.gov.au) That transition period is why builders are fighting now instead of later. Master Builders Australian Capital Territory said the one-year delay helps, but warned that higher materials costs, fuel costs, and borrowing costs are already straining builders and buyers before the code changes fully bite. (mba.org.au) Put the two stories together and the pressure point is obvious. In one market the extra cost arrives as a monthly homeowners association bill after purchase, and in the other it arrives as a larger construction budget before the home is finished. (independent.co.uk) (planning.act.gov.au)
