u/NovaPrime_RR

Installing LVP in our house, plywood underlayment probably needs some levelling prior to installing the floors. Looking for a recommendation for someone who can do the levelling, or possibly full flooring installation if we opt to not DIY. Thanks!

Looking for some advice, if this isn't the best place to ask please let me know.

My fiancee and I currently live in a townhouse in BC. Purchased in 2021 for $640K, mortgage renewal coming up end of September. We've been considering selling our townhouse and purchasing a freehold single family home as we have not been happy with paying into strata fees that have not benefited us very much and have been steadily going up in price (was ~$300/month when we moved in, increased by 50% over 5 years to $450/month).

We also knew that at some point soon the roofs of the buildings were going to need to be replaced. Even though our house was built in 2009, it turned out that the construction was not well done on most of the units (ours was fine as per the inspection we had done prior to purchase, but there are 17 other buildings in the strata) and some units were now getting leaks. Due to poor management of the original strata members after the construction was completed, the original contractors have been allowed to "wash their hands of the situation" and are no longer on the hook for any structural issues. We were hoping to be able to move before the strata began the process of replacing the roofs, but now we've been notified that there is a vote coming this month to pass a special levy of just over $24,000 per unit (nearly $1.7M total) to replace all of the roofs, either as a lump-sum or payments of about $3000 per quarter for 2 years.

Now we're stuck with many questions and unsure how to move forward.

1. Should we vote Yes to either the $24K lump sum payment or the $3000 quarterly payments? It's not a "one or the other" situation, both options CAN be voted down, but I have no idea what the alternative would be if both votes fail. There's an upcoming meeting where I hope they'll be able to clarify this. I have read about stratas finding ways to essentially "force" the levy to be paid if the alternative would mean that our units would not qualify for insurance due to the roof conditions.
2. Should the lump sum payment option pass, how will this affect our house's value? We have the cash on hand to pay it since we've been saving for the down payment on a new house, but we'd have to save for longer again to get that money back for the down payment. Would the fact that there is a brand new roof increase the value of the home enough to make it worthwhile to just pay it and be done with it?
3. Should the quarterly payment option pass, will these payments need to be made by the new owner, or will we still be on the hook for these payments even after we move? I feel like if someone is shopping for a new home and they find out they'll need to commit to an extra $1000/month in addition to the regular $450/month strata fees for a new roof, they'll certainly place a lower offer on the house to balance this, or not be interested at all. I'm worried it will turn away prospective buyers right away.
4. If other home owners in our strata simply cannot afford the $24K lump sum or quarterly payments, and one of the two votes pass, will they be likely to instead sell their home (possibly at a loss), which will then flood the market with townhouses from the same strata, thereby lowering the prices of each of them due to neighbours competing with each other? Plus prospective buyers will certainly see red flags over many units in the same strata all selling at once. I know most people here would probably think "that's what emergency funds are for, they'll just pay the levy if they have to", but don't doubt how incredibly unprepared many families are for situations like this; not everyone puts as much thought into their personal finances as people who read this subreddit are and would not be able to afford suddenly paying $24K or an extra $3000 every 3 months.
5. Does all of this situation make it the wrong time for us to sell? Should we instead invest the money we have saved for the new home down payment (minus the $24K), stay in our current home for 2 more years until the roof is fully paid off, THEN look at selling? I hate the idea of continuing to spend $450/month (which will be more next year, and more the year after) on Strata fees that do very little for us, but we're not in any real rush to move, other than our 5-year mortgage period is up in September.

It's been a stressful situation for us so I would really appreciate some advice. Thanks!

Edit: Some additional info:

The Strata has had an independent roof inspector do a thorough inspection, one that would not be financially benefiting from any roof work being done. I have a copy of this inspection report (though I don't understand all of it as I'm not familiar with this kind of work).

The Strata also sent out communication to all owners a few days ago saying that they have been notified of owners approaching roofing companies to try to get quotes themselves, and they have asked us to not do this as "all information provided regarding roofing quotes and inspections is confidential and not to be shared without strata consent". Are they just trying to control things themselves, or are they in the right to ask us to not get quotes ourselves? Is there anything stopping me from bringing the independent inspection report (or even the one written quote we've been provided with so far) to a roofing company and asking for a quote on the work needed?