April 11, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster
From the Star Tribune today:
Condos in the metro are far more plentiful and affordable than single-family houses across the Twin Cities metro, making it a smart time to buy one and a tough time to sell one.
Reporter Jim Buchta reports that condo HOA fees are rising and stifling condo sales, a continuance of the media drumbeat that HOAs aren’t a great option. If you own a condo, he says, good luck selling it.
At a time when many single-family homes are fetching more than one offer, there are now enough condo listings in the metro to last more than four months, according to data from the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors. While that’s slightly below the five- to six-month benchmark that’s considered a healthy market, it’s more than two times longer than the supply of single-family houses, creating a golden opportunity for buyers frustrated with the persistent shortage of standalone homes.
According to the data quoted in the article from Realtor.com, the median HOA fee in the metro area in 2025 was $278, or 13% of a typical house payment. That was the 10th-highest share among the 300 largest metros in the nation and more than double the national average.
The article focuses on the barrier that the fees create for entry level buyers:
In the Twin Cities, the situation is especially vexing for entry-level buyers, especially those who want to live in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Last fall, for example, condos accounted for about three-quarters of the nearly 800 house listings priced at less than $200,000 compared to about 6% of the listings in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range.
