I can't stress how important it is for buyers to not get too caught up in what appears to be a high maintenance fee on a condo or townhouse. I sometimes see buyers exclude a property from their search just because they think the monthly maintenance fees seem high without asking some questions on what that monthly Maint is covering.
One of the first things you need to ask if you're buying a Strata property in Richmond is if the home is on metered water. This alone can add over $70 a month to your fees. Other important questions to ask: Is it hot water heat? If it is, then heat and hot water would also be included in your monthly fee. Finally how much money is going into the contingency fund each month and what's the current balance of the CRF.  I often find that some of the best run and maintained complexes also have the highest maint fees and some of the poorest complexes that I would never sell to a client have some of the lowest.