As I show Midtown Atlanta condos on a daily basis, I’m almost always assured to be asked the question, Is there guest parking in Midtown Condos? The answer to that question is NOT a simple Yes, or No. More like…Maybe? Or depends on the building?

Midtown Atlanta Condos | Is There Guest Parking In Midtown Condos?

Probably the best answer IS it depends on the building. Some of the Midtown Atlanta Condo buildings have paid retail parking space, which allows for your guests to park in the retail parking area, for a fee. One building in particular, 1010 Midtown does NOT allow this. Visit a few of the restaurants in the 12th and Midtown area, and decide to take a cab home to avoid a DUI? You’ll find a $150 boot on your car the next morning. (Very unfortunate and really don’t understand why they do this?) Yet another building, Plaza Midtown has NO guest parking. All of the retail parking is just that…for retail, and there is no overnight parking allowed either.

Buildings like Metropolis, Spire and Viewpoint have the paid retail parking. Park Central DOES have guest spaces, available on a first-come, first-served basis. But at least they have them, and they are free.

So you say, there must be a better way? Indeed, you see all these parking lots around Midtown, but they too cost money, and may not be all that secure for an overnight stay. So along comes SpotShare!

SpotShare, developed back in 2003, is an online parking registration site that can be used by condominium residents. It allows residents to donate and request parking spaces in their own building’s residential parking area. Imagine, you have a 2 bedroom condo with 2 spaces, but only one car. You can offer up that extra parking space when you are sure you won’t need it, and help out a neighbor! How cool is that? And really, this can be a life-saver for many of our Midtown Atlanta condo residents.

If your Midtown Atlanta condo building does not offer SpotShare, mention it to your Property Manager or a Board Member. There is a cost to the association (I’m not sure how much) but not only will it make your life a bit easier for you AND your guests, it is a great selling tool when you are looking to sell your condo!!

As a real estate agent, I’m expected to know a lot.

After all, you’ve decided to come to me to help you with one of your biggest financial investments…buying a Midtown Atlanta condo. And  one of the questions often centers around parking spaces. Parking Spaces in Midtown Atlanta Condos…Do They Really Matter?

Yes.

When purchasing a Midtown Atlanta condominium, the “standard” is one parking space per bedroom. The parking space does not belong to the condominium unit itself, but is a limited common element of the entire building, and is assigned to your specific unit. But there are exceptions to this rule, and the “standard” may not apply.

The biggest challenge falls when you purchase a two-bedroom condominium, and it only has ONE ASSIGNED parking space. This brings up that phrase from the Apollo movie, “Houston, we have a problem.” Now you, the Buyer might say, “It’s ok, I only have one car.” Well, that may be fine for you, but as your Buyer’s Agent I’m going to be talking to you about RESALE!!!! One parking space may not be a problem for you, but when you go to sell, and that next Buyer is looking for a two-bedroom with 2 parking spaces, your home just became more difficult to sell.

I dislike the overused phrase, “trust me” but in this case, trust me.

Case in point. I just lost a rental listing I had in a Midtown high rise building. Really a beautiful home…all new hardwoods, bathrooms and kitchen all remodeled…beautiful. 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. It was on the second floor, which I’m sure was a deterrent (that’s another subject) but….you guessed it…..ONE PARKING SPACE. I can’t tell you how many times I showed that condo, and got asked, “But we have two cars, where do we park the second car?”

 Parking Spaces in Midtown Atlanta Condos | Do They Really Matter?

YES!