We've never owned a house, always owned condos or townhouses. As the youngest son and youngest grandchild, I did enough yard work in my youth to know it was not something I enjoyed. I still have the inside stuff to work on but don't have to be bothered with any exterior stuff (actually, I have four flower pots - two on the front patio and two on the rear patio - with cacti in them but they have yet to require any maintenance). I find plenty to keep me occupied on weekends without yard work or exterior maintenance (like, for instance, riding a bike).

There are downsides. There are Rules and Regulations to follow but in over two decades of ownership in three different associations, they have usually been more of a positive than a negative (but there are nightmare associtations out there so do some homework before buying - it also helps to get involved and attend board meetings or join the board).

Are there times I wished we had a "real house", yes. But they are quickly forgotten when we return from a three week vacation and catching up on all my yard work involves nothing more than a quick sweep of the patio. We had one neighbor that lived six months in our community and six months in New York. Basically just locked the door when they left and had a neighbor keep an eye on the place. Not a bad way to live IMHO.