For many buyers in San Diego, a condo can be one of the most practical ways to enter the housing market, live closer to the coast or downtown, or own a home without taking on all the maintenance that comes with a detached house. But buying a condo isn't quite the same as buying a single-family home. You're not only buying the unit itself. You're also buying into a homeowners association, sharing responsibility for a larger building or community, and accepting rules and expens