That’s a good question that will have multiple answers depending on your individual situation. There are no maintenance fees when it comes to freehold BUT your cost to purchase the property is higher. Freehold homes are almost always more expensive than condos. You’re responsible for all repairs in a freehold home. The roof, windows, garage door etc will all require replacement over the years. You usually don’t have to worry about those expenses in a condo. You’re responsible for maintaining the grass and shoveling your driveway and walkway in a freehold. Not in a condo. In my opinion, if you can afford it, freehold is always the better way to go. Why? The maintenance fee ALWAYS goes up. I’ve seen condos with maintenance fees so high they have a difficult time selling. A 1400 sf condo near Square One in Mississauga as an example – only $200,000 because the maintenance fees were over $1100 per month! However, if you can’t afford freehold and you really want to get into property ownership, condo is the way to go. Just pay close attention to the maintenance fees!