Alone In A 32-Story Condo Tower, One Family Wants Out
Filed under: Real Estate Developments
Does living in a luxury condo tower all by yourself sound like fun? One New Jersey family doesn't see it that way. Victor Vangelakos and his family bought a condo in the Oasis I condo tower in Fort Myers, Florida and are the sole residents. The family paid $430,000 to purchase the condo from The Related Group for $430,000 and closed on it in November. Vangelakos planned to use it as a second home and eventually retire there.Th real estate market slump in Florida hit this building hard and many who put down deposits opted not to complete the deal. Others who did have swapped their units for ones in the more populated Oasis II next door. But Vangelakos couldn't get his lender to agree to the swap. Vangelakos described life in the condo to the Fort Myers News-Press depicting an existence where an eerie quiet is broken up by occasional night break-ins in the darkened building. Vangelakos wants out of building. He hasn't filed a lawsuit yet but his attorney points out that The Related Group hasn't come through on the marina, pro shop and other promised amenities. As for Related's side, they say that it's up to him to work out a deal with his lender to transfer the mortgage to a unit in Oasis II. His money went to Related's lender, not the company itself so Related would have to pay off the mortgage to get the money back. In this case both the buyer and the seller are in a bit of a tough spot.
