Both condos and co-ops can be wise housing choices if they are selected after careful deliberation and preparation. The condo, however, because it is real estate and is owned free and clear without the strings of a corporation, comes out ahead. However, the region of the country you live in will play a big part in this choice. In New York City, for example, there are far more cooperatives than condominiums. There are a number of them in Washington, D.C., too, where no one blinks at buying a co-op. Nevertheless, for the best investment appreciation and greatest ease of selling, depending on that all-important factor of location, both come out behind the single-family house.