Nate T - Property taxes in CA are ~1.25% of the purchase price to start and subject to very small annual adjustments, based on assessed value increases. Thank you, Prop. 13.
Re: HOA, have your landlord provide copies of the board minutes for the past year and READ them. Things are not always as they seem, particularly in the case of aging infrastructure or deferred maintenance. Find out who is on the board and talk to as many of them as possible. As to pre-qual, I'm sure there are online calculators to give you a general idea.
Finally, and this the most important: Trust Zillow for nothing but entertainment and history. They are notoriously bad at predicting future sale prices.
Since today's Sunday, if you can, get out to all of the open houses for condos in your area. Check the paper, look online and just cruise the neighborhood. Talk to the realtors, chat with the other lookers. In my area, lenders often sit on open houses for agents, so you might meet someone who can help with money questions. All of this will help you get a better feel for the market. Repeat and repeat until you are sure this is a good deal for you.
jmoney - Oranges and cumquats to compare Ohio to CA. Since property is so expensive here, condos do just fine overall, as they provide an entry into the market. Sure a single family home might appreciate a tiny bit more over longer periods of time, but they cost you more and are generally more work to maintain.
And please don't mention what 200k would buy in Ohio, because it's well, Ohio, and OP doesn't live there.