Infographic: 50 Ways to Save Energy

May 31, 2016 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Justin Barisich The beauty of condo living is that you get the benefits of both home ownership and apartment renting. You have a prime location in the area of your choice, community living with nearby neighbors, a reduction of unused space and costs, and most of the unwanted home chores taken care of by…

Condo Owner’s Dilemma: How to Deal with Problem Neighbors

March 9, 2016 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Emily Harper Are you having problems with your new condo neighbor? Unlike in a rental, moving out at the end of the lease is not an option so you have to learn to deal with the problem neighbor. If left unresolved, neighbor issues can make everyone’s life stressful but many new condo owners may…

How to Prepare Emotionally for Buying Your First Condo

February 15, 2016 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Dan Bergman Buying a condo or co-op is exciting, but there’s also a deeply emotional element to the process, especially for first-time buyers. However, if you know what to expect, you’ll be better able to deal with the ups and downs. Here’s how I counsel my clients. Prepare to Compromise Keep in mind that…

7 Easy Tricks to Give Your Condo a Budget Facelift for Spring

February 7, 2016 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Alisa Helly Thinking of sprucing up your home for spring? We are here to help you do so on budget with a few simple but effective tricks. 1. Rearrange Your Furniture and Accessories One of the best ways to better your home is by smartly rearranging the stuff you already have. Begin by piling…

Buying a Condo: How to Start Your Research Online

September 28, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Ali Donoghue Contrary to what you may have heard, real estate isn’t immune to the information age. Beyond cat memes and up-to-the-second sports scores, the internet offers access to information that previously was not easily available to home buyers. For example, my brokerage, Redfin, has a website with home listings updated every 15 minutes…

How Much Should Interest Rates Affect Your Decision to Buy?

July 29, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Ali Donoghue Like it or not, if you need a mortgage to buy a condo, you need to understand interest rates. Your interest rate – together with the size of the the loan – determines the amount of monthly payments when you take out a mortgage on your home. So, for example, if you…

When is the Best Season to Buy a Condo?

July 1, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Brian Cargerman When is the best time to buy? It’s a question that first-time buyers ask a lot, but one that can be overemphasized. If you don’t have your financials in order, there’s no good season to buy. That said, as a secondary consideration, seasonality can be important. While I’ve always felt that for…

Fail! How my Condo Purchase Fell Through

June 15, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Sarah Stiebritz When I first entered into this journey of buying my own place, never did I think it was going to be this stressful. In my last post I talked about seeing dozens of places and just waiting for the perfect place to come along. Well, I finally found the perfect condo and…

If You Can’t Qualify for a Mortgage, Should You Ask for a Mortgage Co-Signer?

June 1, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Dan Bergman What do you do if you want to buy a home, but you can’t find a lender to extend you a loan? It’s a question some young condo buyers face. One option many initially-snubbed buyers turn to is getting a co-signer. It works this way: a co-signer is a person who takes…

Planning to Sell? These Small DIY Projects Increase the Value of Your Condo

May 10, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By: Danielle Hegedus If you are thinking about putting your condo on the market soon, you may want to start exploring simple renovations that you can do yourself, with minimal expense, to increase the value of your condo and its appeal to prospective buyers. Most realtors will tell you that the kitchen and the bathroom…