Author My First Apartment

Seija Goldstein

Seija Goldstein is My First Condo's General Manager and occasional blogger. She is a business consultant to media companies, and a long-time shareholder in a large New York City co-op. She has survived both kitchen and hallway renovations and is about to redo couple of bathrooms.

Hello and Welcome to myfirstcondo.com

January 12, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

When you moved into your first rental, our sister site MyFirstApartment.com helped make it happen. We had advice on how to deal with bad landlords and deadbeat roommates. We showed you how to furnish your new place on a shoestring and how to manage your budget so that the rent got paid. Now that you’re an old…

What Price Condo Can You Afford on Your Income?

January 12, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

Before you step foot in an open house, you need to know how much condo you can afford. For example, if you make $50,000/year, you cannot afford a $300,000 condo, unless you have a secret trust fund. And even if you make $100k/year, a million dollar condo is way out of your league. And, if…

ARM vs. Fixed: How to Decide Which Mortgage Is For You?

January 9, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

When you start looking for your first mortgage you’ll be introduced to a whole slew of new terms and abbreviations: Conventional fixed, ARM, FHA and PMI. Get your bearings by Googling each term and checking here about mortgages in general. But, even if you know what each term means, you’ll still need to decide which…

Co-ops vs. Condos

January 9, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve finally built enough of a nest egg that buying a place is within reach. You’re not yet ready for a house in the suburbs, but you do want to live in your own apartment. Now, another decision waits. What should you look for? Co-op or Condo? And what is the difference? Actually, there are a number…

Surviving the Co-op Board Approval Process

January 6, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

Because co-op boards have the final say on whether you’ll be the proud new owner of an apartment in their building, the board review process can be totally intimidating. One way to make it smoother is to use a broker who not only knows the area, but is also familiar with the particular building in…

How to Review a Condo or Co-op’s Financials: 7 Point Checklist

January 3, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

Once you’ve found your condo or co-op, but before any money changes hands, you need to take a look at the building’s financial statements. (Your broker will be able to get a copy.) This step is important, because while you may be a financially stable person, your finances will now also be tied to your…