Do You Need An Extra Bedroom?

May 30, 2017 | By Sarah Lamb AuthorMy First Apartment

Condo hunting will bring a lot of options to consider. If you have extra money to spend on payments each month, one of those options may be choosing a place with an extra bedroom, whether that means you choose a 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom. But, do you really need the spare space, or would the cash be…

7 Things You Need To Know About Rent-To-Own Condos

May 10, 2017 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

Home sales are still below the peak reached before the housing bubble burst in 2008, due to rising housing prices and interest rates and unstable economies that have left many potential homeowners saddled with external debt and unable to qualify for a mortgage. This trend is likely to continue, as many Millennials are still reluctant…

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…

I’m Shopping for My First Condo – And I’m Only 20!

April 29, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Stiebritz. I’m 20 years old and I live in a rural area in upstate New York. I am currently working full time at a daycare center as the supervisor and I am going to my local community college where I am studying elementary education. I have a 2-year old…

How to Succeed Buying in a Competitive Condo Market

March 16, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Dan Bergman In a competitive housing market, homes sell fast, often within a day or two. To succeed in purchasing your dream condo, you’ll need to move quickly as well. While that may sound intimidating, there are several steps you can take to make sure you move with confidence as well as speed. Get…

What You Need to Know About Condo Shopping in the Winter

January 22, 2015 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Dan Bergman Traditionally, the winter is a no man’s land in residential real estate. There are fewer homes on the market, and fewer home shoppers. And it makes sense: Between the rush of the holidays and the inclement weather, shopping for a condo in the winter can be difficult. That said, some people do…

What’s Fair for Your HOA Dues?

November 20, 2014 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

By Ali Donoghue What do Homeowners Association (HOA) dues, insurance premiums and car payments have in common? No one particularly likes them, but everyone recognizes their necessity. And everyone wants to pay less. But, before you howl that your HOA dues are too high, you need to understand what causes dues to be higher and…

How to Check If Your Condo Has a Criminal Past

October 1, 2014 | By Contributors AuthorMy First Apartment

A version of this post by James White was originally posted by MyFirstApartment.com It’s the spooky time of the year again, so let’s take a look at another one of condo buyer’s nightmares – unknowingly purchasing a place with a criminal past. Yes, it can and does happen with rentals as well as sales. The…

Bloggers Wanted!

August 18, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

My First Condo wants to hire two bloggers who are looking to buy their first condo or co-op. We’d like you to write about the whole process, from the start of the search through closing. You should plan to write updates about your progress at least couple of times a month. We pay $30 a post. If you…