What is a Buyer’s Broker and Should You Have One?

January 31, 2014 | By Seija Goldstein AuthorMy First Apartment

When you start looking for your first condo you hear about listing brokers and buyer’s brokers and dual agents. So, what does all of this mean to your condo search? When you visit an open house, the person who shows the apartment works on behalf of the seller. He can be the listing broker, or in legal terms the…

Buying a Condo? How to Manage Your Risk

January 20, 2014 | By Alissa Green AuthorMy First Apartment

Worried about buying a condo because it’s risky? Or, perhaps you want to know how to use real estate as a potential investment tool. Either way, there are four key areas that will affect your risk – and your reward. If you want to avoid risk – do what we suggest below. If you want to…

The Condo Purchase Timeline: How Long Will It Take?

January 11, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve decided to get into the market. And now you want to know how long until you’ve found and moved into your dream condo: a month, a year? While the time required for each step can vary significantly, we thought we’d break down the process and provide rough estimates for what you should expect. Getting…

How to Search for a Condo

January 9, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

It’s common to feel overwhelmed the first few times that you go to an open house. There are a lot of moving parts – there’s your realtor, the listing agent, the price of the condo, the building size, the parking situation, the association reserves, and so on. And you’re expected to take this all in…

Even if You Love the Condo: Five Deal Breakers

January 9, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve visited a condo three times and you’re ready to put in a serious offer. You’re excited. But then you learn a little bit more – and you realize that now you have second thoughts. What are some issues that should be deal breakers? Here are a few:There is no Condo Association in place. Yes,…

First Visit: How to Check Out the Condo Building

January 8, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

When looking for a condo for the first time, there’s a lot to consider. You may not know where to start. In fact, you need to check things out before you even set a foot inside the unit for sale. Learn about the neighborhood. Walk around the block and see if you would be happy living…

First Visit: How to Check Out the Condo Unit

January 8, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

You’re out looking at condos, perhaps for the first time. Once you’ve evaluated the neighborhood and the building of a place, it’s time to step inside the actual unit you’re interested in. When you walk into the unit, how do you feel? While you don’t need to immediately have a “Wow, this is great!” sensation, if there’s something…

The Home Inspection

January 7, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

Even after your offer is accepted, there are several steps before you actually own the condo. One of those steps is the home inspection. It’s something you arrange and it’s often treated as perfunctory or unimportant. In fact, though, the process should be taken seriously. Here are some tips and guidelines. What is a home…

How to Make an Offer on a Condo

January 6, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

So you’ve found the condo of your dreams. You’ve visited a couple of times, you’ve checked out the Association and you’re sure: this is the one you want. It’s time to put down an offer. While the process is straightforward, deciding the amount you want to offer can be a bit more complex. Have a pre-determined…

Your Condo Closing: What to Expect

January 6, 2014 | By Alex Starace AuthorMy First Apartment

For a first-time buyer the closing is fraught with anxiety. This is the moment when you’ll finally own your property, the point of no return. While this sentiment is accurate, keep in mind that the closing is usually a formality – a necessary formality, but a formality nonetheless. In other words, by the time you…