ah 1400 is out of my league :(
Bronx or Brooklyn.
Bummer :(
Just pick a safe neighborhood in either boro. Think of the cost savings vs. daily security.
On a side note, I had a great time in NYC over the weekend. Sometimes I miss that city, usually when my parents are in town :)
Good Luck!
Re: Apartment Search
Sara
a couple of quick points
look at total cost impact
e.g. living closer may add to your rent bill but may cost both of you less for public transportation.
secondly if you are lookin to change jobs, what is a more central location.
Sara
a couple of quick points look at total cost impact e.g. living closer may add to your rent bill but may cost both of you less for public transportation. secondly if you are lookin to change jobs, what is a more central location.
-Midtown manhattan, has to be less than 1 hour away.
From the time we leave our homes to when we get into the office, factoring in for late buses, slow trains etc, my commute is 3 hours long, and his is 1.5.
We use public transportation and dont' have a car, so our transportation expenses are pretty fixed (well until the fares rise again :(). We already use the cheapest option, a monthly unlimited pass, so its not possible to cut down on that expense no matter how close we live to work.
Re: Apartment Search
Ok not that i want to bore anyone with the details of my apt search... but the last few ones iv'e seen... all i can say is WTH? Are some designers on drugs or something ????
More than one have had a Bathroom in the kitchen...like..EW!
Another one i saw just had a purely strange design.
the entrance leads into one room. The other room, has the kitchen attached to it.
If u leave the room with the kitchen as aliving room..that maeans the first room is the one that everyone enters through.
(maybe its just me but I like a bedroom to stay hidden)
And if u leave that 1st room as a living room, then u end up having a kitchen in the bedroom. That doesnt make sense to me...........
Re: Apartment Search
^ totally agree with some of these designs
Are you familiar with Hoboken, NJ?
I went to see a 3 bedroom condo there. You won't believe the kitchen was the size of the bathroom. Just enough for all appliances and ONE person to stand!
How ridiculous! The price was 800k! The view - it had only one window with partial waters of the Hudson and the rest was COVERED with the buildings in the front.
What are these people thinking when making these condo complexes? Gosh don't they have the needs to have a bigger kitchen?
I mean for us desi's - we need the kitchen to be one of the BIGGEST rooms after the living room! RIGHT?
Re: Apartment Search
This is getting really frustrating/annoying and i'm starting to hate craigs list.
Any other websites that are good for searching?
I've inquired about a few apartments and i get an automated email directing me to another website, directrentsource or rentdirect etc.
Normaly i ignored and deleted those emails however today I did a quick search, seems like these websites make you pay a subscription fee (usually around $100) and they send you listings tailored to your needs. the benefit is that u don't pay a broker fee.
It could be a scam but I haven't found much about it online yet.
Since everyone vehemently agrees , "NO BROKER FEES", is this a wise thing?
I haven't even begun the process of moving and I am already hating it.
Since everyone vehemently agrees , "NO BROKER FEES", is this a wise thing?
Sara - while everyone hates to pay the broker's fee - I think one must understand that they are "hiring" a broker and PAYING them FEES because of their knowledge on what's out there and in price range suitable to you.
At this time you might be thinking it's better for YOU to find the place than pay - but you already see how frustrating it is for you! You have wasted time and it seems you are getting exhausted. :( Wouldn't it have been better just to hire an agent to do the search for you?
and all you would have to do is "accept" or "reject" the property shown and only choose to go to check it out if the price range and location meets YOUR needs :)
Hiring an agent is the same as hiring an event planner for your big day! :) So you relax and let the professional handle the rest:)
Re: Apartment Search
^ Ha! actually at this point I wouldn't paying it just so we can move on and get this thing over with. but then u know...ppl think ure an idiot or naive or stupid if you do (insecure and crazy...oh yea)
I checked out reviews on those websites, i think ill stay away from them at this point. Only reason being, paying a brokers fee = you get something tangible, something thats in your hands already...paying the subscription fee, while may be smaller = seems to carry a bigger risk, that the landlords wont talk to you, u just have 'options"...and nothing tangible.
Re: Apartment Search
are u sure its a brokers fee and not a bond?
Re: Apartment Search
oK well we finally decided on one place..... filled out the application, got approved for it etc..
now today someone was telling me about her bad apartment search story....she said that when she turned on the faucet, all the water was brown...her landlord was going ape-crazy on her etc. She said she ended up losing $1000+ (the real estate fee i guess), and it hadn't even occurred to me to check that out!
So i'm going again tomorrow to check everything out (we've already looked at neighborhood, street, buliding itself, amenities, rent, expenses, and transportation).
i did a quick search online, and some of hte things check out are:
-the toilets and faucets and other appliances
-cabinets and closets and walls for any scratches, punches, holes, marks etc.
-the windows in the living room lead to a fire escape so how will we have an AC in there?
-is there a roach and mice problem (ok how do I figure that out???)
-check how many outlets there are
-garbage and laundry facilities
-cable and internet ready?
-is there a super ready 24/7?
anything else i am missing ?
oK well we finally decided on one place..... filled out the application, got approved for it etc..
now today someone was telling me about her bad apartment search story....she said that when she turned on the faucet, all the water was brown...her landlord was going ape-crazy on her etc. She said she ended up losing $1000+ (the real estate fee i guess), and it hadn't even occurred to me to check that out!
So i'm going again tomorrow to check everything out (we've already looked at neighborhood, street, buliding itself, amenities, rent, expenses, and transportation).
i did a quick search online, and some of hte things check out are:
-the toilets and faucets and other appliances -cabinets and closets and walls for any scratches, punches, holes, marks etc. -the windows in the living room lead to a fire escape so how will we have an AC in there? ** -is there a roach and mice problem (ok how do I figure that out???)** -check how many outlets there are -garbage and laundry facilities -cable and internet ready? -is there a super ready 24/7?
anything else i am missing ?
try to move stove in the kitchen if there are any hidden they will come out...
Re: Apartment Search
haye allah 
mice i can live wiht, roaches…
well…i have been to an apartment where roaches roam freely with the tenants 
… i have been here twice and never saw any roach or mice…so thats a good indication that theres no pest control issue is there ?
Re: Apartment Search
yes if the appartment is empty and u didnt saw any roach or ant that means it roach free...cos i remember we went to look for an appartment and roaches were in bathroom and kitchen cabinets...