• Diary of a First-Time Buyer

    A newbie navigates the NYC real estate market

    Latest "Diary of a First-Time Buyer" Articles

Diary of a First-Time Buyer: 13 lessons learned after 60+ apartments, 2 attorneys, 3 brokers and 2 board applications

by Elle Bee | 8/05/13 - 9:57 AM

After two years of on-and-off again looking at 60+ apartments, two attorneys, three brokers, and two co-op board applications, what did I learn? Here are a few takeaways I am happy to share......

Closing time: On June 27, 2013, I finally became a co-op owner

by Elle Bee | 7/15/13 - 12:34 PM
There are a few dates in my life that I’ll always remember: Oct. 2, 1987, when I quit smoking; Dec. 16, 1997, the day I met a boy I was crazy about for about 10 years; and Dec. 15, 2003, the...

My co-op board interview: Sometimes you need to leave the Marc Jacobs bag at home

by Elle Bee | 6/17/13 - 10:22 AM

Once I received notice of the loan approval from my lender, my life...

Another co-op board package, and a commitment letter countdown

by Elle Bee | 5/29/13 - 8:58 AM

Like any girl with a new beau, after my “second date” with my new...

The two most beautiful words a mortgage applicant can hear

by Elle Bee | 5/06/13 - 1:42 PM

At this point in my apartment-buying career—and yes at times it has felt like a full-time job—I began coming around to the idea that hope looks through a blind eye.

With so many obstacles in...

Hell is applying for a mortgage...as a self-employed writer

by Elle Bee | 4/22/13 - 11:41 AM

The joy of finding another place to buy in such short order—after three days of...

Elle makes a deal

by Elle Bee | 4/08/13 - 2:10 PM

It was a happy accident that Sidney, my broker, suggested we return to...

With Brooklyn behind me, I head toward Hudson Heights

by Elle Bee | 3/25/13 - 10:42 AM

Within a couple of months after the Brooklyn apartment fiasco, I decided to stop pouting and...

To pick up the pieces, shut off your Trulia alerts and go on the rebound

by Elle Bee | 2/25/13 - 3:03 PM

Finding, securing and losing an apartment, I decided, was a lot like running. It takes forever to build up to a five-mile run, and it takes one week of inactivity to lose all you've gained. ...

After the board interview, a title search bombshell

by Elle Bee | 2/11/13 - 2:12 PM

Once I recovered from the co-op board interview and the gamut of...

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