Learn from our first-time buyer's mistakes
In Case You Missed It: Every so often, BrickUnderground digs through the archives to find the best advice our experts have shared through the years.
If the higher-than-arctic temperatures are any indication, spring -- that hyper-competitive buyer’s season—will soon be here. If you’re considering jumping into the market to purchase your very first place, make sure to check out Diary of a First-Time Buyer, a series of columns that follows one newbie navigating the sometimes terrifying NYC real estate market.
Our buyer, Elle, looked at over 60 apartments, across Brooklyn and Manhattan, over two years and ended up buying a one-bedroom co-op in Washington Heights.
Learn from Elle's mistakes and pick up myriad tips, including:
- Why you’d be wise to leave your Marc Jacobs bag at home during your co-op board interview.
- Why you should never settle for anything less than exactly what you want… even if that means looking at 60+ apartments.
- How to regroup after a board interview and title search bombshells blow up your purchasing plans.
- Why you should hide all your wine before the co-op’s private investigator comes over for a home visit.
- If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again… to get a mortgage. Just because your credit union turned you down doesn’t mean you’re doomed.
For more, check out the entire 20-post Diary of a First-Time Buyer column.
Related:
What 8 first-time buyers wish they had known
One first-time buyer's grueling—but successful!—bout with all-bash bids
First-time buyer: 4 lessons from someone who’s been there
Getting it right the first time: Basic tips for apartment buyers and sellers
