Jennifer Laing

Modern, clean, minimalist: All white interiors are always chic (bonus: when kept tidy, they tend to make a small space appear larger, too). Since—for better or worse—most NYC apartments are delivered whitewashed (think walls, ceilings, appliances, and the like), it seems only fitting to offer a few pointers, courtesy of Apartment Therapy, for decorating around this non-color.

Finding a truly affordable apartment for a growing family in stroller-friendly Park Slope is a tall order, but at $3,650 a month, this three-bedroom, two-bath condo rental with a backyard in South Slope may just fit the bill. 

The good news? You've cleared the initial hurdles of buying a co-op and gotten to the board interview. The bad news? A few wrong answers could undo your nascent deal. Following are a few of the thorniest questions (you can check out more here)—and the most diplomatic responses you can offer:

Question: Why are you downsizing?

Before she moved to Malibu and into the Dream House (which she put on the market last year for a cool $25 mil), Barbie lived like a lot of single New Yorkers: In a small, though fabulously decorated, one-room flat, points out Inhabitat.

From choosing between co-ops and condos, to the ins and outs of financing, to shopping for the actual apartment and what to expect at the closing, there is simply a ton to learn about buying a home. First-time buyer Dorothy Robinson, who rented a Brooklyn one-bedroom with her husband and son, recently moved to the suburbs, and shared her experience of buying with Betterment.