Lucy Cohen Blatter

In our personal opinion, studio apartments that are essentially white square boxes tend to feel smaller and more claustrophobic than those with a little bit of charm. That's why we were particularly taken with this $2,495-a-month East Village studio co-op, complete with two decorative brick fireplaces, built-in bookshelves, and outdoor space.

Like any other close relationships, the relationship between seller and broker needs to be founded on trust, not only because you're promising 3 or more  percent of your sale price, but also because they should be watching out for your best interests.

If this week's puddle jumping and snow-drift-climbing has you dreaming of summer, you're not alone. While perusing our get-out-of-dodge options for this coming August, we discovered this beachside house in Long Island with six bedrooms and four bathrooms, and sleeps 12 (plus offers four-car parking).

Sure, this $899,000 two-bedroom condo in Park Slope is on the smaller side at 810-square-feet, but high ceilings help enlarge the feel of the place, and it has a few charming brownstone touches, including a working woodburning fireplace in the living room, bay windows, and exposed brick.

This apartment—a $2,400 one-bedroom in an elevator co-op building—is located on a quiet, tree-lined block steps from Carl Schurz Park, but is a bit of a hike (about 12 minutes) from the 4,5, and 6 subway stop.