Diary of a First-Time Buyer

… were approved by underwriting within three weeks the good news delivered by Mary a pleasant loan coordinator from the … would prove to be my guardian angel  Finally I was in the home stretch  Or so I thought  Next Meet the board  Elle Bee … a Brooklyn apartment recounted in her biweekly column  Diary of a FirstTime Buyer Related posts My Big Fat Board …

… kabbalah devotee Karen was one of those relentlessly optimistic people whose smiley sheen concealed a polite … both Another clean slate It was raining and even with overcast skies the apartment had good light I wanted it  I … reveals why he took the coop plunge and how he basically lives for free Unraveling NY real estate spinone white lie …

… listand corresponding pricepointswent something like this … Home run … Nice lobby light top or high floor neat interior … construction Period There were too many apartments in each category to describe in detailand I never did see anything I … Over budget I head over the river  Elle Bee is a lifelong renter currently in the process of buying a Brooklyn …

… apartment in Astoria  I moved to Astoria in 2005 after my rent in Chelsea jumped to $2600 for a shoeboxsized … years  Not only was the space a bonus but the affordable rent allowed me to quit my job and start a freelance writing … careera dream always out of reach each time I wrote a rent check in Manhattan Then Astoria started getting hot and …