Virginia K. Smith

A Bed-Stuy triplex with not one but two kitchens, old school fireplaces, and access to shared a backyard sounds like a pretty good bargain for $4,850, a drop from its original asking price of $5,400. But the listing's mention of "5.6" bedrooms (two of them are unexplained "half-bedrooms") makes it a little unclear just how many people can realistically share this place, and thus, what you'd end up paying in rent. 

No one's exactly dying to add more items to their to-do list in the middle of a move, but in a blog post earlier this week, Zillow made a pretty compelling case for putting together something called a "home inventory checklist" before packing up the U-Haul (or calling the movers). 

It can be tough to get the real lowdown on an apartment before you actually move in--noisy neighbors and vermin have a way of revealing themselves after you've signed the lease and handed over a security deposit. The founders of Address Report are banking on the idea that an easy-to-use online database of apartment info is worth paying for. 

Apartment upgrades that won't mess up your relationship with the landlord (Apartment Therapy)

13 ways to avoid getting burned by a bad contractor (Trulia)