LIWeddings.com
Post New Topic

beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Original post by Espo22

ok we have been looking ALOT online and said we have to go see places in person and that this process can take so long and we'll probably see tons of apartments. When i bought years ago, must've seen at least 20 apartments and theres always something wrong and ppl are just filthy and dont keep up their apartments.

Ok well yesterday we went to see an apartment. FH and i got there early and the real estate agent was late so we were outside for a bit. The block is real nice, across the street are all these mansion type houses that ive seen how much they cost online , and up the block is forest park which has a golf course, horse back riding and much more. Now we see another couple outside waiting and fh asked if they're seeing it too and i said there were 3 other apartments for sale in the building so theyre probably seeing another one. Well the agent shows up and NO they were seeing the same apartment which PISSED me off bc an agent is not supposed to do this. My phone conversations with her i got a bad impression and when i saw this i gave FH a look and was pissed and told him shes not supposed to do this. She called me that morning to reschedule it at 2pm but i told her i was taking my grandmother to the dentist at 1pm and wont be back in time so now i know why.

Anyways we get inside the apartment and WOW. When you walk in theres a big foyer with parquet floors that were so nice and so clean you could eat off the floor. You walk a little bit and the kitchen is to the left and its wide and very long, new cabinets and has a table at the end for 2, again it was so clean. You walk a bit more and to the left is the bathroom. Love the floors and the walls and it a long bathroom with lots of room and again so clean. You walk further down the hall and to the left is the bedroom, very spacious and it has a walk in closet which is what fh was looking for hahaha. The on the other side of the apartment, right side of the foyer is the living room, very spacious, he had a huge sectional couch with other chairs and even had a desk behind the coach, so there was alot of room. Then theres a big archway into another room and it almost same size as the living room and there was a big dining room table, an armoire, he had a small couch and a lazy boy on one side. So the space is so great for entertaining. The thing was the listing is advertised as 2 bedrooms so the other couple didnt like that and left right away. We asked too about the 2nd bedroom advertised and the agent told us that it was 2 bedrooms but the guy who owns the apartment knocked down a wall and thats why theres a big living room that goes right into another room just as big, so if we wanted we could put up a wall and make it into 2 bedrooms again. Now first of all if this is the case they should advertise it like that bc ive seen it said with possibility of 2 bedrooms. BUT fh and i did say to eachother that its not NECESSARY we have 2 bedrooms now although we want it, but we LOVED the apartment so much that maybe we should think about it. We told the agent we'll think about it over the weekend and let her know.

The apartment is in immaculate condition, very spacious and beautiful. BUT for the price they're asking which was higher than many other apartments in the area, i dont think should be that high for what is currently 1 bedroom. Plus what we liked is the big living room and dining room area so we wouldn't want to change that. I just dont understand what our luck is that the first apartment wee see has to be in such amazing condition and great space lol usually you see alot of crap first.

BUT i told fh when we left that for less money, and not that far from where we were there is an area with a bunch of duplex apartments. And we should see those first since theres about 6-8 currently for sale and then make a decision. Later on that night i told FH we can drive by where these duplex apartments are to check out the area and we did and both fh and i were like OMG we have to check it out. Its a gated community, we went in and from the outside they all look like houses. The little community was so nice and everybody gets their own parking spaces which is HUGE for us lol. We came back home and looked which duplexes they had available, and these are duplex apartments and many have a back yard too and for less than the apartment we saw. Its a good area too, not far from saint johns univeristy. So now we hope that when we see them that the apartments are spacious bc who knows if the Living room's will be spacious and other parts of the apartment. The maintenance is high, a bit over 1k but with the prices of the apartments it would still keep us at the price we said we'd pay a month. So it evens out bc the other place is more money, maintenance is lower but it was about $795 so it would be close to the same amount we'd spend a month.

I just hope these are great in person too. I really dont want us to get the first apartment we see, i do want to see others before making a decision. I hate that the first place we see is in perfect condition and so great. We would also offer less for the apartment we saw, bc sorry it currently is 1 bedroom and it was priced high for that. THe guy probably put it that high bc he knows with the market ppl will offer less so this way if he starts it a bit higher he'll still get a decent amount.

Has anyone ever gone with the first place they saw?

LOL i swore before i started writing i wouldn't make this long
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Celest

just out of curiosity, do you know if she was the listing broker or just showing it to you?


Yes, i do know sorry should've said that. Actually the person listed was another lady. She appologized when both couples got to the apartment and said its 'carolyns' listing and shes helping out.


Oh ok, but still. Definitely see about working out with the agent you prefer instead. Luckily you know of someone who knows the area. Plus you are a well informed buyer, so you will do awesome
NapaValleyGirl Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Espo22

Posted by NapaValleyGirl

Hey fellow apartment hunter.
Sounds like that first apartment is amazing!!! It is a bit misleading that they advertised it as a 2 br when in reality it was a 2br converted to 1br. With that being said, you should offer close to what a 1br is going for in the area. Another thing to keep in mind is how much apartments are going for per square feet.
I'm learning all of this also. FH and I are obsessed with this complex in Williamsburg off the Bedford stop. I REALLLY want the two bedroom and it may be cutting it close. The 1 br we could totally afford and still live well but being 32 when we get married, we have to think about babies.


yeah we told the agent if we do have a kid we wont have room and she said to section off a bedroom, uhmmm where she told us to section off was right next to the LR which isn't wise considering the noise level. We could always move by then but yeah it is something to consider.

Ive been looking for months in these two areas, i think i know every apartment for sale in the area and yeah he is over pricing it, and i would tell the agents that. Ill offer them the average price ive seen for 1 bedrooms around the same area.

I have a feeling though once we see we can get a duplex for less we might go with that. We would have to love it of course


Good luck with the apartment hunting


Dude, the duplex sounds amazing!!! Outdoor space and parking is so key.

Good luck to you too!!!!
Espo22 Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by 040508Bride

well we moved in december, and it was early....wedding is 4/5, it didn't take long at all....i'd say 2 weeks before we moved in....maybe 3, i don't remember....it's fun though!


WOW thats great, when i bought the apartment i live in it took 2 1/2 months to 3 months for the whole closing process
Espo22 Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Celest

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Celest

just out of curiosity, do you know if she was the listing broker or just showing it to you?


Yes, i do know sorry should've said that. Actually the person listed was another lady. She appologized when both couples got to the apartment and said its 'carolyns' listing and shes helping out.


Oh ok, but still. Definitely see about working out with the agent you prefer instead. Luckily you know of someone who knows the area. Plus you are a well informed buyer, so you will do awesome


yeah it doesn't matter. Its funny bc i told fh from my first conversation that the agent didnt seem too organized or something i didn't like lol
Espo22 Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by NapaValleyGirl

Posted by Espo22

Posted by NapaValleyGirl

Hey fellow apartment hunter.
Sounds like that first apartment is amazing!!! It is a bit misleading that they advertised it as a 2 br when in reality it was a 2br converted to 1br. With that being said, you should offer close to what a 1br is going for in the area. Another thing to keep in mind is how much apartments are going for per square feet.
I'm learning all of this also. FH and I are obsessed with this complex in Williamsburg off the Bedford stop. I REALLLY want the two bedroom and it may be cutting it close. The 1 br we could totally afford and still live well but being 32 when we get married, we have to think about babies.


yeah we told the agent if we do have a kid we wont have room and she said to section off a bedroom, uhmmm where she told us to section off was right next to the LR which isn't wise considering the noise level. We could always move by then but yeah it is something to consider.

Ive been looking for months in these two areas, i think i know every apartment for sale in the area and yeah he is over pricing it, and i would tell the agents that. Ill offer them the average price ive seen for 1 bedrooms around the same area.

I have a feeling though once we see we can get a duplex for less we might go with that. We would have to love it of course


Good luck with the apartment hunting


Dude, the duplex sounds amazing!!! Outdoor space and parking is so key.

Good luck to you too!!!!


OMG YES parking space in queens is HUGE!!!!

yeah i read up on these duplex, they were built in 1947 for united nations workers thats why they are lower in price bc of that reason. Now its only 25% that are united nations workers that still live there but the prices are still good bc of it.

Plus in queens you dont find many duplex apartments so this is real good

thank you
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Celest

I am not sure if I get access to the queens listing on mls (I deal with North Shore properties primarily in Suffolk)

But maybe I can look it up for you & help
you have an mls number?

I am so annoyed at the agent now. I hate shady characters


ill Fm you the listing


okay, logging onto MLS now. Wondering why I never looked to see if I get queens... lol. I feel so far from there sometimes.

This is the house I am assisting selling. I am partnering with my colleague to market it

Listing

If you wanted to leave queens all together & move to the beautiful Lloyd Neck
Mici n KC Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Celest

Aww. Well I know from personal experience that when I walked into the house we bought I knew it was the one. You know when it is the right fit for you. Go with your gut!

As an agent, what that agent did is horrible. You should never show the house at the same time to two people. Unless it is an open house you should be able to organize & not double book. Sometimes they do that to create urgency between groups. I wouldn't do it to a client & if there was no other option I would inform all parties.

If I was you, I would try & get into the other places asap, so you can ease your mind one what you truly like & either eliminate them or pursue them.

Soo exciting.. Good luck!


It's so true, when you know it's the one, it's the one!
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

got your fm, & I can pull up info on Kew Gardens!

looking into it now. I will fm you.
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

did that agent give you a copy of the mls listing sheet on it?

del Rio Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Our first choice led us to our second and final apartment, exactly one year ago Super Bowl Sunday, we were telling everyone we think we found the apartment, one of our very close friends was shocked we were looking so soon and told us about his family moving and having the apartment just refinished and ready to move in whenever possible. We move in this March we procrastinated as much as we could!

Congrats and good luck!
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Aww. those prices seem heavenly compared to LI

Espo22 Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Celest

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Celest

I am not sure if I get access to the queens listing on mls (I deal with North Shore properties primarily in Suffolk)

But maybe I can look it up for you & help
you have an mls number?

I am so annoyed at the agent now. I hate shady characters


ill Fm you the listing


okay, logging onto MLS now. Wondering why I never looked to see if I get queens... lol. I feel so far from there sometimes.

This is the house I am assisting selling. I am partnering with my colleague to market it

Listing

If you wanted to leave queens all together & move to the beautiful Lloyd Neck


hahahaha hey for just 1.8 million i might i wish i could lol but wow gorgeous home
Espo22 Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Celest

Aww. those prices seem heavenly compared to LI


not really, if we wanted a house honestly theres nothing even in the 400-500k range available. I put in queens in that range and maybe 1 or 2 houses comes up. To buy a house in queens they usually start at 600k, more likely to spend around 800K.

The maintenance for alot of those apartments in queens are between $800-1k so since maintenance went up they lowered the prices. For 1 bedroom theres many for more money, they are the luxury high rise condos and they sell apartments for $400-500k. In LIC and astoria where we grew up its $600k for a STUDIO and 1-2 bedrooms are about 1.1 million and up

I checked LI well nassau county for co-ops and condo's and they are bigger space and less money or even same amount of money but bigger space
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

lol. Thanks. The photography is mine but the upload to their system downgraded the quality. WHich annoys me.
it was just reduced to 1.7 ..hehe.
What amazing is that is a great price for that area. Everything is relative.

I looked up that place for you. it is beautiful, & there was a price reduction already so they may be motivated.
Celest Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Celest

Aww. those prices seem heavenly compared to LI


not really, if we wanted a house honestly theres nothing even in the 400-500k range available. I put in queens in that range and maybe 1 or 2 houses comes up. To buy a house in queens they usually start at 600k, more likely to spend around 800K.

The maintenance for alot of those apartments in queens are between $800-1k so since maintenance went up they lowered the prices. For 1 bedroom theres many for more money, they are the luxury high rise condos and they sell apartments for $400-500k. In LIC and astoria where we grew up its $600k for a STUDIO and 1-2 bedrooms are about 1.1 million and up

I checked LI well nassau county for co-ops and condo's and they are bigger space and less money or even same amount of money but bigger space


Home sales there are just as bad then as the area in some parts here. I just love city condos though. Out in Suffolk all the renovated or updated condos that I like fetch quite a bit
Espo22 Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Celest

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Celest

Aww. those prices seem heavenly compared to LI


not really, if we wanted a house honestly theres nothing even in the 400-500k range available. I put in queens in that range and maybe 1 or 2 houses comes up. To buy a house in queens they usually start at 600k, more likely to spend around 800K.

The maintenance for alot of those apartments in queens are between $800-1k so since maintenance went up they lowered the prices. For 1 bedroom theres many for more money, they are the luxury high rise condos and they sell apartments for $400-500k. In LIC and astoria where we grew up its $600k for a STUDIO and 1-2 bedrooms are about 1.1 million and up

I checked LI well nassau county for co-ops and condo's and they are bigger space and less money or even same amount of money but bigger space


Home sales there are just as bad then as the area in some parts here. I just love city condos though. Out in Suffolk all the renovated or updated condos that I like fetch quite a bit


yeah i like the ones in LIC, and its $1.3 and up for 2 bedrooms lol for that might as well get a house
DiamondPipa Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

wow, i actually read the entire post!!!!! yes, we got the first place we saw!!!! However, we saw it in September 2007 and our offer was accepted in JANUARY 2008! We saw minimum 50 homes in between....

In September, we let the sellers know we were interested and to call us when they were in the price range WE wanted to spend on the home......they called us New Years Eve and contracts were signed within 2 weeks.

I never thought I would buy the first home we saw but it was just the perfect home for our needs and we fell in love with the neighborhood.

Good Luck! Don't stop looking in between....may as well make an offer or at least express an interest.....also, have your broker monitor the property...
MikeandJess Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

that's great denise! When FH and I were hunting for the co-op, we took the 3rd place we saw. If you love it, go for it

DiamondPipa Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

Posted by Espo22

Posted by Cutechef729

OHHHH i forgot to mention in my first post. Fh got real annoyed with the agent yesterday because she was telling us about the board and asked FH about personal info, which fine they'll ask this. But she asked fh in kind of a demeaning way 'sorry to ask you but how much do you make' and she asked kind of in a way like Uhmmmm you probably dont make much. FH looks young and he had on jeans, a hat and a zip up hoodie so who knows what she thought. WHen fh told her how much he makes she was like Ooooohhhhh ok then and her whole attitude changed and now it went from, well you know the board is going to ask for credit score and how much money you make so who knows, to ok you should have no problem.


HAHAHHAHAHA same thing happened to us!!! butttt, it wasn't with the broker. The seller's attorney called our BANK!!!! He asked, 'how can these kids afford this?' i was on the floor laughing when our banker called us to tell us!!!!!!
toniscott Posted:

Re: beginners luck: APT HUNTING

We looked at over 100 houses!!!!! I was half way to insane asylum! If you find somehting you love in an area you really like then go for it!!

Reply to this topic

Log in to reply or quote a post.