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Articles by Alissa

Alissa

I've lived in apartments in 6 cities (including 2 foreign countries). Does that make me an expert? As of now, my ceiling isn't leaking and I don't have rodents (knock on wood) -- so I'm going to say yes . . . but ask me again tomorrow:) These days, I'm enjoying life Chicago style, but my years in Brooklyn are never far from my mind. P.S. By day I work at GolinHarris, but these opinions are totally, 100% my own.

How to Keep Your Apartment Cool!
July 25, 2011 – 12:15 am | One Comment
cool

Oh my goodness – the heat!
It’s true that we’re in the midst of a 3-post series about how to furnish your apartment based on various budgets. BUT – we thought it necessarily to take a break …

Furnishing Your Apartment on $1000 or Less
July 18, 2011 – 2:22 am | 3 Comments
Daybed

It’s week #2 in our super cheap apartment furnishing series! Hot Dang!
Well, not to ruin the surprise, but as you may imagine, the key difference between a $500 a $1000 apartment isn’t so much the …

Furnishing Your Apartment On $500 or Less
July 11, 2011 – 2:40 am | 12 Comments
ikea

We’re often asked for advice about how much to budget for apartment essentials.  For instance, “What kinda apartment can I get for X amount per month?” Or, “If I have $1000 to move cross country. . . …

Should You Buy Or Rent?
June 29, 2011 – 2:22 pm | 2 Comments
iStock_000003014021XSmallCondo

We focus much of our site about renting apartments. How to do it – from dealing with landlords, finding new (and sane) roommates, or hunting down movers – we got your back.
But, housing prices are …

Checking Out New Apartment Search Resources
June 10, 2011 – 3:09 pm | No Comment
Neww York in map

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.
Ferris was right. Case in point? That movie turned 20-frigging-five earlier this week.  Of …

How to Survive Moving Back Home After Graduation
May 31, 2011 – 4:03 pm | 2 Comments
kids bedroom 2

We’ve received a couple questions lately from readers asking our advice for how to move back home, with mom/dad/grandma as landlord.  With only 56% of 2010 grads working full-time jobs and those working taking pay …

How Far in Advance Should You Start Your Apartment Search?
May 23, 2011 – 3:48 pm | 5 Comments
iStock_000014038521XSmallCALENDAR

Timing is everything in life, love, and . . . apartment hunting. Summer is the most popular apartment hunting season, especially for first apartments, but how long does finding a new apartment actually take?
Do you need to …

How to Spot Illegal Apartments -10 Tips for Apartment Seekers
April 24, 2011 – 3:25 pm | No Comment
NYC DOB

Do you know what the NYC DOB is? You should – The DOB is a great resource for apartment dwellers:
The NYC Department of Buildings ensures the safe and lawful use of over 975,000 buildings and …

New Way to Split the Rent With Your Roommates
April 13, 2011 – 3:26 pm | One Comment
Split The Rent

I can’t believe it’s already mid-April and the prime moving season is just two weeks away…are you ready? Be sure to email us at editor@myfirstapartment.com if you have any questions as you head out on …

The MFA Answer Box: Problems with Packages, Pools, Cats, GF and Building’s Rules
April 4, 2011 – 3:56 pm | Comments Off
pool closed

Every so often, we run a feature on MFA where we’ll give a lucky reader (okay, a reader who nicely emails us!) our take on his/her apartment problem.
This week, we respond to Lee in Texas …