Ask Yourself These 6 Questions When You Are Budgeting for First Apartment Expenses

July 14, 2016 | By Kalee AuthorMy First Apartment

The amount of rent is obviously the most important consideration in your first apartment search, but there are several other factors that can make or break your first apartment budget. Before you fall in love with an apartment, ask yourself these six questions and factor your answers in when you are budgeting for apartment expenses.…

Paperwork You’ll Need for Your Rental Apartment Application

May 22, 2016 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Before you hit the apartment hunting trail, make sure you have all your paperwork ready to complete a typical rental apartment application. Your future landlord will judge you mainly on two things: your financial history and your personal background. First and foremost, he wants to be comfortable that you can pay your rent on time,…

First Step: Make the Decision to Move Out

May 14, 2016 | By Kristen AuthorMy First Apartment

Moving into your first apartment is both a dream and a rite of passage. It will be a place to call your own. A place to give it your own decorating spin, to binge watch Netflix without anyone judging your choice of shows and to test your cooking skills with recipes you find on Tasty…

Apartment Hunter’s Guide To Portland, Or.

April 17, 2016 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

Stumptown. The city of bridges. The city of roses. “Little Beirut”. “The dream of the ‘90s.” “Where people in their 20s go to retire.” This is just the shortlist of the many, many monikers of Portland, Or., which has also been referred to as “the West Coast capitol of urban cool,” and “The best food…

A Short Guide To Apartment Hunting Groups On Facebook

March 2, 2016 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

It’s not as simple to find an apartment on the Internet as it might seem. Following Craigslist or other apartment rental sites can be like trying to get a cool, refreshing drink from a waterfall – more of a drowning deluge than a refreshing trickle. Before you know it, you’re inundated in updates, which you…

‘If This, Then That’: How To Turbocharge Your Online Apartment Hunt With Ifttt

January 26, 2016 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

The internet can be both a blessing and a curse for an apartment hunter. It means no more digging through thick Sunday papers or wandering aimlessly around neighborhoods, as notifications are sent straight to our pockets and purses, to be sorted through later. With how easy it is to post an apartment or rental listing…

3 Key Steps to Getting Your First Apartment

January 10, 2016 | By Jennie AuthorMy First Apartment

Looking for an apartment, especially your first apartment, can be overwhelming. To find the right rental you need to consider many variables, including the neighborhood, your budget limitations and your lifestyle. We have broken the whole intimidating process down into three manageable steps that will coach you to find an apartment that is right for you.…

How To Find The Perfect Apartment

August 20, 2015 | By Elise Moser AuthorMy First Apartment

Growing up, my family lived in three houses within the same 1-mile radius of St. Louis. It took 22 years for me to learn all of the important details about my suburban area: the best grocery store, the shadiest running routes and the closest movie theaters. But when I graduated from college and got my…

How To Avoid Rental Scams

June 15, 2015 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

Apartment hunting is daunting and stressful enough, in the best possible circumstances, without having to worry if the room is real, or the landlord exists. Unfortunately, in today’s digitally-dependent landscape, rental scams are a sad fact of life. Rental scams are hard to keep track of and difficult to police, as mentioned in an article…

Finding a Sublet (and Sealing the Deal)

February 5, 2015 | By Naomi AuthorMy First Apartment

Moving to a new city? Woohoo! Adventure! Change! Terror! Yes, moving to a new city can stir up a lot of feelings. It can feel overwhelming, especially because you may not know much about the place. What are the neighborhoods like? Where is your favorite coffee shop? What’s the public transportation like? These are all things you might want…