k in ditmas's Profile

i've loved these for years. i'm from nigeria originally, but we don't make these... i don't know much about them culturally, but would love to!

If you can and want, do get cleaning help... I love having my weekends back and stimulating the economy to boot!

Pay the FULL amount on your school loans from the beginning even if it means near starvation... you will adjust :) I paid interest only for years so now, at 13 years and counting since graduation, I still owe 70% of the original amount... if I had paid the standard amount, I would have been all wrapped up 3 years ago!!!

Don't carry debt... besides my school loans and a mortgage, I carry no debt. Given that I know what debilitating debt feels like, this is the most free feeling ever... Couldn't even move to NYC until I had it all cleared up... that was 7 years ago... no regrets :)

Good friends are life's truest joy.

totally my dream... have even asked an architect friend to help with research and ideas... alas, the only things missing: money, permission from the coop board, purchase of air rights, and a full architectural/structural review (cos DOB has lost my bldg's plans). oh, and the apt below me so we can have a duplex and a roof garden :) but seriously, i am doing the research on this and just might make it happen!

this trouble does extend into summer too... he wants the a/c way down and i want it up or even off... i like the fan better! thanks for the tips... tho right now, i sleep in full gear under covers & blankets, he in boxers and i snuggle up, to boot!

My studio apt has been rocking that color combo for the last 3 years... love it!

when i'm home hunting i always look at things above my price range to see what one gets for the extra $$.

when searching for my studio 4 years ago, i thot i knew for sure what my upper limit was until i saw the wonderful place i own now and went up 10% cos it was worth it to me. that put me at just about 35% of my *take home* pay and my income has gone up enough that i'm now down to 30%.

in other words, you might not know what you're willing to pay for--in my case, top floor, 2 blks to subway plus easy access to good restaurants & organic grocery store--until you see it. while i did do the math to make sure it was indeed possible to pay my mortgage & still live a decent life, i have never once regretted stretching myself a bit and getting the place that made my heart sing.

it's also worth thinking about the trajectory of your income. i was young enough that i knew it would only go up and it has (knock on wood). however, i'm now about to search for a bigger place with a partner who's considerably older and maybe only 10-15yrs out from retirement, so while my income may grow for 2-3 more decades, his probably won't. we are planning on a 15yr mortgage instead of 30yrs which will mean less house and higher monthly payments, but i think it'll work out fine :)

Very cool, open, and colorful!

(A request to AT: It would be great to include floor plans with all house tours & even house calls. I always appreciate that sense of overall flow.)

If available, join the neighborhood listserv and check out their blogs! I got a real feel for the nabes I was considering by seeing what current residents reported--new restaurants & stores, garden tours, crime, etc... a true treasure trove of info you can't easily get otherwise!

I also checked for amenities like the public library, hardware stores, nearby parks. Lastly, I called the neighborhood precinct's community affairs officer for a neighborly checkin.

i have a cleaning lady come in once a month and I am truly grateful! I'm very neat so my place always looks clean, but I almost never actually clean (besides dishes, trash, and occasional sweeping)... I hate bathrooms the most.

However, when I have a guest in-between cleaning lady visits, I will clean the bathroom thoroughly and then hop in the shower to clean off myself!

WOW!!! Congrats on a fabulous studio :)