Apartment Hunting 2

The last few days have been so busy that I'm not quite sure where to begin. Firstly, I have been apartment shopping again and this weekend, my friend Dominique and I went to three open houses. Dominique has a great eye and was able to catch problems and expenses that I didn't notice at first sight. The first place we saw was on a quiet block of homes and close to transportation. It appealed to me because of its location. It’s a quiet tree-line block, surrounded by residential homes and in a borough like booming gentrified Brooklyn, that’s a rarity. The apartment was a two bedroom that had a nice layout. The owner had a very interesting design style and a color palette. Crown molding in all the rooms.  The kitchen was a small galley with cherry wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and dark Formica counter tops that mimicked the look of granite. There were some other updates as well, like the custom book shelves and custom wood cover for the radiator and AC units.  What can I say, it seemed perfect? But then Dominique noticed that the walls weren't smooth but instead had this horrible textured pattern that stretched from the entry hallway into both bedrooms. The second apartment we saw was less promising. It was a one bedroom situated off a busy highway. It was ridiculously overpriced.  Dominique had refused to venture past the hallway after she saw the wall-papered entryway. Every room was wall-paper with the exception of the bathroom. There really wasn't much of a kitchen and the cabinets were definitely 1950’s. The bathroom was a classic peach and black tile monstrosity that really did not appeal to me.  And it didn't help that the owner was present for the open house, she barely looked up when I walked into the bedroom and said hello. The third place was at the same coop complex as the first. The apartment was empty and had been for some time. It was a two bedroom with parquet floors, a good sized kitchen and a nice sized living room. The plus of this property, there was a private balcony overlooking the garden. I loved the layout. And with the apartment being empty and the walls painted a neutral white, you could definitely see the potential of the space. I had seen this apartment several months earlier. Back then I went with my Realtor Adele, which was before her automobile accident that caused her to be hospitalized for several days and now in rehab. Since then, the price had dropped significantly. Dominique advised me to make an offer and so I did. The following day, Monday, I was told that the seller accepted my offer. It all happened rather quickly.