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Apartment Stalking

I have a confession.

I’m a stalker.
http://shrink4men.com/2011/02/16/female-stalkers-part-2-checklist-of-stalking-and-harassment-behaviors/

For the past two months, I have been stalking this perfect two-bedroom cooperative apartment online. Almost daily I view pictures on Streeteasy.com and Zillow.com and breathe a sigh of relief when I see that someone has not yet snapped it up. It’s not a huge place. It’s a two-bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and living/dining area. I have imagined hosting Christmas and dinner parties here. And boy do I let my imagination run wild with design ideas. I have painted the living room a nice grey and hung flowy white curtains to the windows where currently there are blinds. In the kitchen, I have stained the cabinets, modernized the hardware and changed the backsplash to glass tiles that I found at home depot. Despite the imaginary home decor ideas, the apartment is otherwise perfect and in move in ready condition. Except of course that I am not ready.

I am not ready to get off the fence.

I’m not ready to make an offer as yet.

Perhaps it’s a case of once bitten twice shy. But having gone through the process of purchasing a home four years ago only to be disappointed and rejected by the cooperative board, I’m hesitant. The cooperative board wanted a cash buyer and I’m keenly aware that I don’t have the hard cash that they might be looking for. I will need to apply for a mortgage.

Despite my being careful with money and consistently paying down student loans and putting away money with every paycheck to a high yielding savings account, I’m not comfortable with where I am financially as yet. I want to be able to put down a substantial amount of money for a down payment. I want to have completely paid off my smallest student loan debt before I take on even more debt.
From my budgeting and calculation, I will be financially ready to purchase a home by June 2018!
I know it seems like a long time away. 12 months away actually. 


In the meantime, I continue to apartment stalk and hope and pray. No contract today.  I continue to decorate and make minor improvements in my mind.  If only the perfect apartment will wait.
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