How I did it: I decided with a friend to go in on a house then began price hunting on CraigsList obsessively until I finally found what we needed from a house, but before then we must've viewed 20+ places.

The paperwork was ridiculous.
We won an application war.
The roommate arrangements must've changed a dozen times, and I was ready to pull my hair out trying to appease everyone.
For a few days I was freaking out because it looked like the whole thing was about to fall through due to drama, a $1,000 gone, and no place for 2 people to live, but I will skip that exhausting story straight to the happy ending where everything worked out even better than planned.

Last night was the move-in party; a bunch of artists, writers, and musicians sprawled out on the couch, a cuddle puddle in front of the fireplace, sipping beers, eating pizza, laughing about life, kids on the roof playing guitar and harmonic.
Life is good...

Lessons & tips: *CraigsList is your friend
*Underestimate, Not overestimate your budget
*Having at least a grand in the bank at all times will destress your life when shite happens, (and it does)
*Know what you need from a house; price range, size of space, and location
*Talk to the people who are already living there, see what they say about the place
*When you find what you want JUMP ON THAT because 10 other people have seen the same ad.
*Get your application information in ASAP because in most states it's not first come-first serve, but first COMPLETED
*Examine the house carefully so you don't get screwed with a bunch of maintenance chargers that should've been repaired before you ever moved in

As for roommates.. Getting a bunch of friends in one house sounds like a good idea out loud, but really its about lifestyle computability.
How do they eat in comparison to you?
Will you share food or split it?
Are they a homebody or a partier?
Are they a morning or a night person?
Are they quiet or noisy?
Are they a neatfreak or a slob?
Can they pay their bills?
What kind of people will they bring around?
Stuff like this is huge, and not something to be worked out After you move in with someone.

Resources: CraigsList.com

Sep 17, 10:01AM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer