What you should know before you rent an apartment
By Jonathon Newman  [September 11th, 2009]

Before you move in, you will need to sign a lease, which is an agreement between you and your landlord about the terms of your stay in the apartment. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A WRITTEN LEASE, although it is not required. Keep a signed copy for your records. Make sure you read & understand the lease. If you don't understand something, ask questions. Remember: when you sign a lease, you’re agreeing to play by the rules set out in it. Unless the lease is illegal, you will be held to it and can be evicted if you break any part.
.... >>> MORE

Read other important articles from this law-area to find what you need to know:

Your most common questions answered:

What determines whether they give me the mortgage?
[August 21st 2006]

Mortgage lenders use two formulas to determine if you're likely to meet your monthly payments. In regard to the amount of monthly payments, the rule of thumb is that you should pay no more than 30 percent of your gross income. If your gross income is $3,500 a month, the mortgage payment should not exceed $1,050. Also, your total debt ratio should be below 40 percent - that is, the mortgage payment plus all the rest of your debt (school loans, car, other debts) should be under $1,400.

Should I use a broker to buy a home?
[January 14th 2007]

Brokers know something about the inventory in your target neighborhoods and, if they're good at what they do, they'll quickly know something about you. But brokers are legally - and in fact - agents of the sellers who pay them a commission that usually runs from five to seven percent of the purchase price. As such, they are obliged to get the highest possible price for the seller. Property sold without agents are known as FSBOs, or For Sale By Owner.

What is a mortgage?
[March 13th 2009]

A mortgage is a loan from a financial institution to buy property that is then used as collateral for the loan. The three main elements of a mortgage are: amount, the total sum you owe the financial institution, interest rate, which is determined by current market conditions, competition among lenders, and your credit-worthiness, and loan term, how long the borrower has to pay off the loan, usually 15 or 30 years. If you have questions, contact us!