Liz Steelman

Plus expert advice on what makes cohabitation successful.

We all know someone with an objectively amazing apartment. It’s light and airy, remarkably spacious for its size, in a great location, and somehow costs less than your dark, cramped, inconvenient shoebox. Though you may think your friend is just incredible lucky at real estate, here’s the hard truth: Chances are, they just did a better job during the apartment search than you did.

Meet the “​The Mortgage Program for Costco Members,” a benefit that’s been around since 2011.

As housing prices go up, everyone's learning to slice and dice in order to make the rent.

It seems that nothing's really made with renters in mind: Everything that helps make creative use of your space either a) requires wall attachments (whoops, there goes the security deposit!) or b) is super expensive (hello, I am renting for a reason, guys!)

Who needs Second City or UCB when you can pay $180 a month to live on Hoover Street?

Can you even believe these are the same apartment unit?

Yeesh! With a price this high, no wonder college graduates are delaying move-in day.

Looking to experience the high of using a Command Strip for the first time? Try one of these six AT-vetted products.

From small maintenance-related troubleshooting to money-saving tactics, here are the eight questions that Apartment Therapy staffers say will prove useful down the line.

From mid-century modern focused furniture stores to plant-filled emporiums, these eight small businesses across the country show that the suburbs have an independent spirit rivaling those of their urban counterparts.

You may have realized that not everyone who wants to own a home does (especially if they're a Millennial). It's not because they can't afford the monthly mortgage payment, it's because there is a barrier to entry for mortgages in the tune of thousands of dollars, a.k.a. that pesky down payment.

Experts say moving costs between four and five times your monthly rent. Here's why it's that expensive in the first place—and quick tips on how to defray those costs.

If you are at risk of encountering an ICE raid—or would like to support your community members and neighbors if you encounter one, here is what to do.

We went through all the credit score-focused articles we've published in the past year and rounded up the best tips experts have shared with us. Here, the best of the best credit score tips and tricks.

If you understand what's keeping your score down, you might be able to bounce it back up quickly.

Finance is boring, but our Real Estate Editor, Liz, sure isn't! In our new series called Liz$plaining, Liz will guide you through all your toughest financial questions.

It's hard for me to fork up the cold, hard cash (or credit), even if I really like a piece. So imagine my surprise when this budget find ended up being cooler than I expected.

If you listen closely, you’ll hear something booming in the Silicon Valley—and no, it’s not just the sound of blockchain capital exchanging hands or tech bros downing Soylent. What’s booming far louder than anywhere else in the U.S. is San Jose, California’s real estate market: According to a recent report by Zillow, home values are rising the fastest in San Jose, at a remarkable 26.2% change year over year to a median value of $1,263,900, the highest in the nation.

It can help you haul literally anything.

The old unit in Rittenhouse Square came with a banana yellow and black-tiled bathroom and built-ins galore.

​If you’ve ever wanted to walk through a pair of mint doors and yell, “Lucy, I’m home,” you don’t have to build a time machine to do it.

Tired of telling your niece you can’t come to her birthday party out in the ‘burbs because you have to get some work done this weekend? Or maybe it’s more that you have too much time—like you’re underemployed and can’t partake in all the amazing opportunities your city offers? It may be time to move to a city with a better work-life balance. Might I suggest Provo-Orem, Utah?

Like just about everyone, I was obsessed with Disney World when I was little. I had never been, but I knew a lot about it. Mainly I knew that it wasn’t in Illinois, where I lived. And while it was in Florida where my Nana and Papa lived, “their Florida” wasn’t the same as “Disney World Florida.” Geography is confusing for a six-year-old! Strangely, I also knew that Disney World was technically its own city.