| Studio Condo Living offers a solid, underutilized | | | | packing them to take somewhere else. You can |
| option for the twenty-six percent of American | | | | sleep when you get tired, take a shower when |
| households which include only one person. As a | | | | you need the rejuvenation of hot water, and |
| realtor, my business is focused on Minneapolis | | | | work out in the community exercise room when |
| condo and lofts so I have a tremendous number | | | | you need a mental break. You can turn on music |
| of opportunities to help homebuyers sort through | | | | or the television if it helps you think-or enjoy |
| all possible options, from studios to one-bedrooms | | | | nearly complete silence when you need to focus. |
| to two-bedrooms and larger. Over the years, I | | | | 3. Lower heating costs. Paying for heating costs |
| have learned that studios offer charms largely | | | | can be a shock to new homeowners. However, a |
| unknown outside New York City. Here are My | | | | studio home can mean the expense becomes |
| Five Bests: | | | | almost negligible. A client of mine pays $13.42 to |
| | | | heat her 455-square foot unit for the entire |
| 1. Live in the Neighborhood of your Dreams! | | | | month of December. |
| Sacrificing floor space can give you the ability to | | | | 4. Facilitates Disciplined Personal Spending, Green |
| live in a neighborhood that might otherwise be out | | | | Living. For any given purchase, you'll naturally ask |
| of your reach. If the desired neighborhood places | | | | yourself not only, "Can I afford this?" but "Where |
| you within a walk or easy drive of a close family | | | | would I put it?" You'll become much less likely to |
| member or friend, the decision might become | | | | buy things you'll never use. You'll be more likely to |
| even easier. During weekends, you'll have time to | | | | share or borrow seldom-used items from family |
| get needed rest while enjoying freedom to make | | | | members and friends. Finally, you'll find new |
| last-minute plans with your loved ones. Over time, | | | | pleasure in the art of giving things away. |
| your connections in your neighborhood could | | | | 5. Lower Homeowner Association Dues. |
| snowball, allowing you to find new clients, additional | | | | Association Dues for a given condo unit are |
| friends, or a full-time job close to home. | | | | typically calculated relative to the unit's square |
| 2. Quiet Space for Drawing, Work or Writing! Few | | | | footage, not according to its number of owners. |
| settings in the world or across history have been | | | | That means that, as a studio owner, you can |
| more conducive to creative pursuits. Whether you | | | | enjoy the party rooms, swimming pool and |
| are a seasoned professional or a hobbyist trying | | | | exercise facilities, snow removal and landscaping |
| to make the most of your leisure time, a studio | | | | for a fraction of what is imposed upon owners of |
| lets you think and work as it caters to the | | | | larger units. You reduce your overhead, opening |
| rhythms of being a human being. You can prepare | | | | up the possibility of paying off your mortgage |
| meals steps away from your work--instead of | | | | quickly! |