apartment help!

Okay. So my fh and I have never lived away from home, even when we went to college, so I have no clue how to even start this process.

We're looking to be able to begin moving into an apartment on or around July 1, but preferably not any later than that, because our wedding is July 10.

So I have a few questions:

1)When do you think we should start looking?

2)If you live in an apartment, how many did you look at before you chose one?

3)Should we go through a ra?

4)Is spending 1400 or less a month on rent feasible? We're looking for areas close to the northern state/grand central/cross island (new hyde park, great neck, floral park, parts of queens). If we spend this will we be able to find something large enough for 2 people?

5)We do have a small dog (13 lbs). Should we look primarily into apartment buildings or house apartments?

Sorry I have so many questions, but TIA!

Re: apartment help!

dh and i started looking in february and we wanted to move in may. we looked through craigslist and then found real estate brokers through there to show us apartments. mlsli did not have rentals back then. we were unlucky with that. it was hard to find a nice apartment that allowed dogs. i finally found an apartment complex that didn't charge monthly dog rent in april and we moved in may 1.

Re: apartment help!

if you want to move for july 1 then I would start a month or 2 before. Apts for that time wont really be on any earlier.
We found our last 2 apts on Craigs list....one by owner and one by RA. There is also a RA that specializes in pet friendly rentals....they have their listings on CL all the time.

Re: apartment help!

I only used craigs list
I found my apartment on a monday and moved in wednesday

It's a pet friendly building in long beach

I had to go see it with an agent...but my boyfriend was acting as my agent to reduce the fee (we are both agents) but this apartment was vacant and the owner was paying the fee!