Should you take a good apartment now or keep searching for the perfect one?

Well, In my opinion it is more about making it perfect… not getting it…

You gotta do what you gotta do…

If there is no rush, I would wait rather than getting locked into a lease when your perfect place came available.

If you only want Santa Monica, then you should quit looking elsewhere.

Do you really want to search forever?

You’ve looked at 30 places already. Do you think you are likely to find a better place?

Also, perspective: this is an apartment that you’re probably going to be renting for one year, maybe two. Holding out a long time for perfection is probably counterproductive.

Are you going to be able to afford all you want in Santa Monica? If it is in a safe, nice area where you will be comfortable, then maybe you should go with the place in Venice. Dr. Bill makes a great point though, if you have your heart set on Santa Monica, don’t look elsewhere.

In my area, it’s a renter’s market.

Think about how you would feel if you found out someone took it while you were thinking. If you would be, c’est la vie, then let it go. If you be devastated, take it.

I am amazed that you actually got in to see 30 apartments. When I was helping my son find a Hollywood apartment no one even answered their phone and we ended up taking the apartment at the only place someone was there!
I think prices are still dropping a bit, and if you have time to keep looking and are set on Santa Monica, I would give it until the end of March to find something. The closer you get to summer the more things will tighten up.
I own apartments (Not in your part of California unfortunately) but history has shown that more people shop for apartments in the summer time. That means that in the off season (Nov-May) owners are more likely to make deals because they have a harder time generating traffic.

Even though I generally rush in, my guess in this case is that:

a) even though I assume you’re talking about California (a place I’ve never even visited), it’s probably like everywhere else on the planet and prices will just keep dropping.

b) the best time to go flat-hunting in the Northern Hemisphere is generally June to August, so again I’m guessing Cal would be the same.

c) you have no rush in this particular case, so why rush? You’re not even paying rent. And you seem to be getting along with your mum just fine. Would be very different if you couldn’t stand her.

So wait a bit, take a break if you’re too tired of hunting, maybe look again next week. Focus on the area you want, and only look at the ones within your budget range. You’re bound to find something pretty soon. If you haven’t done so by June, then just take the best you find after that.

My husband has a great system for decision making. Toss a coin – heads you take it, tails you don’t. How you react to the result of the coin toss will tell you what your gut feeling is.

You have looked at 30 different places? Time to fish or cut bait. After all, it is only for a year, not a lifetime.

30 is nothing, we looked at more than 100 before we settled down. Patience pays off especially in this market.

Take it now, but keep looking. If you sign a lease, it will be hard to get out of so month to month might be better.