With all the seeming challenges, you may think buying in Boston is an impossible feat. To humanize the process, the ONEin3 Housing team is interviewing ONEin3 homebuyers who made it through the home buying experience.  Our first interview is with Nicole Devlin who works in fundraising at Tufts Medical Center, and purchased her home in Charlestown in 2011. (For more information about first-time home buying in Boston, check out: DID YOU KNOW: A guide for the prospective home buyer.)

Are you originally from the area?

Yes, I grew up in West Roxbury.

What made you want to purchase a home?

The biggest reason was that paying rent was getting more and more painful. I was paying someone else’s mortgage. Also the extremely low interest rates of September 2011 were very attractive.

When did you start the process?

I started looking at condos about a year and a half prior to purchasing just to see what was out there.

What were some of the things you looked for when choosing your home?

I knew I wanted a 2-bedroom condo. I considered size of the unit and proximity to the MBTA. I was looking for something move-in ready and recently updated, and I knew that I didn’t want to be in a place longer than 5 -7 years.

About how many homes did you look at before deciding on a Charlestown condo?

I looked at a lot of condos - too many to count.  There are a lot of places in the city that look much more appealing on real estate listings. It’s amazing what people call two bedrooms.

What does your condo look like?

It’s a two bedroom, two bath. The building is a big house with four condos that were gutted and renovated in 2007. My condo has an open floor plan and was move-in ready. I didn’t have to work on it at all besides decorating. It has high ceilings which makes the space feel much larger than it actually is.

What was the negotiating process like?

Negotiation was relatively straightforward. I had a great real estate broker who was extremely helpful. He had a very clear idea of what you could get the property for, and helped me get a great deal on my condo.

Did you take a first-time homebuyer’s class?

I took the one that the city offers, but I didn’t use the certificate because I didn’t meet their strict requirements due to my income and savings. I found the class to be informative.

What did you put down for a down payment?

I had a sizeable down payment thanks to a second job cocktail waitressing. I put down 20%.

What are you payment like now?

I am paying about the same for my mortgage as I did when I rented a shared apartment thanks to my low interest rate and sizable down payment.

What are the condo fees? Is there a condo association?

I pay a condo fee, but it’s low and includes water, master insurance and snow removal. There is a condo association, but we don’t meet often because we don’t have anything to talk about as the building is in really good shape. The president of the association created a bank account for the association, and I met him prior to buying the condo. I also talked to the other residents in the building prior to purchasing.

What was something you learned in the process that you’d like to share with future homebuyers?

Get a great lawyer. The legal documents are long and overwhelming.

If you are buying a condo, talk to the other residents in the building. Know what kind of association you’re buying into and get to know your neighbors.

Did you target your search only to Boston-area?

I didn’t target Boston only. I looked in Watertown, Cambridge and Somerville. I went to a lot of open houses, and Charlestown was the place where I would get the most for my money. Also my dad grew up in Charlestown, and my grandmother lives two blocks away, so I knew a lot about the area. It has a neighborhood feel. Young people live there in combination with older people, so the neighborhood has a nice spirit, and you can’t beat having family right down the street!

Any regrets?

I didn’t realize how expensive things are when something needs to be fixed. You’re the landlord when you own a place, and it’s always more expensive than you think it will be. Having said that, buying a condo was the best decisions I ever made. It was a bit of a process, you feel like they are going to ask for your first born child with the information they ask for, but ultimately it was a really great decision.