Are you still on the fence about getting your own apartment, after all these years of parental and school-enforced cohabitation? Then ask yourself a few questions: are Mom and Dad cramping my style? Do I fantasize that my dorm room was actually a soundproof chamber? Do I think of my buddy's worn-out couch as my permanent residence? Do I need to start doing things my own way, in my own space?

If you enthusiastically answered "yep" to any of these questions, then get ready to move it on out! Say ciao your Mom/Dad/R.A./host and start the search for your very own apartment right here, right now, with these rental-hunting tips for the first-timer. Independence is a glorious thing; make sure you get your fair share.