down payment

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast Number 175, “Places to live.”

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 175. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you, as always, from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California. Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com to get the Learning Guide for this podcast. It contains a complete transcript of the podcast, additional vocabulary, and other extra information. Today’s podcast is about finding a place to live. Let’s get started.

<start of story> Finding a new place to live isn't always easy. I've been living in the same apartment for nine years, and I thought it was time for a change. I’ve always wanted to buy a condo or a townhouse, but I didn't have the money for a down payment. But now, I have a little money saved up, and I want to buy a place of my own.

I didn't want to go through a real estate agent yet, so I started looking around the city on my own. I wasn't sure if I wanted a townhouse or a single-family home. I didn't