A job switch of kinds introduced Katie Muela and Arsy Khodabandelou to New York from Maryland a number of years in the past.
Ms. Muela was working as a nanny for a household that was relocating to the town from the Washington, D.C., space, so she and Mr. Khodabandelou took it “as a chance to maneuver to New York for enjoyable,” she stated.
That was simply earlier than Covid shut down the town. Disenchanted, the couple retreated to Maryland after a yr. However after the pandemic, they have been wanting to return, and landed in a one-bedroom on the Higher East Aspect for round $2,600 a month.
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They fell in love with their bustling Yorkville neighborhood. “We acquired to know our neighbors and see them on the canine park every single day,” stated Ms. Muela, 33.
In the future, the 2 went mountaineering at Bear Mountain, about an hour and a half north. Mr. Khodabandelou, who works in software program gross sales, discovered himself worrying about their canines, who have been dwelling alone. Family and friends have been again in Maryland. It gave him the concept to rent a software program engineer and create a pet-rescue app, Woof, which notifies emergency contacts if pets are left alone longer than anticipated.
The nascent enterprise landed Mr. Khodabandelou, 35, on the TV present “Shark Tank” in 2023, although it didn’t land him a deal. Nonetheless, he stated, “It was the best expertise of my life.”
In the meantime, the couple, who will marry subsequent month, have been outgrowing their small condominium. Within the basement laundry room, the machines have been typically damaged. And so they had little counter area, making it troublesome to prepare dinner and host company.
“We didn’t have wherever to sit down,” stated Ms. Muela, who now works as a court docket reporter. “We ate on our sofa. Why, at this age and stage of us wanting to begin our future, would we not buy?”
A few of Mr. Khodabandelou’s outdated buddies have been having youngsters and shopping for homes. “So it was at the back of my thoughts,” he stated. “Do I need to be in New York or return to Maryland and purchase a home?”
The couple determined to stay round and get an condominium — dog-friendly, after all — close to their rental, on the far Higher East Aspect. They aimed for a two-bedroom or a big one-bedroom, and shortly realized that they’d have to regulate their funds.
“We thought $500,000 was our max, however we couldn’t get something for $500,000,” Mr. Khodabandelou stated. “We stored elevating our value.” It ended up at $800,000.
On-line final winter, they discovered Annette Mulligan, then a licensed salesperson at Keller Williams NYC and now on the Corcoran Group, who defined the distinction between co-ops and condominiums and famous that canine insurance policies differ amongst buildings.
“I’m not a choosy individual,” Mr. Khodabandelou stated. “I fell in love with each single place that we noticed.” However these locations typically bought shortly.
Ms. Muela was extra specific. “I positively was a brat at first,” she stated. “I wished two bedrooms, a washer-dryer and outside area.”
As time handed, she lowered her expectations. Amongst their choices:
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