The Hunt
They Wanted a Small House on a Quiet Brooklyn Street. Would Their Budget Cover It?
Seeking enough space for a music studio, a guest room and some outdoor space, a New York City couple searched south of Prospect Park for a house that fit their needs.
Zulema Mejias and Oscar Peñas first lived together in Ms. Mejias’s rent-stabilized one-bedroom near her alma mater, Pratt Institute, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
She had moved there in 1999, a few years after immigrating from Cuba, and met Mr. Peñas at a dinner party in Morningside Heights, in Upper Manhattan, thrown by a mutual friend from Spain. Mr. Peñas, 51, a jazz guitarist, instructor and composer who is also from Spain, had studied music in Boston and was living with a roommate in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
“Oscar arrived late because he got lost in the subway,” Ms. Mejias said. “He sat next to me, and we started talking. I am very talkative. We had so much fun.”
The couple, who married in 2008, still speak Spanish with each other. “When people see us on the street, they think we are tourists,” said Ms. Mejias, 61, who is now her husband’s manager.
They later moved to a Harlem co-op, but were driven out by intolerable noise. The apartment, which they had gut renovated, sold quickly, so they bought a tiny duplex studio condominium in South Slope as an interim measure, glad to return to Brooklyn.
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At first, with a budget of $1.4 million, the couple thought they could buy a bigger condominium. They wanted a music studio for him, an office for her, a guest room for visiting relatives from Barcelona and a spot for sitting outside.
“We used a few real estate agents and changed our minds a few times during the process,” Mr. Peñas said. “We have the taste of Design Within Reach but can afford Ikea, so that’s an issue.”
They wondered whether they were being clear about their wishes. “It is very frustrating when the agents send you listings that are completely opposite to what you are telling them,” Ms. Mejias said. “They would say, ‘You have a very small budget, you are a freelancer, and the only place for you is Ocean Hill.’ It’s the edge of Brooklyn, very far away, and I need to be close to the city. I can’t be that far.”
The couple yearned for a small house in a tranquil residential neighborhood. They contacted Elisa Seeger, an associate broker at The Agency, who acknowledged that the condominiums in their budget often had small bedrooms, little outdoor space, awkward layouts or high monthly charges. But a few possibilities for houses did exist, and a house would have comparatively low taxes.
Among their options:
No. 1
Windsor Terrace Rowhouse
This two-story rowhouse, around 1,250 square feet, was on a quiet street half a block from Prospect Park. The interior needed plenty of work. The living area was on the ground floor, with a mirror covering one wall, and two bedrooms were upstairs. The unfinished basement, ideal for a music studio, had front and back entrances, and there was a small dirt backyard, shaded by trees. The asking price was $1.3 million, with annual taxes in the low $4,000s.
No. 2
South Slope Fixer-Upper
This cute two-family rowhouse, around 1,600 square feet, was between Prospect Park and the Green-Wood Cemetery, facing the exit ramp from the Prospect Expressway. Inside, it had dated paneling, turquoise carpeting and ugly cabinets in semi-functional kitchens. But there was potential, and Mr. Peñas liked the idea of having a two-family house that would generate rental income. The small, fenced backyard was mostly dirt. The price was $1.299 million, with taxes of just under $4,000.
No. 3
Windsor Terrace Detached House
This fully detached house was almost 1,500 square feet and had nicely renovated bathrooms and a two-car garage that could work well as a music studio. The downstairs living area had an eat-in kitchen and recessed lighting, but low ceilings. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms and a back deck with stairs leading to a patio and a shared driveway. The price was $1.5 million, with taxes in the low $4,000s.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Windsor Terrace Rowhouse
South Slope Fixer-Upper
Windsor Terrace Detached House
Which Did They Buy?
Windsor Terrace Rowhouse
South Slope Fixer-Upper
Windsor Terrace Detached House