M
iranda and Hiranya Nayyar's journey to homeownership was a long time coming. After years of navigating the challenges of city living – from roaches in their Lenox Hill basement studio to water leaks that left them feeling drained – they made the leap to a high-rise apartment in Downtown Brooklyn, complete with all the bells and whistles.

    But when Covid-19 hit, working from home became a whole new ball game. "We're both pretty loud on the phone," Hiranya explained, recalling the days of taking calls in the bathroom or hallway. The couple decided it was time to upgrade to a more spacious one-bedroom apartment within their building.

    The Nayyars met while studying at New York University and tied the knot in 2019, two years after graduation. As they navigated the ups and downs of city life, Hiranya often sought advice from his college friend Caitlin McMahon, now a salesperson at Keller Williams NYC. Despite his enthusiasm for real estate, Hiranya was intimidated by the complexities of buying a home – mortgages, interest rates, offering plans – and felt like he was climbing a mountain.

    Miranda, on the other hand, was hesitant to give up their convenient city lifestyle. "I pictured us leaving the city if we bought a house," she said. But after her salary increased when she transitioned from a nonprofit to a corporate role in sustainability consulting, they began to reconsider. With Hiranya's job in cybersecurity sales and their growing puppy Meeko in tow, they started researching and reading up on investing in a home.

    A two-bedroom apartment became essential for hosting family and friends from India, as well as providing space for Meeko's large crate. The couple sought a small building with a sense of community, where they could get to know their neighbors. They weighed the pros and cons of new or renovated condos, knowing that high closing costs often came with the territory.

    Their budget, which started at $800,000 but eventually rose to over $1 million, led them to explore options in deeper Brooklyn neighborhoods with longer commutes to Midtown. After considering several properties, they narrowed it down to two promising candidates: a spacious 1,050-square-foot condo in a six-story building still under construction, and an 800-square-foot two-bedroom apartment on a low floor of a seven-story elevator building.