Welcome to It Happened One Weekend, our weekly roundup of The New York Times real estate section...
Every "The Hunt" column begins with the Hunters describing the apartment they want, and ends with them rationalizing whatever they came away with. This is The Hunt: Dreams vs. Reality
The Hunters: A couple looking to buy.
Price
Dream: $400,000
Reality: $336,000
Neighborhood
Dream: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Reality: Jackson Heights, Queens
Amenities
Dream: Studio or 1BR
Reality: 1BR
Summary
This couple met through friends and decided to save money by not having a lavish wedding. It's a good thing they did because the wife ended up going back to school, leaving them with one income. They were living in her Carroll Gardens studio and wanted to buy and stay in the area, but that didn't work out. They looked at places in Bushwick, Jackson Heights, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and back to Jackson Heights, where they finally found their new homea renovated corner one-bedroom on the top floor with no neighbors. The place was listed at $285,000, but a bidding war ensued. It's not perfect, as they've encountered some problems, but they're still enjoying the peace and quiet. [The Hunt/"Wedded, but Not to Any Particular Place"; Photo via Google Maps]