The Open-House Log

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By S.Jhoanna Robledo
Published Nov 5, 2006

(Photo: Donald Bowers)

211 East 17th Street, Apartment 8
300-square-foot (approx.) co-op studio.
Asking Price: $275,000.
Maintenance: $486 per month.
Broker: Meris and Kenny Blumstein, Corcoran.

Who: Judy Araujo-Volkmann, painter, and Steve Volkmann, teacher (pictured).

What are you shopping for?
STEVE: We’re renting a studio on the Upper East Side, and we want to buy something now. We moved from Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
JUDY: From suburbs to the city.
STEVE: [We wanted] a change of pace. Just to get some culture. What you do when your kid grows up.
JUDY: She’s 22.

(Photo: Donald Bowers)

What do you think?
STEVE: It’s a nice little place.
JUDY: It’s a little tiny.
STEVE: But we’re trying to maximize our dollars.
JUDY: I do have a studio, so I don’t need space to paint here.
STEVE: We’re not here to hang around in the apartment. We’re here to be in the city.

Who: Martina Himlova, planner for Gap Inc.

What are you shopping for?
I can pretty much only afford a studio or a junior one-bedroom. I want light and the option to rent it out … I’d been thinking about buying for a while, but the fact that prices have come down has spurred me to action.

What do you think?
It’s a cute apartment. It’s a little bit small, but it’s what I expected for the price range. It’s a fourth-floor walk-up, but that’s pretty much what I have, so I don’t mind.