Amelia, teacher

What she wanted:
A South Williamsburg one-bedroom near the subway.

Monthly budget: $1,700
Estimated monthly maintenance: $600
Available mortgage payment: $1,100
She has savings of: $60,000
At the current mortgage rate (30-year fixed) of 3.875% she can borrow: $233,924

What she could spend: $293,924

Her agent, Bruno Navarro of Bond New York, showed her:
39 Bedford Avenue, No. 10

Asking price: $299,000
Monthly maintenance: $470

What they found:
A bright, renovated two-bedroom in an income-restricted co-op, between the L stop at Bedford Avenue and the J/M/Z. Agents: Eugenio Stangher and Neville Ross, Prudential Douglas Elliman.

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Nathan and Jennifer, designer and buyer

What they wanted:
Greenpoint, with a real yard (over 1,000 square feet).

Monthly budget: $3,500
Estimated monthly maintenance: $750
Available mortgage payment: $2,750
They have savings of: $135,000
At the current mortgage rate (five-year adjustable) of 2.75% they can borrow: $673,621

What they could spend: $808,621

Their broker, David Kazemi of Bond New York, showed them:
151 Green Street, No. 1B

Asking Price: $849,000
Monthly Maintenance: $314

What they found:
A 2,144-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bath, with two outdoor spaces, one of them about 900 square feet. The common charges will stay extra-low for the next fifteen years because of a tax abatement.

Julie Teitel of Guardhill Financial did the figuring.

Related:

• Archive: “Real Estate”
• Articles by S.Jhoanna Robledo
• Table of Contents: Jan 30, 2012 issue of New York | Subscribe!