Emmett Murphy arrived in New York nearly 30 years ago, and spent much of that time living with roommates. Six years ago, he rented a two-bedroom in a modern Harlem building with his partner, Robert Balaguer.
“I had never lived that far north, and I loved the Harlem vibe,” Mr. Murphy said. “As we saw the economy return, the neighborhood really bloomed.” And over time, their rent did too, rising from $2,300 to $3,500 a month.
Mr. Murphy, 48, is a theater director and producer who owns a company called ShowHive that develops theatrical productions, including shows for cruise lines. As his business grew, he saved money to buy a home, but worried that he had already missed his opportunity. He and Mr. Balaguer, 37, an opera composer, were nevertheless reluctant to renew their expensive lease, so last year Mr. Murphy contacted a friend, Whitney Osentoski, a retired performer who is a licensed salesman at Halstead Property.
Mr. Murphy hoped to buy a home for $600,000 to $850,000, with a monthly outlay of no more than $3,000. But finding a two-bedroom apartment — with the extra bedroom to serve as an office — didn’t seem feasible. Places often looked wonderful online, but the information wasn’t always accurate or complete, and the apartments usually fell short in real life.
“Real estate is a fantasy, and your mind fills in a lot of blanks,” Mr. Murphy said. “But when you walk in, you have a visceral reaction, like the ceiling is too low or something smells funky. I was looking at the lower end of the market and trying to find the best version of that.”
Many of the buildings he visited, charming though they were, needed structural work. Some that were just a few dozen years old didn’t appear to be holding up well, making brand-new buildings more enticing.
The Style, a condominium that opened last year in East Harlem, had two buildings connected by a landscaped courtyard. Last fall, there was only one one-bedroom available, for $611,000, with monthly charges of around $1,100.
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The apartment was on a low floor, with plenty of activity outside, including a parking lot and a playground across busy East 132nd Street. “You can hear children screaming with joy through a plate-glass window,” Mr. Murphy said.
Both men work from home, making the noise a problem. “I am there during the day when all that is happening,” he said. The apartment later sold for $622,000.
Elsewhere in Harlem, a two-bedroom in a small, renovated condo was listed at the temptingly low price of $550,000, with monthly charges in the mid-$400s.
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