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Home buying

Navy Vet and Army Reserve Sergeant Find Love and Home in Brooklyn

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

After serving in the U.S. Navy and being stationed in South Carolina, Babatunde Ebunola met Karina Banaduc, an Army Reserve sergeant, on the dating app Hinge. Despite having different backgrounds - Ebunola was raised by Nigerian parents outside Atlanta, while Banaduc was born in Romania and moved to the U.S. at 19 - they hit it off immediately. With a joint goal of finding a civilian life together, they started house hunting in the New York metro area, seeking a home that fit their lifestyle requirements, including at least three bedrooms, a backyard for their dogs, and a reasonable commute to Astoria, where Ebunola works as a technician on the Champlain Hudson Power Express project.

Key Takeaways:

  • The couple's budget was $700,000, with a Department of Veterans Affairs loan, allowing them to buy a home without needing a down payment.
  • They searched for a home in the eastern stretches of Brooklyn and Queens, narrowing down their options based on price, location, and amenities.
  • The first home they saw, a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom townhouse in Brownsville, Brooklyn, met all their requirements, despite having dated fixtures and no central air conditioning.
  • The couple's bid of $679,000, $30,000 over the asking price, was accepted, and they moved in last July.
  • After only a few months of living together, Ebunola proposed to Banaduc during a trip to Romania, and they plan to marry next year.

Statistics:

  • The couple's budget was $700,000, with annual taxes ranging from $5,700 to $6,000, depending on the location.
  • The townhouse in Brownsville had 1,620 square feet, while the three-bedroom, three-bath house in Queens had 1,330 square feet.
  • It took the couple April to July to find a home that met their requirements, with one agent, Alexia Duquin of Batra Group Real Estate, providing optimism and guidance throughout the process.
  • The couple's transportation requirements led them to prioritize homes with easy access to the subway, with the Brownsville townhouse being the only option within a 10-minute subway ride.

Sources:

  • The New York Times: "A Couple's Search for a Home Sits Amid the Chaos of City Life and Blunders of Real Estate" (date: unspecified)

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