On the Upper East Side, Was $800,000 Enough for a Dog-Friendly Two-Bedroom?

A job transfer of sorts brought Katie Muela and Arsy Khodabandelou to New York from Maryland a few years ago.

Ms. Muela was working as a nanny for a family that was relocating to the city from the Washington, D.C., area, so she and Mr. Khodabandelou took it “as an opportunity to move to New York for fun,” she said.

That was just before Covid shut down the city. Disappointed, the couple retreated to Maryland after a year. But after the pandemic, they were eager to return, and landed in a one-bedroom on the Upper East Side for around $2,600 a month.

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They fell in love with their bustling Yorkville neighborhood. “We got to know our neighbors and see them at the dog park every day,” said Ms. Muela, 33.

One day, the two went hiking at Bear Mountain, about an hour and a half north. Mr. Khodabandelou, who works in software sales, found himself worrying about their dogs, who were home alone. Friends and family were back in Maryland. It gave him the idea to hire a software engineer and create a pet-rescue app, Woof, which notifies emergency contacts if pets are left alone longer than expected.

The nascent business landed Mr. Khodabandelou, 35, on the TV show “Shark Tank” in 2023, though it didn’t land him a deal. Nevertheless, he said, “It was the coolest experience of my life.”

Meanwhile, the couple, who will marry next month, were outgrowing their small apartment. In the basement laundry room, the machines were often broken. And they had little counter space, making it difficult to cook and host guests.

“We didn’t have anywhere to sit,” said Ms. Muela, who now works as a court reporter. “We ate on our couch. Why, at this age and stage of us wanting to start our future, would we not purchase?”

Some of Mr. Khodabandelou’s old friends were having children and buying houses. “So it was in the back of my mind,” he said. “Do I want to be in New York or go back to Maryland and buy a house?”

The couple decided to stick around and get an apartment — dog-friendly, of course — near their rental, on the far Upper East Side. They aimed for a two-bedroom or a large one-bedroom, and quickly realized that they’d have to adjust their budget.

“We thought $500,000 was our max, but we couldn’t get anything for $500,000,” Mr. Khodabandelou said. “We kept raising our price.” It ended up at $800,000.

Online last winter, they found Annette Mulligan, then a licensed salesperson at Keller Williams NYC and now at the Corcoran Group, who explained the difference between co-ops and condominiums and noted that dog policies differ among buildings.

“I am not a picky person,” Mr. Khodabandelou said. “I fell in love with every single place that we saw.” But those places often sold quickly.

Ms. Muela was more particular. “I definitely was a brat at first,” she said. “I wanted two bedrooms, a washer-dryer and outdoor space.”

As time passed, she lowered her expectations. Among their options:

No. 1

Katherine Marks for The New York Times

This back-facing one-bedroom, in a 1942 building near the riverfront Carl Schurz Park, had a foyer, an eat-in kitchen and a large living room with a dining area set off by a pretty archway. A washer-dryer was allowed with board approval. The 70-unit, six-story building was part of a bigger complex, with a doorman, a landscaped courtyard, laundry, a playroom and a bike room. The price was $589,000, with monthly maintenance of almost $2,500.

No. 2

Katherine Marks for The New York Times

This corner co-op apartment, an estate sale, was freshly renovated. It had been converted from a junior four, with the dining alcove becoming a second bedroom. The windows faced south and east, and there were seven closets. The sprawling 18-story doorman building from 1964 was near First Avenue and had around 160 units, with a laundry room and a storage room. There was a one-dog policy. The price was $789,000, with maintenance of around $2,200.

No. 3

Katherine Marks for The New York Times

This big one-bedroom condominium in Yorkville, also an estate sale, had a balcony facing north over the backyards on the next block. It came with a walk-in closet and a stacked washer-dryer, and was in good enough condition, though with a beat-up floor. The eight-story 1925 building near York Avenue had only two units per floor, a daytime doorman and a room for bikes and storage. The price was $725,000, with monthly charges of around $2,250.

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Which Would You Choose?

Which Did They Buy?