The Hunt
Two Sisters Try Living Together (Again) in Washington. Who Gets the Bigger Bedroom?
With a budget of $650,000, a first-time buyer invited her younger sister to share a two-bedroom apartment in the nation’s capital — if she agreed to pay rent. Here’s where they landed.
Caroline Berens had been perfectly happy living alone for a couple of years in Washington, when her younger sister, Emma, announced that she was planning to move to the city. So Ms. Berens didn’t immediately extend an invitation to be roommates in her one-bedroom rental in Dupont Circle.
“We’re five years apart and haven’t lived together since I went to college when I was 18,” said Ms. Berens, 27, who works in corporate communications for Brunswick Group, a public relations firm. “But we’ve always been close and visited each other a lot at home in Boston and here in D.C.”
Emma Berens, 22, a recent Harvard graduate who is set to start work at a Washington-area consulting firm in July, was looking at studio apartments for herself when her older sister finally asked if she wanted to live together.
“I’ve always been frugal and have saved money to buy a home since I started babysitting at 12,” Caroline Berens said. With Emma in the mix and willing to pay rent, she saw her chance to buy a two-bedroom apartment.
The sisters were confident that they could live together amicably as adults, even if it was a bit of an adjustment.
[Did you buy a home this year? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]
“I’m coming from college life, where I lived with three other roommates, so I’m not worried about sharing a home with Caroline,” Emma said. “I don’t really want to live alone, and it’s great to have Caroline here, because she knows D.C. so well.”
After they talked through every angle of sharing a home — cleaning schedule, shared expenses, house rules — Caroline set a budget of $650,000, and they agreed that Emma would pay $1,500 a month in rent for 14 months.
“If it works out, we can always decide to extend the contract and I can stay longer,” Emma said.
Aside from the need for an extra bedroom, Caroline’s priorities for her first home purchase remained the same. She wanted a place in Dupont Circle, Kalorama or Adams Morgan. “Plus,” she said, “I was determined to avoid living in a basement.”
Both sisters are tall, so Caroline wanted high ceilings. And she needed a building that would allow her 2-year old cat, Lucy.
“Caroline always knew exactly what she wanted,” said Claudia Ornelas, the Redfin real estate agent who worked with her. “It was very clear that she was making the decisions, although sometimes she would FaceTime with Emma or bring her father along when he was in town, to get their opinions.”
There weren’t many two-bedroom apartments available, so they moved quickly when anything was listed. “We did home inspections before making any offers, so she could eliminate all the contingencies,” Ms. Ornelas said.
No. 1
Modern Kalorama Co-op
From the outside, this Kalorama co-op building exuded old-fashioned elegance. But inside, the 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment had a bright, modern vibe, with high ceilings, hardwood floors, built-in storage and a modern kitchen with glossy cabinets. The building had a paid-off underlying mortgage, which kept monthly fees comparatively low. The apartment was listed for $599,000, with a monthly fee of $772.
No. 2
Condo With Extra Room
This spacious, 1,135-square-foot corner condominium was at the intersection of the Kalorama and Dupont Circle neighborhoods. It had two large bedrooms, one bathroom and a den/office. And while it needed work, it also had high ceilings, hardwood floors and 18 windows, facing south, east and west. The narrow galley kitchen had granite counters and a window. The apartment was listed for $650,000, with a monthly condo fee of $868 and $2,400 in annual taxes.
No. 3
Condo With Leafy Views
This 1,050-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment was in an Art Deco-style Kalorama condominium overlooking Rock Creek Park. It had hardwood floors, high ceilings and a large foyer with built-in bookcases and two closets. The eat-in kitchen was dated, but had two windows and a gas range in an island. The two bedrooms were similarly sized and separated by the bathroom. The apartment was listed for $650,000 and came with a parking spot; the monthly condo fee was $859, and the annual taxes were $3,300.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Modern Kalorama Co-op
Condo With Extra Room
Condo With Leafy Views
Which Did She Buy?
Modern Kalorama Co-op
Condo With Extra Room
Condo With Leafy Views