Maria Walker, an 86-year-old former math teacher who immigrated to New York from Ecuador in 1962, has come full circle in her decades-long journey of homeownership. After initially purchasing a modest two-bedroom house on Staten Island with her first husband for $28,000, Walker has since bought and sold more than a dozen homes, often collaborating closely with her daughter, Michelle Flood, a 58-year-old designer and stylist.
Two years ago, Walker began planning for the future and sought to consolidate family resources by selling a West Village studio apartment she had owned since the late 1980s. Walker intended to leave the apartment to her granddaughter, 23-year-old investment banking analyst Inali Dreyer. However, escalating co-op fees prompted Dreyer to suggest pooling their funds to buy a house together outside New York City.
The three generations—Walker, Flood, Dreyer—along with Flood’s husband George White, their dog Harry Styles, and three stepchildren, prioritized finding a residence spacious enough to accommodate the entire family. Their budget was up to $1 million, and they sought a location close to water with walkable amenities. After initially considering Greenwich, Connecticut, they shifted their focus to New Rochelle in Westchester County, attracted by its affordability and convenient commute to Grand Central Terminal.
To finance the purchase, Flood and Walker sold a co-owned home in Massachusetts, while Walker retained the West Village studio temporarily to help cover the down payment on the new property with a mortgage. She planned to pay off the loan after selling the studio, aiming to leave her granddaughter a mortgage-free home. Flood and Dreyer agreed to manage property taxes, repairs, and insurance going forward.
Their real estate agent, Rose Bulfamante of Houlihan Lawrence, guided them through a selection of distinctive options, including a renovated 1919 colonial with updated systems and a finished basement priced at $852,000; a larger property consisting of a main house and a separate cottage near Lake Innisfree for $1.05 million; and a 1905 side hall colonial in New Rochelle’s historic district, featuring nearly 4,000 square feet of living space, multiple fireplaces, and proximity to shops and the train station, listed at $875,000.
Although initially discouraged when the side hall colonial went under contract to another buyer, the family soon learned the property was back on the market. They promptly submitted an offer of $880,000, which was accepted.
“This is the first place that feels like a forever home,” said Flood, reflecting on the significance of securing a long-term residence that unites three generations under one roof after a lifetime of moving.