Max and Michele E. have been searching for a home of their own for years – they wanted a piece of the American Dream. The parents of two young boys, they wanted to own a home where the boys could have their own rooms, and even a yard to play in. But it felt impossible to find a home in Brooklyn on Max’s salary – he has worked in a Cornell University research lab for more than 10 years, and Michele is a student who stays at home with the boys.
The family of four lived in an apartment near Brooklyn College, a quiet neighborhood close to transit. But the apartment was too small – four people in a one bedroom. It was cramped and there was little privacy. Max and Michele were beginning to despair by 2017.
Then, their happy ending hit Max right in the chest. One of Max’s colleagues has a wife who works in real estate, so he knows a good deal when he sees one. This colleague saw a Habitat NYC ad in a morning newspaper, and immediately thought of Max and his family. Then, at work, he took the paper and thumped Max right in the chest with it, telling him to apply. ‘I’m going to do what he says!’ Max remembers thinking.
Max got all of his papers in order and, never one to leave anything to chance, personally dropped them off at the Habitat NYC office. In March of 2018, the family got the news that they would soon purchase a single family home in Queens.
The search was over, and the American Dream was finally theirs.