From an R.V. to a Condo Near Washington: Which Was Better for Their Growing Family?
Mehmet Ari Botani and Tara Zerya Botani both grew up in Turkey, where they faced a longstanding culture of discrimination as children of Kurdish descent. When they met in college, they bonded over a shared dream of making a home in America.
"Growing up as a member of the Kurdish community, there was no feeling of home, because you always have to learn at least two languages and be part of two cultures," said Mrs. Botani, 33. "Our biggest accomplishment is that we were both able to come to the U.S., and now we are citizens."
The two, who remained friends during school, moved to the United States separately on work visas about eight years ago: she, to Colorado; he, to New Jersey. But they stayed in touch and eventually became a long-distance couple.
After getting engaged in 2019, they rented in Washington, D.C., where Mrs. Botani found a job at a hotel and Mr. Botani bought a pizza shop with a business partner. But when the pandemic hit, she lost her job and he had to sell the restaurant.
"We got married in April 2020, and I started an online IT course so I could work remotely," Mrs. Botani said. "Mehmet joined a mobile rental-car service company with another business partner, and we decided it was a good time to have a baby, since we could all be together."
In 2021, with home prices rising, Mrs. Botani newly pregnant and the future unclear, the couple sold everything, bought an R.V. and spent months exploring their new country. They weren't sure where they might land.
"We traveled to Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Boston, Toronto and Montreal in the R.V., plus we had both been in California before," Mrs. Botani said. "Everywhere we went, I looked at homes on Zillow, but none of them really clicked. We didn't see ourselves living there."
They returned to the Washington area and settled into an Airbnb in Northern Virginia for a few months, just as their son was about to be born. They felt comfortable there and loved the access to free events and museums.
"There are lots of opportunities in the D.C. area, and there's more diversity," Mr. Botani said. "We especially like Northern Virginia, because our first apartment when we got married was in Arlington."
Shortly before their R.V. adventure, the Botanis had consulted a lender and qualified for a $550,000 home loan. But when they returned to their home search in 2023, higher interest rates and their vehicle payments had reduced the loan they were approved for to $470,000.
They reconnected with Loretta Gray, an agent with Long & Foster Real Estate, in Old Town Alexandria, Va., who had helped them look for homes earlier in the pandemic. "In 2021, we looked for a rowhouse or a condo in D.C. or a townhouse in Virginia," Ms. Gray said. "But by 2023, mortgage rates and prices were higher, so ultimately they needed to choose a condo in Virginia."
After two years on the road, the prospect of having a place with two levels and high ceilings was appealing. They also wanted something move-in ready, so they could focus on their jobs and their new son.
They considered waiting for mortgage rates to drop, but decided to forge ahead with buying in Alexandria. "We were concerned that there would be so much pent-up demand later that prices would go higher," Ms. Gray said. "They can always refinance or sell later."
