Kristina Hacker loved the apartment she rented in Astoria, Queens. But with up to $650,000 to spend, she was ready for a place to call her own. James Estrin/The New York Times

Kristina Hacker had a sweet deal in Astoria, Queens. For seven years, at around $1,600 a month, she rented the top floor of a rowhouse that belonged to the family of a former boss. Her apartment had a tiny second bedroom that she used as an office.

She loved that the neighborhood was walkable, and close to Astoria Park, where she went running. She commuted on the N or the W train from the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard station to her office in Rockefeller Center, where she works in marketing.

Did you recently buy a home? We want to hear from you. Email us at thehunt@nytimes.com. Want The Hunt delivered to your inbox every week? Sign up here.

“I thought I would never leave that rental unless something major happened in my life,” she said. “I was super happy there.”

Still, she said, “there’s something about owning.” Ms. Hacker worried about facing a situation out of her control, such as the sale of the building. “I didn’t want to be forced out on somebody else’s timeline,” she said. What’s more, she really wanted an outdoor space.

Ms. Hacker, 32, grew up in Fairfield County, Conn., in a house with a front porch and a back deck. It was near an elementary school, with plenty of bicyclists and pedestrians passing by. “We spent mornings and evenings out there and waved to people,” she said. “We ate outside as many days as possible.”

Ms. Hacker craved that kind of effortless access to the outdoors. If you go to the park and get bored or hungry, “you have to walk all the way home,” she said — but with a balcony or a terrace, “I can come right back in.”

She scouted possibilities online, searching for a one-bedroom in a newish building. It needed its own private outdoor space — a shared roof deck or yard wouldn’t do. She wanted to remain close to Astoria Park and near either the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard or the Astoria Boulevard subway stops because they run express trains. Her budget was up to $650,000.

Last winter, one place stood out, its price having dropped three times over six months. “All of a sudden, it was in my budget,” Ms. Hacker said. But to better understand the local market, she contacted Ann Acquaviva of Real Broker NY, an agent familiar with the neighborhood.

Private outdoor space is becoming increasingly common in the area’s new construction, Ms. Acquaviva said. “The demand is there. Even if people don’t use it, they ask for it.” The biggest deal-breaker, she said, is if a unit doesn’t have a washer-dryer.

Ms. Hacker, however, had no problem using a laundry room or a laundromat. Nor did she care much about a gym, parking or other building amenities.

Among her options:

No. 1

Converted Factory Building

James Estrin/The New York Times

This sunny one-bedroom, a little less than 700 square feet, had a large living and dining area and three closets, along with a balcony of around 60 square feet. The 1912 doorman building, just steps from Astoria Park, was originally a factory that was converted in 2008 to co-ops, with a small laundry room on each floor, 188 units and a gym. The price was $545,000, with monthly maintenance in the $1,200s.

Voro Purple LLC

No. 2

Boutique Condo

James Estrin/The New York Times

This back-facing one-bedroom, with 600 square feet, had an open kitchen with blue accents, two closets, a stacked washer-dryer and a balcony of 60 square feet. The seven-unit walk-up, opened in 2022, was two blocks from Astoria Park, and included a roof deck and a video intercom. The price was $618,000, with monthly charges in the low $900s.

Compass

No. 3

Brand-New Condo

James Estrin/The New York Times

This one-bedroom, in a building so new it was not quite finished, had just over 600 square feet, with two closets, a stacked washer-dryer and a balcony of around 50 square feet. The 24-unit building, about a 25-minute walk to Astoria Park, had a virtual doorman, a gym, a landscaped yard and a roof deck. The price was $615,000, with monthly charges of just under $1,000.

Corcoran

Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

Which Would You Choose?

0%

Converted Factory Building

0%

Boutique Condo

0%

Brand-New Condo

Which Did She Buy?

0%

Converted Factory Building

0%

Boutique Condo

0%

Brand-New Condo