“It was upsetting to hear the feedback about the inspection, but it was very informative and very educational,” Ms. Patalano said. The group backed out.

By comparison, other places felt small, Mr. Hanly said. Finally, they found another two-family near Bushwick Avenue — not as wide, but with the layout they wanted — listed at $1.299 million. By now, they felt they had seen everything in their price range.

“There were weekends we would see 12 properties,” Mr. Patalano said. “It is exhausting. You have to make a schedule and run all over town. In some ways it’s fun, but once you see everything, things start to mesh together.”

They hired the same inspector, and this time there were only minor issues. The three bought the house in the spring for $1.245 million, as tenants in common. If one party eventually rents out its unit, the other has the right to approve the renters. “So many people say buying with friends is a bad idea,” Mr. Patalano said. “We have an agreement that we signed and put in a drawer and haven’t looked at.”

The Patalanos occupy the three-bedroom unit on the top two floors. They made a few changes, creating a closet to replace a bookcase built below the stairs, and adding ceiling fans.

One problem that didn’t appear during the inspection emerged in a shared vent buried in the ceiling. When the dryer was on, condensation would collect on the hood of the stove and the ceiling of one bathroom. They hired a contractor who opened the ceiling and created three separate vents.