Last month in Portfolio Insights, I wrote about approaching real estate not simply as a transaction, but as a thoughtful lifestyle strategy.
Recently, I had the privilege of helping one young family bring that philosophy to life.
Through my work with Indiana Talent Attraction, I met Renato and Alaina as they prepared to relocate to Fort Wayne with their two young children and a third baby on the way. Their story is, in many ways, a global one. Renato grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, while Alaina built her career as an attorney in New York. Together, they had created a wonderful life in Manhattan—but as their family grew, they began asking some bigger questions:
What would life look like with more space? More balance? More time together?
The answers eventually led them to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
After years of city living in a 1,370-square-foot Manhattan high-rise apartment, Renato and Alaina initially wondered if their children, then ages two and five, might actually get lost in their new home in Fort Wayne. Fortunately, they adjusted!
Today, the family is thriving.
Renato, who works in finance, describes the difference in cost of living between Manhattan and Fort Wayne as “drastic.” In fact, the beautiful home they purchased overlooking a pond would likely cost more than five times as much in the New York metropolitan area.
But the changes they’ve experienced go far beyond real estate values.
Renato notes that the culture surrounding work has been one of the biggest surprises. In New York’s financial industry, he says, there is often an expectation that work comes first nearly all the time. In Fort Wayne, he has found a much greater respect for work-life balance and family life.
Meanwhile, Alaina still works remotely as an attorney while enjoying views of their backyard and pond, often stepping outside onto the deck to take a call or simply enjoy a quiet moment during the day. Their preschool and daycare arrangements have proven to be significantly more affordable than they were accustomed to in Manhattan, and they’ve already developed close friendships with their neighbors.
And perhaps no member of the family has embraced the move more enthusiastically than Francie, their beloved pup, who appears convinced she has died and gone to dog heaven. After years of city living with short bathroom walks, she now enjoys unlimited access to her own large fenced backyard.
Of course, some traditions remain unchanged. During the World Cup, there is one rule in the household that everyone follows: if Brazil is playing, everyone wears a Brazilian jersey, including Francie.
For Renato, Alaina, their growing family, and yes, even Francie, Fort Wayne hasn’t simply been a change of address. It has been an opportunity to design the kind of life they want to live.
And based on what I’ve seen, they haven’t looked back.
