Moving to Pittsburg Kansas - suggestions? (Wichita, Kansas City: hardwood floors, for sale, real estate market)

[OSU_FAN]

I have to move to Pittsburg Kansas next year for my husband to attend graduate school. I live in in a fairly large city and am not too thrilled about the prospects of small town living. Can anyone provide information/comments about this town? We will only live there for three years so I am torn on whether to buy a house or just rent. I have heard very negative things about the rental market in Pittsburg (slum lords etc.). But, from the initial research I have done, there appear to be quite a few homes up for sale for how small the town is. I am afraid if I buy, I won't make a profit after 3 years. Luckily, I have a good job that will allow me to work from home after I move to Pittsburg so that is not an issue. I am most concerned about housing.

Any suggestions/comments are welcome! (Even if it's bad..I want to know!)

Thanks!

[briansgi]

Pittsburg is a college town so yea it has alot of rental houses around campus and probably some not so good landlords. If you rent further away from campus you may not have issues with a landlord, but always get references. As far as making a profit after 3 years, I think with the current real estate market slump, your chances of making a profit on a house anywhere in the US is pretty slim, not just Pittsburg Kansas. Since real estate probably doesn't move very quickly in smaller towns, I'd probably rent. If you buy and you definitely move after 3 years, you may be stuck with the house for quite a while. Of course you could always rent it and be a slum lord like you're trying to avoid!

[OSU_FAN]

Thanks briansgi...so my husband and I are in our late 20s..is this place going to be really lame for us? I am sadly assuming so....

[briansgi]

I think your sadly assuming correctly! It all depends on what you are use to. It sounds like you are currently in a major city, Pittsburg will be very boring to you. Although just accept it for what it is, it's a small community with no heavily populated areas close by. Kansas City is 2 hours to the north, St. Louis 4 hours to the east, Tulsa 2 1/2 to the SW. Some people crave a quiet life style with no pressures, no traffic to contend with, very little crime. So it does have alot of positives, but if you are use to alot of activity and night life, you'll probably be bored.

[KansasDB]

If you're still considering moving to Pittsburg, let a native (who has since moved away) tell you how it is. It's quiet and it's boring unless you like to hunt or fish or go to high school football games or college football games. People are very nice and friendly, but it's a depressed area financially. You won't be stressed there! There are some great houses to buy or rent, older, with porches, rather neat compared to what you will find in a bigger city. For 3 years, you'll be okay, just get involved in things, church, clubs, whatever, so you can meet people. Take a class yourself at the college. You may decide that it's pretty nice. Kansas City is about 2 hours north, for a change of pace and better shopping. Joplin, Mo is a small city in Missouri half an hour away, for variety. Hope you like country western music.

[AMHRN]

Well Pittsburg is actually growing and getting better...It now has several chain restaurants, and a Starbucks, what else do you need? It won't be too bad for three years!! Since he is in school, get involved in PSU sporting events......And the nightlife is o.k. there, but it will be filled with college students.........Plus there are plenty of places to go on the weekends within a few hours drive.....Believe me, I lived there for 12 yrs., of course, I moved away at the first chance I could, but I do miss the Midwest!!!

[nyc/kansas]

The four state area as it is called is really not as bad as you think it will be. I grew up in the area and later moved to NYC for other business opportunities, but since have moved back to find that the Pittsburg joplin area is sort of an undiscovered jewel. I live in my original hometown of Columbus,Kansas 20 minutes south of Pittsburg and 20 minutes west of jopln. Pittsburg is a very cultured city with many different ethnic backgrounds. Pittsburg has a small mall, a starbucks, walmart, and great resturants, as well as a YMCA. Joplin is a 20 minute drive with a large mall with many good stores as well as an airport with decent flights to Kansas city, Memphis, Dallas, and other Midwestern hubs. Despite what you may have heard, there is a very rare balance of rural and urban culture where no one generaly feels uncomfortable. It is a great area to live 2 hours from Kansas city and Tulsa an hour and a half from springfield and Wichita. I am so glad I got out ofthr city! By the way, sorry on some of my typing errors I am typing on an iPhone LOL

[DJ56]

I am living in Pittsburg right now attending college but I am going to transfer to KState at the winter semester. It is a small town it is quite boring in the summer time after all the students head home. I have had no problems from the lady that I rent from but I have heard of some people that have had bad experiences. But there is a movie theater in the mall and a Walmart, Home Depot, Blockbuster, Hastings, some nice restaurants like Chilis and Applebees.

[urfriendlyneighbor]

My boss's two sons went to school there and the last one just graduated. They own 2 duplexes and just sold one house that they rent out. All of these units were built in 2004-05 so they are fairly new with all the modern features. hardwood floors, etc.. plus someone takes care of all the mowing and outside work. Right now they are rented until May 09 so when you are ready to start looking to move, give us a call and I can email you pictures. Neighbors Companies

[gopitt]

I am a Pittsburg native. I lived here for 25 years, then in a small Missouri town near Kansas City 5 years, back in Pittsburg 14 years, a Denver suburb 5 years, then back to Pittsburg again, for 6 years now....guess I'm telling my age! I am actually in process of moving once again, this time to Kansas City, for business and personal reasons.
So here's my point - I've lived in different places, but I always came home. It's a great college town, has several nice parks, a strong Chamber of Commerce and is a vibrant community in many ways. As for the housing market - it's similar to many towns - some good, some bad. Several slum lords, true, but many good landlords as well. As for homes for sale - again, similar to many towns (I'm a real estate broker, so I know of what I speak). We just sold our home and made a nice profit. The market here is not as inflated as many large markets, so we have not fallen as hard. You will be pleased to find that you get much more for your money here. So....OSU fan, welcome to Pittsburg, come and enjoy all it has to offer, join in the Pitt State Gorilla fever, get to know many of the friendly people here and appreciate all this quaint and historically rich community has to offer!