Moving to bethlehem area this spring-help!!!! (Allentown, Scranton: real estate market, 2009, insurance)

[sallyjo75]

Hey Readers- Thanks so much for information about the Lehigh Valley area. I have been looking at houses online for weeks and still feel confused. coming from Fla. we have no idea of the realistic home prices there and also how easy it is to get around esp to the Turnpike and main roads. We have grown sons so school district doesn't matter. My husband is self-employed and will travel alot. I am an RN and will want to get a job in a local hospital. Which ones are closest to Bethlehem, or surrounding areas? Don't really like to live in Allentown, but maybe the hospital there would be good to work at??? Any suggestions on areas would be great- we are looking for 3/2 house on at least 1/2 acre. If you came to Miami, I could let you know where to buy and not to buy. The real estate agents can't say that, but you guys can!!! Thanks from someone who needs your input!!.

[EmmausRocks]

Originally Posted by sallyjo75

Hey Readers- Thanks so much for information about the Lehigh Valley area. I have been looking at houses online for weeks and still feel confused. coming from Fla. we have no idea of the realistic home prices there and also how easy it is to get around esp to the Turnpike and main roads. We have grown sons so school district doesn't matter. My husband is self-employed and will travel alot. I am an RN and will want to get a job in a local hospital. Which ones are closest to Bethlehem, or surrounding areas? Don't really like to live in Allentown, but maybe the hospital there would be good to work at??? Any suggestions on areas would be great- we are looking for 3/2 house on at least 1/2 acre. If you came to Miami, I could let you know where to buy and not to buy. The real estate agents can't say that, but you guys can!!! Thanks from someone who needs your input!!.

Any "real nurse" knows that you can call the recruiting department of any hospital (they are always hiring wifes in the business too) and you can get any and all information you're speaking about. The real estate market is crashing but you already know that. If not check out my links. Since your an RN that should be easy, lol, RN

[toobusytoday]

I don't know what hospital would be better to work at, but the area around Lehigh Valley Hospital would be a great place to live. The towns of Emmaus and Macungie are in easy commuting distance and offer a wide range of housing prices. If you want to live closer to Bethlehem, you would first look at St. Luke's. It will be difficult to find a house with a half an acre in Bethlehem proper though, it's a city and the lots are small. The safer areas are on Main street on the North Side near Moravian College.

You could really commute from any of the small towns (including Emmaus, Macungie, Hellertown, Coopersburg, Nazareth) surrounding Bethlehem or Allentown - traffic does not get backed up like it does in larger Metropolitan areas. What sort of things are you looking for- being able to walk to stores, or perhaps a grocery store within 5 minutes? Price?

[sallyjo75]

Thanks toobusytoday for your more "positive" feedback that I needed. I guess I was wondering if anyone worked or had a friend that worked at a hospital there and if they liked it etc. etc. I know hospitals are so different from each other that maybe someone knew something that I don't, of course, cause I don't live there. My husband and I don't want to live in a suburbia with the houses right next to each other like here in Miami. I was thinking of a little more land and trees but don't want to be isolated either. Do you know of any good realtor in Bethlehem area that I could email and possibly meet when we go up there to look in March or April. I don't mind traveling 10-20 mins to go to the mall or movies and will grocery shop at the closest one. I know I am not real specific but I am also scared to move so far away to a place that I have only read online about!!! Has the Sands Casino opened yet and has it affected housing prices? Thanks for any info you and the readers could give me.

[toobusytoday]

While there are developments here, you don't have to live in one if you choose to live outside of the cities. These small towns that surround the cities were built hundreds of years ago. The development sprawl is on the outskirts surrounding the towns and some of the older developments are tucked away in woods on large lots. If anything you probably have more interaction with people in newer developments then you would in a city because the people in developments are new themselves and open to making new friends. I live in a development (although I prefer the term neighborhood) and consider our neighbors some of our closest friends. We regularly borrow items from each other, carpool, hang out at each other's houses, etc. I'm six minutes from the nearest grocery store and less then fifteen minutes to Welcome to The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley We do have 1/2 an acre. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths.

Look at these cute towns: Emmaus Main Street Program - Home , The Emmaus 250th Anniversary - Home ,Website Template Coopersburg Borough Welcome to Coopersburg, Pennsylvania!

No, the casino is not complete and I'm not sure when it will be done. I'm not real enthusiastic about it. I'm not sure how it will affect housing prices but the site is the former Bethlehem Steel Mill ( I think) so there were no homes real close to that before. Unfortunately, I cannot give you the name of a realtor on this site, that would constitute advertising.

[EmmausRocks]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

While there are developments here, you don't have to live in one if you choose to live outside of the cities. These small towns that surround the cities were built hundreds of years ago. The development sprawl is on the outskirts surrounding the towns and some of the older developments are tucked away in woods on large lots. If anything you probably have more interaction with people in newer developments then you would in a city because the people in developments are new themselves and open to making new friends. I live in a development (although I prefer the term neighborhood) and consider our neighbors some of our closest friends. We regularly borrow items from each other, carpool, hang out at each other's houses, etc. I'm six minutes from the nearest grocery store and less then fifteen minutes to Welcome to The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley We do have 1/2 an acre. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths.

Look at these cute towns: Emmaus Main Street Program - Home , The Emmaus 250th Anniversary - Home ,Website Template Coopersburg Borough Welcome to Coopersburg, Pennsylvania!

No, the casino is not complete and I'm not sure when it will be done. I'm not real enthusiastic about it. I'm not sure how it will affect housing prices but the site is the former Bethlehem Steel Mill ( I think) so there were no homes real close to that before. Unfortunately, I cannot give you the name of a realtor on this site, that would constitute advertising.

"I'm not sure how it will affect housing prices but the site is the former Bethlehem Steel Mill ( I think) so there were no homes real close to that before"

There are plenty of homes close to the old mills. Turn your ahead and look around that area, plenty of homes not what you probably consider nice but that's bethlehem! And we all know that prices have fallen and are going to continue and will end up in the mid 90's price range before this bubble is done deflating. That's facts I've brought up in all these posts.

Here's a reminder for you and anyone else since you brought it up.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...t-similar.html


http://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...-declines.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...s-falling.html


http://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...-bad-news.html

[EmmausRocks]

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Gang activity is just as bad in Bethlehem as it is in Allentown. The Pembroke and South Side areas are good examples.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...gh-valley.html


I am telling you Bethlehem is hood and the schools are horrible. I've lived here for decades and my family has been here forever. The people telling you how Bethlehem is OK are newbie who haven't lived here long enough because it shows in there repeated ignorance of the obvious. Do yourself a favor and goto a diner and simply ask what locals think. These people giving you advice only see what they want and probably have never been anywhere put shopping in decent area's. Take advice from locals and you'll get the truth. If not there are plenty of Mrs. Butterworth's on here to listen too.

[toobusytoday]

You don't have to be a "local" to know that cities have a higher crime rate. I can tell you without visiting that Kansas city has a higher crime rate then whatever small towns or suburbs around it. City schools usually do have lower stats then small towns and suburbs. Where's the news here?

Let's get back to the opening post:

Originally Posted by sallyjo75

Hey Readers- Thanks so much for information about the Lehigh Valley area. I have been looking at houses online for weeks and still feel confused. coming from Fla. we have no idea of the realistic home prices there and also how easy it is to get around esp to the Turnpike and main roads. We have grown sons so school district doesn't matter. My husband is self-employed and will travel alot. I am an RN and will want to get a job in a local hospital. Which ones are closest to Bethlehem, or surrounding areas? Don't really like to live in Allentown, but maybe the hospital there would be good to work at??? Any suggestions on areas would be great- we are looking for 3/2 house on at least 1/2 acre. If you came to Miami, I could let you know where to buy and not to buy. The real estate agents can't say that, but you guys can!!! Thanks from someone who needs your input!!.

I think Emmaus would be a great place for a nurse and her husband to live, what do you think Frank?

[ScranBarre]

I live just over an hour north of the Lehigh Valley in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, so you can feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt if you feel so inclined, but from my experiences in the Lehigh Valley area I really enjoyed the town propers of Coopersburg, Emmaus, and Fountain Hill (despite what people say about it, my uncle's former neighborhood was downright CUTE!) Bethlehem is the nicest city of the three major ones in the metro area, in my humble opinion. I'm not a fan of the sprawling "soccer mom" types of subdivisions either (no offense meant to KristyLiz or TooBusyToday), but to each his/her own. I've lived in a suburban development since I was nine years old, and I feel very "insulated" and "under-exposed" now because of it. I also resent the fact that these subdivisions don't have sidewalks so that children can't ride their bikes safely, people can't go for jogs/runs, etc. I'm more of a fan of the Emmaus-style atmosphere---a walkable downtown area, sidewalks, and mixed-use neighborhoods so that you can live anywhere in town and be within a mile's walk of churches, parks, schools, restaurants, etc.

In any event I wish you and your family the best of luck in your impending relocation!

[sallyjo75]

Thanks all for the info. Now when I am looking at a map, towns and cities have more meaning. I have a notebook that I am keeping information I read about and web sites to look stuff up. I firmly believe in being prepared and researching prior to a move. I am wondering though, has the real estate market been hit bad as it has in Florida? I don't know what you can get for $150K, 250K or 300K? Here the closer you get to the ocean, the more you pay (and hurricane insurance is not CHEAP!) So is there places around Bethlehem, lets say, that the houses are expensive because of a better neighborhood, schools, etc. I am just trying to get a feel for PA prices. I can't wait to get out of his oppressive heat-10 months out of the year!!! Any info would be great.