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Hello everyone. I first wanted to let you all know I've been following this blog for a few months now and I've really enjoyed it. I am originally from the clarks summit area and just got a job in wilkes barre (coming from Fla.). Before I buy a house I thought it may be a good idea to rent first and I was wondering if there were any newer apartment complexes built in the past five years w/in commuting distance of WB - or any apartments you may recommend. I've already come accross East Mountain, but was looking for something a little newer. Thanks very much in advance!
I have recommended this a few times...my daughter lives in an apartment complex in Dunmore, about 1/4 mile off Interstate 84. It really is nice and secluded yet really close to everything. Not a far drive to WilkesBarre in my opinion.
Anyway...check it out...
cvmdunmore.com
They have pictures and everything on the web-site. It is basically brand new, was vacant for some time and someone from L.I. bought it and renocated inside and out, it is really nice. If I didn't own a home, I'd be perfectly content living there.
Thanks "I Love PA". It's a beautiful place, based on their photos. The only thing is the location. I'd really like to live in or closer to WB to learn the area a little better.
I live in Pittston, about ten minutes north of Wilkes-Barre, and I attend college downtown (King's), so I hope I can be of some assistance. New apartment complexes are going to be as scarce as hen's teeth in Greater Wilkes-Barre. While new residential construction has been occurring all over Luzerne County as of late (our population decline has just begun to reverse itself), it is all mostly single-family detached dwellings in the suburban areas that are proliferating. The current high-growth areas continue to be the Back Mountain (Dallas/Shavertown/Harvey's Lake) and Mountain Top, but as I said 99.9% of the growth in these two areas has been into new single-family homes in newer subdivisions.
East Mountain might just have to be your best bet for something more modern, but even this I believe was developed in the late-1980s or early-1990s. You also have Green Acres in Kingston, which seems to be a very nice complex in a convenient location to the Cross-Valley Expressway, but once again it is by no means newer construction. In the downtown is Marlboro Place (also not new construction). Trendy new lofts and condos are being planned in several locations downtown, but all of these projects have stalled. The old Hotel Sterling is being renovated to house roughly 60 new condos, but I haven't seen any progress occurring on that in many months now, and I should know because I park daily in a lot just two buildings away. The new movie theater downtown has adjacent space for retail ventures and loft apartments in the Northampton & Main mixed-use project, but neither seem to be filling up too quickly. Finally, a developer plans to transform the old Murray Complex into new lofts and shops, but that too has stalled.
You might want to try posting an ad on CraigsList for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area under "Housing Wanted" and then give a description of what type of unit you're looking for, your price range, and location. Landlords tend to lurk around on CraigsList and might respond with a unit that matches your criteria.
If you were looking closer to the Scranton area, I would have recommended the Lofts @ The Mill to you, as this complex seems to be very popular.
Thank you "ScrantonWilkesBarre" that was very informative. I will take a look at the places you mentioned. The Lofts @ The Mill looks very cool - I wish it was in WB. You mentioned that most of the new construction was of the free-standing homes in various subdivisions sprouting up on the Back Mountain. What are the general price ranges for such new construction? I've seen what's available on realtor.com, however most new construction isn't really reflected.
Thank you "ScrantonWilkesBarre" that was very informative. I will take a look at the places you mentioned. The Lofts @ The Mill looks very cool - I wish it was in WB. You mentioned that most of the new construction was of the free-standing homes in various subdivisions sprouting up on the Back Mountain. What are the general price ranges for such new construction? I've seen what's available on realtor.com, however most new construction isn't really reflected.
The Back Mountain and Mountain Top have traditionally been Luzerne County's two hottest real estate markets ever since the 1972 flood sent valleyites packing en masse for the hills. Growth slowed in the 1980s and early-1990s and then picked up pace again from the mid-1990s to present. As such, these two areas tend to have the highest housing prices of anywhere else in the county. I'd say $250,000 would be a good figure to estimate for the average price of a new construction home in most of these subdivisions, with some coming in at the low-$200k range and some coming in at over $300,000 (with some more exclusive areas, like the Ice Lakes or Woodridge II, being in excess of $500,000). There are a number of townhome communities in both areas you might be interested in. For example, units at the Village at Mountaintop (spelled improperly as just one word instead of the more common two-word notation for the community), are in a generally affordable price range of around $150,000 or less, and some of these units have just been built in very recent years. A new townhome community in Mountain Top known as The Sanctuary (sounds a bit snooty for my tastes, but to each his own), has townhomes generally priced in the upper-$200k range. There are two newer subdivisions being proposed in the southern reaches of the Crestwood School District that would each bring in several thousand new families and would have a blend of single-family homes and townhomes, but anti-sprawl watchdog groups comprised of neighbors to the proposed developments have been voicing their opposition to their conditional approval at township supervisors' meetings.
Heading into the Back Mountain, which now has a population of 30,000 (and will be as large as Wilkes-Barre by around 2020 if current trends continue), there are many more housing options available. The trade-off would be that traffic congestion along Route 309 through Dallas, Shavertown, and Trucksville continues to worsen, especially during rush-hour, because it's the only primary artery linking this suburban area to Downtown Wilkes-Barre. Here you'll find Yalick Farms, which is probably the Back Mountain's first experiment with "smart growth." In this newer subdivision you'll find mixed-use zoning with townhome clusters and condos perched above retail space. A man working on this project also told me that long-range plans account for a Wal-Mart Supercenter being built on one of the outparcels. Prices on units here I believe average in the low-$200k range, but they have a very informative and thorough web site which might prove to be more useful. Marina Pointe is an upscale townhome community at the entrance to Harvey's Lake (a bit far of a drive to W-B), and prices here can easily exceed $300,000 for a unit, especially one with rear boat slip access. There are affordably-priced condos at Newberry Estates in Dallas, which has a "community"-like atmosphere with amenities, but I believe this project was built in the 1980s. Dakota Woods is another newer townhome community in Dallas Township, but I haven't seen any units hit the market for resale since it has been developed (a good sign I guess if residents are generally content). Other than this you'll have dozens of single-family home subdivisions to choose from in the Back Mountain ranging from ones like Elmcrest, a well-established 1970s neighborhood with bi-levels, split-levels, and ranches in the upper-$100k range to brand new subdivisions like Goodleigh Manor and Saddle Ridge. By and large if you meet someone from the Back Mountain, there's probably a 90% chance that they live in a subdivision of some sort.
Come to think of it, a townhome might be the best way for you to go. As more retirees from NY, NJ, and Philadelphia are checking into our area's lower cost-of-living while also wanting to rid themselves of exterior maintenance, we've seen an explosion of new townhome communities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area as of late. You might even want to inquire with a developer if they'd be willing to rent a newer unit to you (perhaps enter into a one-year lease) so that you'd be free to move after that year was up if you so chose and that they would be able to have another unit available for resale. Here are some townhome communities I can think of off the top of my head in Luzerne County within a 20-minute drive or so of Wilkes-Barre:
Horizon Estates: Being just two minutes from the onramps and offramps for I-81 and I-476 in rapidly-growing Pittston Township would probably make this community the most convenient one in the entire region. This blend of 26 townhomes and 24 single-family homes was developed just a few years ago and has unit prices generally in the upper-$100k range. The only downside to living here would be the noise from the nearby freight train traffic. We live about 1/4 mile away from the tracks in another subdivision, and I often hear the trains at night from my bedroom which faces them.
Insignia Pointe: An upper-$200k range townhome community situated next to a park along Main Street in the Inkerman section of Jenkins Township. The community sold out quickly and will be expanding across the street in 2008.
Ledgeview: Situated in the "Garden Village" of West Pittston, across the street from the famed Blue Ribbon Dairy, is this newer subdivision featuring a blend of townhomes and single-family homes. The townhomes sell in the mid-$100k range, which makes them an affordable option. You'll be near the river yet out of the flood plain.
Pine Ridge Estates: Located in North Wilkes-Barre, this is the first large-scale residential project to come to the city since the development of Barney Farms in the early-1990s. This subdivision offers townhomes in the low-$100k range and single-family homes in the low-$200k range, which makes it an affordable option in a safe city neighborhood (Miners Mills).
Quail Hill: Development of this massive subdivision in Pittston Township has been rather slow, but eventually garden-style apartments will be developed here once Phase I, which consists of executive-style homes in the $300,000-$600,000 range, is completed. Properties here sit on a high bluff overlooking Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties.
River Mist: An upper-$100k range townhome community in Plains Township on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River. You'd be just ten minutes from Downtown. Access is available off of North Main Street, but a second entrance from North River Street is currently under construction.
Stauffer Pointe: These tax-free townhome units are currently under development in Pittston Township and will be available for occupancy in 2008. About 180 new units will be built at a price range in the upper-$200k range I believe, and these will be adjacent to the existing established Stauffer Heights subdivision, which offers impressive valley views.
Wildflower Village: Many of these 1990s-era units in Exeter go for the low-$100k range, making them amongst the more affordable units in the region, so this might be your best option. Be wary though of flooding concerns that have plagued certain sections of the community. If you do scope out a unit here, I'd try to casually strike up a conversation with a resident out tooling around in their yard to inquire about what streets are subject to basement flooding issues. Otherwise this community is in a very desirable area in one of the few growing towns on the West Side.
There are surely many more communities that I've missed, and I'll add them later when I think of them.
Paul...Ledgeview, across rom the Blue Ribbon Dairy...do you know the price range of the single family homes? It is upscale or a place where I would fit in?
I have fond memories of the Blue Ribbon...my Grandpa, who was a lover of ice cream like me, always took us there as kids. Then we would make a stop there on the way home back to N.Y. My Dad was a big fan of the cherry vanilla. Ahh....those were the good ole days!
Paul...Ledgeview, across rom the Blue Ribbon Dairy...do you know the price range of the single family homes? It is upscale or a place where I would fit in?
I have fond memories of the Blue Ribbon...my Grandpa, who was a lover of ice cream like me, always took us there as kids. Then we would make a stop there on the way home back to N.Y. My Dad was a big fan of the cherry vanilla. Ahh....those were the good ole days!
Ledgeview is a regular middle-class type of newer development. There are currently five townhomes on the market there for $159,900 (we're no longer allowed to post real estate pictures), but there don't appear to be any more single-family detached homes on the market. I believe they were selling in the low-$200k range though---something you should be able to swing if you sell your home in The Hideout. It's not at all as snooty feeling as Harmony Hills, if that's what you were implying. These homes are in the Wyoming Area School District, so property taxes would be lower than they were in Blueberry Hill Estates, which was in the more expensive Pittston Area School District.
Thanks again. That was extremely helpful. You should consider exploring a career in real estate!
Thanks. I'm pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and will be the last graduating class in PA that will be able to sit for the CPA exam with only 120 college credits under their belt. The class of 2010 will be the first class in which you'd need 150 credits to sit for the exam. I hope to work as a CPA for a number of years to build up enough savings to live comfortably off of before I open my own real estate firm in Downtown Scranton in my 30s that will be called "Electric City Realty." I think I'd probably be one of the best buyers' agents around because I like helping newcomers get acquainted with the region, whereas most others have a profit motive in mind.
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