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I've been doing some research into the massive new Yalick Farms community under development in Luzerne County's trendy Back Mountain region, and I must say that while I normally abhor any sprawl that will undoubtedly siphon even more of Wilkes-Barre's eroding middle-class into the suburbs, Yalick Farms is a subdivision I'm pleased with.
Situated at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Route 415 and Route 118 between Dallas and Harvey's Lake, this new planned community differs greatly from the rest of the cookie-cutter nature of the Back Mountain as we know it. Yalick Farms has not only 283 residential units under construction but also 35 retail stores that will be available with upper-level loft-style housing options. Here is an elevation of what one strand of the retail units will look like.
The condominiums are starting in the upper-$200k range, which is consistent with the relatively-high housing values in this very affluent portion of the county. The condominiums are situated in four-unit "clusters" like the one in this illustration.
There are also several outparcels available for large-scale commercial chain development. With a population of around 30,000 and growing daily, I'm sure one of these parcels might land a new Wal-Mart Supercenter in the next few years. In fact, when I was working at Lowe's I was chatting with one of the contractors working on Yalick Farms who said that a new Wal-Mart was definitely in the works.
I'm surprised to see that the expected tax rates on each of these units will only be in the range of $3,100-$3,500, which is less than my own family pays for a 30-year-old home valued at $200,000, much less than the nearly $300,000 that these units will be retailing for. This is perfect evidence of why an annual tax reassessment is required for Luzerne County. With all of the rampant growth we're now experiencing, it should be DEMANDED.
I must say the notion of nearly 300 families moving into this new community and being within walking distance of dozens of new businesses makes me smile. I wish these people would all consider contributing to the renaissance of Wilkes-Barre by moving into homes there, but as far as urban sprawl is concerned, the developers of Yalick Farms are to be commended for what I've deemed to be a top-notch project.
the thing with urban sprawl is that no one wants to live somewhere old, run down and with outdated infastructure. who doesn't want to live in a new home, with no creeks or groans, no fix up work needed and is fairly efficient.
honestly that project looks like the typical apartment complex out here. while i hope it brings some growth to the area, it will also make the rock cut on the cross valley more of a nightmare.
has the price of homes in the back mountain gone up that drastically? $200k is a lot for a condo here in phoenix, and a friend bought his back mountain home about 3 years ago for $150k. seams too pricey for the area to me.
the thing with urban sprawl is that no one wants to live somewhere old, run down and with outdated infastructure. who doesn't want to live in a new home, with no creeks or groans, no fix up work needed and is fairly efficient.
honestly that project looks like the typical apartment complex out here. while i hope it brings some growth to the area, it will also make the rock cut on the cross valley more of a nightmare.
has the price of homes in the back mountain gone up that drastically? $200k is a lot for a condo here in phoenix, and a friend bought his back mountain home about 3 years ago for $150k. seams too pricey for the area to me.
the thing with urban sprawl is that no one wants to live somewhere old, run down and with outdated infastructure. who doesn't want to live in a new home, with no creeks or groans, no fix up work needed and is fairly efficient.
Outdated infrastructure? If anything, the older towns and cities in the valley have better infrastructure to handle higher populations, while the once-rural areas that are booming do not have the proper infrastructure to keep up with the subdivision boom. And if you're talking about older homes, the older homes in this area are much better built than the fancy new homes built with particle board. I'm in the process of rehabbing an older home, and as we've ripped out old plaster, I'm amazed at the quality of building materials they used 80 years ago compared to now.
I know not many people in this "instant gratification" society want to live in a home where work is required, they just want their fancy new home built by someone else so they can just pack up the luxury SUV and the credit cards and go to Disney World, but I can say that when I was a kid and we had an older home, some of my best childhood memories was working alongside my dad as we fixed up our home (although I may not have agreed at the time!).
But also as a result of buying an older home, I didn't have to break the bank and have more spare money to save for my kids' future.
Outdated infrastructure? If anything, the older towns and cities in the valley have better infrastructure to handle higher populations, while the once-rural areas that are booming do not have the proper infrastructure to keep up with the subdivision boom. And if you're talking about older homes, the older homes in this area are much better built than the fancy new homes built with particle board. I'm in the process of rehabbing an older home, and as we've ripped out old plaster, I'm amazed at the quality of building materials they used 80 years ago compared to now.
I know not many people in this "instant gratification" society want to live in a home where work is required, they just want their fancy new home built by someone else so they can just pack up the luxury SUV and the credit cards and go to Disney World, but I can say that when I was a kid and we had an older home, some of my best childhood memories was working alongside my dad as we fixed up our home (although I may not have agreed at the time!).
But also as a result of buying an older home, I didn't have to break the bank and have more spare money to save for my kids' future.
i disagree with a lot of what you have said, newer homes are built stronger than many older houses and built with better materials. its the law.
take for example my parents house built in the 1920's with 2x4 rafters. no current house can have 2x4 rafters because they do not withstand live load testing.
i also think the infrastructure in Wilkes-barre is a mess. houses too close to each other creating a serious threat if there is a fire. very limited off street parking, causing a traffic nightmare and major congestion on city streets. so many overhead utility lines that in some sections you view of the sky is obstructed, plus they are less reliable than underground utilities. aging gas, water and sewer lines prone to breaking, city streets that can't be expanded because structures are built too close and the list goes on.
I've also seen my fair share of coal mine era houses constructed poorly to only be used to house miners for a few years still in use, and many have what is considered to be unsafe features by today's building codes.
personally, if i didn't move from that area i would be living in a new construction home in a rural area.
i disagree with a lot of what you have said, newer homes are built stronger than many older houses and built with better materials. its the law.
take for example my parents house built in the 1920's with 2x4 rafters. no current house can have 2x4 rafters because they do not withstand live load testing.
i also think the infrastructure in Wilkes-barre is a mess. houses too close to each other creating a serious threat if there is a fire. very limited off street parking, causing a traffic nightmare and major congestion on city streets. so many overhead utility lines that in some sections you view of the sky is obstructed, plus they are less reliable than underground utilities. aging gas, water and sewer lines prone to breaking, city streets that can't be expanded because structures are built too close and the list goes on.
I've also seen my fair share of coal mine era houses constructed poorly to only be used to house miners for a few years still in use, and many have what is considered to be unsafe features by today's building codes.
personally, if i didn't move from that area i would be living in a new construction home in a rural area.
With that being said though there's even a stark contrast between housing quality in both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Scranton has been (and still is) wealthier than Wilkes-Barre, and as such many of its older homes are built more solidly and have weathered the years better than a lot of the older homes in Wilkes-Barre (I often wonder how some of the homes in the Heights neighborhood are still standing). Scranton is also a younger city than Wilkes-Barre, as Lackawanna County was even formed when it seceded from Luzerne County. As such "old" in Scranton might mean a few years younger than "old" in Wilkes-Barre.
Perhaps new construction homes are built to a higher standard in some areas than others, but even around here I can recall visiting a friend and seeing a home in the very upscale Willow View subdivision near Pittston with vinyl siding that was falling off it, even though the oldest homes in the neighborhood were just built about 15 years ago in the early-1990s. For a home that's 15 years old to already have its siding falling off leaves me with a skeptical taste in my mouth for the quality of many local builders. You tend to see many more adobe homes in the Southwest, so perhaps that is simply more durable towards the elements?
While we're on the topic of "newer" homes, our own home in a relatively-affluent neighborhood near Pittston was built in the 1970s. When my parents went to upgrade our dated kitchen last year, they were told that our electrical system had to be overhauled and they don't even know how it could have passed inspection when it was built! The owners of the home in the 1980s added a new sunken living room and screened-in patio to the rear of the structure. Shortly after we moved in we noticed that the screens were popping out of the windows, and it looked as if HOT GLUE had been used to adhere them into place! The ceiling of the patio leaks like a sieve, and we've also had structural issues with the living room, suggesting that new does NOT always equate to "better." Even now we just learned that there was a LIVE WIRE in our basement left over from the work on the kitchen, indicating that even in 2006 and 2007 contractors are still making flagrant errors that could cause serious harm.
When I move to Scranton I have every intention of buying an older home for under $100,000 rehabbing it, and then living in it for a total investment of perhaps $150,000. There's simply so much more character (turrets, large front porches, widows' walks, natural woodwork, French doors, hardwood flooring, stained glass windows, etc.) in the older homes in our cities that can't be replicated in today's "slap 'em up quick to make a buck" suburbs. I can't even remember the last McMansion I saw that had a front porch, and that should come as no surprise as it is yet another indicator of how the newest generation of homebuyers has an even lesser interest in socializing with their neighbors.
the thing with urban sprawl is that no one wants to live somewhere old, run down and with outdated infastructure. who doesn't want to live in a new home, with no creeks or groans, no fix up work needed and is fairly efficient.
honestly that project looks like the typical apartment complex out here. while i hope it brings some growth to the area, it will also make the rock cut on the cross valley more of a nightmare.
has the price of homes in the back mountain gone up that drastically? $200k is a lot for a condo here in phoenix, and a friend bought his back mountain home about 3 years ago for $150k. seams too pricey for the area to me.
$150,000 in the Back Mountain would get you a lower-end home today. I'd say that the vast majority of "average" 1970s-era 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath homes in the Back Mountain are now selling for a median price of around $199,900, the majority of newer constructions selling from $250,000-$400,000, and MANY homes now commanding prices in the upper-six-figure range in a few select areas. You'd be surprised just how much people are willing to pay for these townhomes. In the rapidly-sprawling Pittston Area you'll find all sorts of new townhome communities, including Insignia Pointe, which rapidly sold its units for around $300,000 and will soon be expanding across the street. Stauffer Pointe is a new townhome community with nearly 200 units coming to Pittston Township as well, and these units will also be rather steep in price due to the views they'll afford. There are a slew of new subdivisions coming to Luzerne County in the coming months. Never underestimate the spending power of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans who are now retiring here en masse, selling their $600,000 "average" homes once they become empty-nesters, buying these "bargain-priced" $300,000 luxury townhomes, and then having enough profit left over to purchase a higher-end vehicle, all the while enjoying the fact that their exteriors will be maintenance-free as they age.
Check the property transfers in the Citizens' Voice and watch just how quickly these units start to sell. You'll be amazed. For as much as I hate to realize that by 2020 the Back Mountain will actually be LARGER than Wilkes-Barre, I could live with more mixed-use communities like Yalick Farms springing up and less cookie-cutter McMansionvilles like Saddle Ridge littering the landscape.
P.S. If you think THESE townhomes are pricey, check out Marina Pointe at Harvey's Lake. Try spending well over $300,000 and up to $400,000 for a townhome! The same could be said for Glenmaura Commons in Moosic.
By the way, the Cross-Valley is already a nightmare at rush-hour in and out of the Back Mountain. You can't really bank on "reverse-commuting" anymore either as there are now major employers out there with more on the way (high-tech firm Solid Cactus recently announced plans to move to the Back Mountain from Downtown Wilkes-Barre, taking hundreds of jobs with it). Wait until they build the ROTARY they've been talking about at the five-points intersection in Downtown Dallas; picture Public Square with no traffic lights and with one extra outlet!
By the way, the Cross-Valley is already a nightmare at rush-hour in and out of the Back Mountain. You can't really bank on "reverse-commuting" anymore either as there are now major employers out there with more on the way (high-tech firm Solid Cactus recently announced plans to move to the Back Mountain from Downtown Wilkes-Barre, taking hundreds of jobs with it). Wait until they build the ROTARY they've been talking about at the five-points intersection in Downtown Dallas; picture Public Square with no traffic lights and with one extra outlet!
thanks for the info on the area, i've been away a few years now and have followed behind.
you seam to be pretty up on things, what sort of work is coming to the area for educated people? when i left there was very little and i had to deal with a lot of hoopla to keep my job. there was on over abundance of educated people afraid to pull up their roots which led to companies not valuing their educated work force. more than once i was given the impression "i can replace you for cheaper and not have to deal with this". i had some job interviews that had the balls to offer me less than what i was making with no benefits. albeith an architectural drafter/designer isn;t such a white collar position, but i'm sure other people were feeling the pinch too. for one company i worked for they offered my $10 an hour and i was required to wear a shirt and tie. i tell that story here and my employer doesn't believe me.
the job market and strict motor vehicle code were the 2 largest factors for my moving to Arizona. i enjoy the freedoms i am afforded here, but honestly if i was able to legally modify my vehicle and get some decent paying work i would still be living in bear creek.
from my vantage point it seams the developers are looking to build new comfortable housing that out of staters will enjoy but leaving the locals to fall farther down the financial ladder.
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That is exactly what they are banking on.
Scranton is also a younger city than Wilkes-Barre, as Lackawanna County was even formed when it seceded from Luzerne County. As such "old" in Scranton might mean a few years younger than "old" in Wilkes-Barre. 
You tend to see many more adobe homes in the Southwest, so perhaps that is simply more durable towards the elements? 
