Moving - Dunmore ?? or Valley View ?? (Philadelphia, Scranton: real estate, renting, month to)

[harrythek]

Hello I am getting a job transfer to a location in waymart. I do not live in PA and I am moving there next month. I want to live north of Scranton. I've done research and went on a house hunt last week. I've been told by my realtor that Dunmore and Valley view school districts are best, but looked at several places over a few days, to include Olyphant, Throop, Jermyn and Dickson City. I'd like to live in the Valley View area just because it is close to work. How is that area? I plan on living there for a few years and will want to resell. How about Dunmore? The one house I looked at didn't seem like a great location. Which places north of Scranton and south or Carbondale are best???? Please help .... Il be renting an apt month to month when I get there.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by harrythek

Hello I am getting a job transfer to a location in waymart. I do not live in PA and I am moving there next month. I want to live north of Scranton. I've done research and went on a house hunt last week. I've been told by my realtor that Dunmore and Valley view school districts are best, but looked at several places over a few days, to include Olyphant, Throop, Jermyn and Dickson City. I'd like to live in the Valley View area just because it is close to work. How is that area? I plan on living there for a few years and will want to resell. How about Dunmore? The one house I looked at didn't seem like a great location. Which places north of Scranton and south or Carbondale are best???? Please help .... Il be renting an apt month to month when I get there.

New2PA (who has been AWOL as of late) moved to Dunmore from the Great Plains earlier this year, and I believe her child is enrolled in the Dunmore School District. She'd be a wonderful resource to contact for that school district, but, as I said, she's left us.

ConorsDad graduated from Valley View and has a very dim view of the school district that was challenged by a Valley View teacher a few months back. A lot of newer subdivisions are being built in that school district, so property values there will likely continue to appreciate. I've heard nothing but awful things about Carbondale Area and Mid-Valley Schools, so I'd probably steer you away from those two districts.

That leaves, as you said, Dunmore or Valley View. It would be interesting for ConorsDad and New2PA to both come on here and post replies to provide you with personal insight, since both have children in each district, but ConorsDad has been out of Valley View for a number of years now, and New2PA is no longer with us (sniffle, sniffle ). I live about 10 minutes to the south of Scranton, but I certainly would not advise commuting to Waymart from this far away. I'd have to say that location-wise Valley View has the edge, as you'd be roughly midway between Scranton and Waymart. Towns in this district include Archbald (including Eynon), Blakely (including Peckville), and Jessup.

[FightinPhils]

Given the choice of Valley View or Dunmore, I would take Dunmore in a heartbeat. Its much closer to conveniences, and just a nicer area overall, in my opinion. Plus, if you're interested in schools, Dunmore is hands-down a better choice. Dunmore borough has its own schools, which I feel is a better option over a larger multi-town school district. I just don't know why you automatically shut out Scranton and Carbondale? I think its the typical "city-icky" attitude, as SWB would say. The reason people seem to stay away from Scranton is the wage tax, but that is a false fear sometimes, because Scranton's property taxes are not high, and you can buy much more house for the money in Scranton. Carbondale, while it appears dumpy in parts, is not all bad...the West Side of Carbondale is a nice part of town, and oyu can also buy real estate at a better price in Carbondale due to people's unfounded fear of the "city." The only time you may want to avoid Carbondale is if you have kids, as it seems Carbondale's schools are always lagging behind other area schools in academic performance. But its not like they're Philadelphia schools either.

So to answer your original question, I believe your best bets to live north of Scranton and south of Carbondale would be the Mid-Valley (Olyphant, Throop, Dickson City) or Dunmore would be my recommendation. Those areas would be just as convenient as Valley View to get to work in Waymart, since the Casey Highway is right there, which takes you to Waymart. Even from Dunmore, you can be in Waymart in 15-20 minutes.