Quote:
Originally Posted by Rano
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.
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Returning to Scranton
Linear Mode
