Wellsvile, Ohio anybody? (Steubenville, Toronto, Bellaire: rental, crime, buying a house)

[jrc]

I lived there while working as a co-op student in the early 90s. I worked at the power plant. All I can says is what a dump. To all of you who live in that crappy town please do yourself a favor. Get out. There are so many nicer places. Heck almost anywhere would be better.

[Marshell]

That is exactly why Wellsville is in the condition it is in. People like you who lived in and used it; took form it ,and then left without giving anything back. Other places for you are best; you probably do not care where you live. You have the money and good job to come and go.
Most of us are poor and some have to stay. Others choose to stay in this area.You say you worked at the power plant? I'll bet you used the highway for most of your travel. I'll bet you did all or most of your shopping in other cities. Like a good woman, a village needs to be loved and tended too; or it will die. It's a shame people do not know true beauty; we need our young folks to stay and make this a better place. Not be encouraged to leave.
What makes me the angriest is that the ones with money want instant beauty; not worked at beauty. They do not care what happens to this place; all it is is a stomping ground.[/font]

[jrc]

Like I said they should do themselves a favor. I would try to get out if I lived there. In this world there is a need to look out first for what is best for yourself and your family. What is best for Wellsville has to take second place. Yes I used the state highways and no I didn't do much shopping because I didn't have a lot of money. I had to save it to pay for my education. I would bet that if you put a bubble around Wellsville it is an economic sink hole. They are probably getting more from the state then they generate. The fact is that some towns die others thrive. I don't like to see it but there it is. IMO if a town is in bad shape usually it is because of the attitude of those that live there. It is not fair to blame the downfall of a town on someone who is only trying to better themselves.

[Pugh]

My dad and his family were from Wellsville. My grandfather Edwin F. Pugh was on the police force there for fifteen years until his death. My grandmothers name was Beulah. My father George or as his friends called him Kenneth was also on the force until 1939. I have family buried in Springhill Cemetary which if anyone would like to take pictures of gravemarkers and upload to me I would appreciate. Families of Pugh and McCord.

I grew up with stories about Wellsville during prohibition. Stories of "Little Italy". If memory serves me correctly I believe Mr. Nunzio was alive during those times and when I last was in Wellsville I had quite a long discussion with Mr. Nunzio. My father loved his hometown and always wished to return.

My grandfather Edwin was born in Salineville to James and Rachel Pugh. There to if someone would give me a contact or a name of a cemetary in Salineville I would also appreciate it.

The last time I visited the area of Beaver and Wellsville I left very depressed. For there seemed only to be joy on the children's faces. Parents walked around malls and stores with nothing but gloom on their faces. I understand why living in a manufacturing town that is losing its industry. I asked my cousins in Beaver if anyone had come in to revive the area after the decline of the steel industry and they said no. This part of Ohio and Pennsylvania have been in decline since the 70's and politicians should be held accountable for it.

I hope and pray that business will return to the area and provide good jobs and a future to these good people.

[Need_affordable_home]

Should I cross wellsville, OH off my list? Right now the following cities are on the list with their crime index. Cosmic lives just outside Woodsfield and says this is the best town in OH

Ohio has Steubenville(400)Toronto(120)Wellsville(250)
Woodsfield(70)Mingo Junction(200)Bellaire(240)
Martins Ferry(150?)Lancaster(300)Newark(320)
Ashland(160)Bellevue(???)New London(???)
Marion(320)Galion(250)Crestline(100)

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

Should I cross wellsville, OH off my list? Right now the following cities are on the list with their crime index. Cosmic lives just outside Woodsfield and says this is the best town in OH

Ohio has Steubenville(400)Toronto(120)Wellsville(250)
Woodsfield(70)Mingo Junction(200)Bellaire(240)
Martins Ferry(150?)Lancaster(300)Newark(320)
Ashland(160)Bellevue(???)New London(???)
Marion(320)Galion(250)Crestline(100)

I would strike Mingo Junction, Bellaire, Steubenville, Toronto off the list. They are some pretty drab puppies, plus are in major pollution zones. Just not worth it. Bellaire could be sort of interesting if you can predict the future, I don't know many of the exact details, lots of brick houses / buildings. Would need some up close and personal visits.

I would not be too harsh on Wellsville. It will have a future, it has turned the corner, you are a few years too late for the super bargain in houses. Could have bought one well below $10K, were tons of them. Your typical house now might be ~$40K. People who can take risk probably have made out pretty good over the past five years or so.

The big question will be how long it will take to recover to some point. It used to have a pottery industry. Industry will come back to that area, it is in too prime a transportation hub. But like most places that go thru a bad period, the way back might not be all roses. After all Boston did the same thing and you had to struggle thru about 20 years in the Wilderness, before striking Gold again. Lot of the people who know the history of Wellsville, have been there in the past still have a bad taste in their mouth from what happened on the big tumble. I remember going there for the fireworks every year, used to be a good place to live. Had a certain character.

Wellsville has some of the problems of many of those older towns. Very dense housing, many on lots not much bigger than the house. Maybe with no off street parking. Needs new blood but if it gets the right jobs that will come.

I would never live in Wellsville again, it will take too long for a full recovery. But if it can get the right job base, could be a good town again. Surrounding country might be interesting. It also needs to rebuild a good business district, maybe on Main Street, like the old dazes.

You keep making the same mistake over and over. No Boots on the Ground experience with any of those areas, too much focus on "Data" and facts as you can find on the Web. That just never tells the real story. Way too much focus on what housing costs.

I might look at something like the town of Shadyside. A town with a more modern layout, housing not as old as many river towns, still in fair shape, got some shopping. Get up in elevation toward the town edge to avoid any potential flooding. Not a bad location. Lots of shopping, services nearby in the general area. I stop there for lunch on a number of trips up to Wheeling, etc.

Also look at the towns further down the Ohio River, some of those are in much better shape. Maybe something like Gallipolis. Marion used to be a fun town, don't know how it is these days. I used to go up there when I lived in Columbus, some friends lived there. Newark is still a nice town, some of my relatives live there. Lots of good towns in Ohio. Just ask on the Ohio Forum. At some point you need a long trip to actually see what some of these places are like. Woodsfield has many good features, I would not claim it is the best town in Ohio for everything. It is all a game of selecting the criterion you want. The SE counties will be the cheaper living, lower taxes, least regulation, typically they will not have the best shopping or services, none of the glitz.

Some of the more trendy towns to the western part of the state, you will pay a lot more in real estate taxes, same with some of the northern areas. All depends on what you really want.

[Need_affordable_home]

Gallipolis has only two houses listed on Realtor com and one is $450k, the other is a tiny old house for $55k, meh dont like that house. The cheapest Shadyside house is $59k for a tiny one, again not worth it, Woodsfield is a much better deal. Marion is already on my list. Its in central OH though. I still say Woodsfield has the best of both worlds. Its the safest town in Ohio accroding to the crime index and prices are also very reasonable. The only thing I dont like is theres no real shopping in Woodsfield and the nearest Walmart is like 20-25 miles away. That can take an hour for a round trip. How many houses are for sale now in Woodsfield? I found only 9 on Realtor com, maybe most are by owner?

I really need to go up and visit those towns and ill also visit you and you can give me a tour of Woodsfield. The only information I know I got from the internet. Seems like if you ask a different person, they will say different things. Some say PA is the best, some say WV, some say OH and this confuses me! Oil city is still high on my list, huge number of stately houses to choose from at rock bottom prices. It has enough shopping, including a super walmart. The only negative thing is the cold and lots of snow. Woodsfield is a few degrees less cold and has half as much snow. I see lots of good choices in WV, Parkersburg being one of them. Lots of safe towns in northern WV too.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

Gallipolis has only two houses listed on Realtor com and one is $450k, the other is a tiny old house for $55k, meh dont like that house. The cheapest Shadyside house is $59k for a tiny one, again not worth it, Woodsfield is a much better deal. Marion is already on my list. Its in central OH though. I still say Woodsfield has the best of both worlds. Its the safest town in Ohio accroding to the crime index and prices are also very reasonable. The only thing I dont like is theres no real shopping in Woodsfield and the nearest Walmart is like 20-25 miles away. That can take an hour for a round trip. How many houses are for sale now in Woodsfield? I found only 9 on Realtor com, maybe most are by owner?

I really need to go up and visit those towns and ill also visit you and you can give me a tour of Woodsfield. The only information I know I got from the internet. Seems like if you ask a different person, they will say different things. Some say PA is the best, some say WV, some say OH and this confuses me! Oil city is still high on my list, huge number of stately houses to choose from at rock bottom prices. It has enough shopping, including a super walmart. The only negative thing is the cold and lots of snow. Woodsfield is a few degrees less cold and has half as much snow. I see lots of good choices in WV, Parkersburg being one of them. Lots of safe towns in northern WV too.

Just goes to prove, the research on the Web only takes a fellow so far. It is more like a starting point, not the be all.

The better places are going to cost money. Shadyside might be like many places now in SE Ohio. The sellers have dried up, especially those who are real sellers. A number of folks are "Locked Into Their House" and can't get the money out required to make any sale possible. Especially true for many of the better properties in the better areas. Generally SE Ohio is down about 30% since I moved there. Many of those areas you will have to have a presence on the ground and pay your dues. Think renting to understand what is involved.

Also that usually means having a good car, being very mobile, having the time to do some traveling local and about the general region. Again I don't think you have much of a game plan. I doubt you can come to the area, be the new kid just off the bus and score big time in a week or less. Just not the way the World is wired any more.

For example I am seeing just about nothing in terms of nice little farms that were for sale a few years back. I haven't seen anything that interested me in quite a while. Most stuff on the market is probably junk over the entire region. Some stuff is very, very doubtful even as a rehab type project, the economics might not make any sense at all. Good quality property that is priced right sells very, very quick. Anything under $40K that is worth a darn / fairly priced is gone in an instant.

The weather data is not reliable for Woodsfield. It is in a micro-climate type niche. Its real weather is always milder than reported, the weather sensor sites are down on the river in the bigger towns.

You have to be careful with central Ohio. The overall weather has changed for some reason. Blame Global Warming. The summers seem to have gotten a lot hotter in the flatter areas, the eastern regions are not affected as much, anything up in elevation is far better. Lot of haze now in the central areas, especially around Columbus.

That stuff about PA and WV is sort of like people will tell you what they think they know. Both PA and WV are far more regulated states than OH, something more on the order of MA or New England. Not many people bailing out of Ohio to move to PA or WV, they also know why they aren't leaving. One of my neighbors kid works in WV but will not be a resident for all the tea in China, least on paper. They keep trying to "Report Him to Big Brother" for being a cheater of the system. A fair number want to come the other way.

Oil City might work for you but I think you need something that looks like a real game plan for making the move. I would start with at least getting my own car. Something very reliable in which to make trips to the far North.

[Need_affordable_home]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

Just goes to prove, the research on the Web only takes a fellow so far. It is more like a starting point, not the be all.

This info will get me started on what states and cities to put on the list to check out, hopefully visit.

The better places are going to cost money. Shadyside might be like many places now in SE Ohio. The sellers have dried up, especially those who are real sellers.....

I am not going to play the game with speculators who flip for profit and drive prices to unrealistic levels. Woodsfield has realistic prices. I arent renting, I am buying

Also that usually means having a good car, being very mobile, having the time to do some traveling local and about the general region. Again I don't think you have much of a game plan. I doubt you can come to the area, be the new kid just off the bus and score big time in a week or less. Just not the way the World is wired any more.

I am not sure if ill buy my car in FL or buy it up there. It costs the same to fly as to drive but takes a very long time to drive. The only sense driving makes is if its a big car or van and I can move some of my stuff.

For example I am seeing just about nothing in terms of nice little farms that were for sale a few years back. I haven't seen anything that interested me in quite a while. Most stuff on the market is probably junk over the entire region. Some stuff is very, very doubtful even as a rehab type project, the economics might not make any sense at all. Good quality property that is priced right sells very, very quick. Anything under $40K that is worth a darn / fairly priced is gone in an instant.

Ive also noticed the cheaper houses in Oil city sell quick, anything under $20k doesnt stay long. Saw one for $6,900 that was gone in two weeks. Lots of good houses $30k to $50k available though. What do you define as junk? I checked on Realtor com and theres only 9 listings in Woodsfield. You do live just outside Woodsfield, maybe theres alot more houses to choose from with better prices?

The weather data is not reliable for Woodsfield. It is in a micro-climate type niche. Its real weather is always milder than reported, the weather sensor sites are down on the river in the bigger towns.

One website gives me the Parkersburg WV weather station. How much warmer is it and are the summers also hotter or are they mild as well? Can you tell me what temperatures I should expect(high/low) in summer and winter?

You have to be careful with central Ohio. The overall weather has changed for some reason. Blame Global Warming. The summers seem to have gotten a lot hotter in the flatter areas, the eastern regions are not affected as much, anything up in elevation is far better. Lot of haze now in the central areas, especially around Columbus.

Haze as in pollution? Ugh no good. If its fog then driving will be dangerous. I also hate hot summers and is one reason I want to move up north away from Florida.

That stuff about PA and WV is sort of like people will tell you what they think they know. Both PA and WV are far more regulated states than OH, something more on the order of MA or New England. Not many people bailing out of Ohio to move to PA or WV, they also know why they aren't leaving. One of my neighbors kid works in WV but will not be a resident for all the tea in China, least on paper. They keep trying to "Report Him to Big Brother" for being a cheater of the system. A fair number want to come the other way.

I thought its legal to live in one state and work in another? Or do you have to pay taxes in both states if you do that? Wont be an issue for me as im self employed. Define regulations. I am not planning on building a house or doing any major remodeling, I just want a nice big house for a good price. Seems that Woodsfield is a little more expensive than Oil city. Can you tell me how much house I would be looking at for $50k in or around Woodsfield? In Oil city I could get a 4 bedroomer with easily 1500+ living square feet(3000+ total) two stories plus basement and attic and move in condition needing only cosmetic repairs, if any at all. I understand the weather in Woodsfield is better than Oil city and theres less regulations. But Oil city has alot more shopping and better prices.

Oil City might work for you but I think you need something that looks like a real game plan for making the move. I would start with at least getting my own car. Something very reliable in which to make trips to the far North.

Too far to drive and I can fly for the same price. Im thinking of buying my car in Pittsburgh after I find a house to buy. I can take my cloth and computer with me on the plane and have some of my personal belongings mailed to me at a fraction of the cost of delivering it by a moving truck(can cost thousands)

[OhioT]

FYI..they are building a new coal liquification plant in wellsville..where I used to drive 2 1/2hrs to get to...to go 4x4'ing..

there are gonna be 500 jobs ONCE it opens..and probably 1500 jobs during the build..wellsville will re-viatalize within the next 5 years...theres several BILLION dollars being spent on this..

do a google search about it...

yea...we're gonna loose one of the best 4x4 spots in the midwest..BUT..it will save the town...fair trade if ya ask me...

oh..and my Father in law and my wifes grandparents grewup/lived in wellsville since the 1900's..they remember its hay-day..