Wellsvile, Ohio anybody? (Canton, East Liverpool, Salem: real estate market, loan, houses)

[EMill4622]

Anyone heard of this crap town?


P.S. This is where I live!

[Donna7]

No, I haven't. What part of Ohio is this located in? Closest big city?

[OneWayOut]

It is a bordertown, almost right where Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania meet. Its by East Liverpool, about halfway in between Pittsburgh and Canton.

I take it all is not well in Wellsville? Why not? Moving somewhere?

[paintballer1708]

Wellsville is not a good town. I feel a lot of negative influence from West Virginia has moved into Wellsville. East Liverpool is on the rebound with new projects along its riverfront, and Calcutta is booming. Salem, Lisbon, Columbiana, and East Palestine are all great towns. Columbiana County is very nice. I just wouldnt consider a move to Wellsville. In fact Columbiana county is the only growing county in population along the PA, Ohio, West Virginia border. With Beaver County, PA... Columbiana County, Ohio... and Hancock County, WV.

[Cosmic]

Yup, I sort of know it pretty good, used to go there a lot as a kid, lot of my relatives used to live there. I still know a bunch of people in that general area.

Fell on pretty hard times. But if you took the long view, might make out. Houses have gone up a lot in price in the last few years.

It has the one thing every town that goes in the dumper really needs. Location, location, location.

Wellsville sits on that critical junction of transportation, road, rail, river. Already the InterModal center should be doing some good. Plus I do hear some better jobs should be in the works. A medical center and maybe they will get some of that spin off from clean coal technology.

With all the business gone on the main street it only has one way to go, up. Does look like some grocery opened since I was last there. (Save-a-Lot). If they can get some business, banks, etc back might have a chance. If you are in on the bottom could make out, it usually is not nice to ride thru a turn around. Chuckle being a lot of the old bars seemed to survive, says something of the culture.

Has one other sort of advantage. Is not in a major pollution zone. Most of those really bad power plants are to the south of them. The air is not near as bad as say Weirton / Stuebenville.

But haven't said that, I doubt I would consider moving back to Wellsville anytime in the future. My sister would skin me if I ever even think of it. She used to live in Wellsville but bailed out with most other folks for the Lisbon, Columbiana area. She is really down on those towns along the river. It could serve to be the hub for a lot of the more rural country within an easy drive. Good access over into Jefferson County into farming country and a bunch of the smaller towns. Wellsville in the past served as a shopping center for those areas.

Wellsville needs to rebuild a lot of the better population that bailed out. Friend did send me some pictures of the fire by the old movie threate on Main Street while back. Maybe one way to start getting urban renewal. Do a little more work on flood prevention. I don't remember it flooding much, both East Liverpool and Wellsville were in far better shape in the big ones than the towns further south in terms of getting serious water during flood season.

Still got a long way to go. At some point it might even become a bedroom town for the commuters into PA. That entire area up into PA corners area down to say Bridgeport will recover at some point. Question being how long and in what manner. A number of those power plants are going to have to be cleaned up. The big ones at Stratton were successfully sued by New York, NJ, etc and will have to clean up their emissions. Get clean cheap coal based power and could be attractive to a lot of industry / people.

EMill4622 did you always live there or did you just move there? These days when I am up in that direction, I rarely go down town, just through on the freeway.

How many people know Bevo Francis played basketball for Wellsville and they retired his jersey? Actually I went to school with Bevo in the very early days of his life and sort of know a lot of that story first hand. Was a documentary film on CNN.

[EMill4622]

I am only 17 so I lived here my whole life !

We got a new high school built about five years ago. Thats wher I at now!

[Cosmic]

Wellsville is like a lot of situations.

In a turn around, you have already seen the bottom. Just a few years ago, houses could be had for $7-9K. Cost you like 3 - 4 - 10 times that now.

Area turn arounds in economic turns can take a long, long time. Many factors can be in play. Do not expect things to happen quick.

I was exposed and lived thru the busing experience in the city of Boston. A virtural collapse in the real estate market. Lots of changes, social, economic, political and in the entire structure of how people related to each other on a daily basis. That particular situation lasted over maybe 30 years. You might only experience a major turn around situation a few times in a lifetime if in exactly the right position. There is usually zero guarantees but you must be able to recognize the sign posts along the way.

Being as young as you are means you have a sort of built support network of people as situations exist. One of the keys to surviving in a turn around area. Buy low, Buy Often.

I would point out the new library. Very nice, been by it. Ohio is blessed with a super library system. You will be super hard pressed to equal that Wellsville library in any major city branch outside of Ohio. Could use a nice parking lot.

Also the available jobs are paying far above the norm. Wellsville has a rich history and I have a lot of fond memories of times there. It can happen again, don't lose hope, the core people may still be available to make it all happen.

Wellsville and Boston have a bit in common. Both had to recover for the general overall area because the area meant something to the nation as a whole. The overall driver is basically location and need.

How an area recovers may not be the same as something else but a lot of the processes will mirror each other. Method to the madness argument. East Liverpool already seems well along a recovery track but the why's and how's may still not be apparent. Once an area becomes the "Hot New Undiscovered Area" it really happens. Lot of good history thru out that general area. Lots of really good people, lots of "Opportunity". You must be able to read the tea leaves.

Lots of interesting things about Wellsville, the single to married ratio for example. I sort of considered Wellsville out of desperation to find a place to move too. Yup - Highland Ave, my sister when ballistic. Ok, I understand why today, but I still might have made money.

Hang in there Emill, never let anybody trash you. I think much better dazes are coming. Remember BUY Low, Sell High Wish I had been a far better position to repeat the Boston experience of finding the "Bottom Once Again". Really helps to have been thru the entire process once, lot of it is not pretty but it all about having a social and support network to make things work.

Forget comments about what IS. Pay attention to what can be. Lot better times ahead for Wellsville.

[mrawlin3]

I grew up in Wellsville. Now I only go to visit. I have some great memories from childhood, but would not want to live there as an adult. My apologies to family members who still live there, it's just not for me.

I was impressed with the new library. I remember it as dark and scary. Now it's bright and inviting.

[South Range Family]

I have taken my concession trailer to a lot of hole in the wall towns in this area. I have to say that Wellsville really surprised me. They have more beautiful women than any other town I have been to. I'm serious. Seven out of ten were very good looking and well dressed. They were polite and spent their money well. I was expecting a bunch of rude, dirty, river rats with no money. I was pleasantly surprised. Go to the Italian Festival next year. You will see wha I mean.

[Marshell]

I was raised on 18 Street Heights. As a matter of fact, I lived at the top of the hill on the right. We had moved there from Salineville. Imagine my surprise; Southern Local school district! I was just across the road from the city limits. I was sure I was supposed to go to wellsville!
I was about 8 or 9 years old at the time and my folks where buying the house from Cliff Athey.He (Daddy) got the house through a VA Loan.
My Daddy was a heavy equipment operator and a US vet. He was also ill. We ended up living on his Social Security check; and he paid the house off through the VA loan out of this check.
We where poor; nothing new to my dad or mom. He came from a family of 14 kids; she was born on Babb's island, her Mom died of pneumonia and her father was an alcoholic. She had one brother. He was an alcoholic from childhood. He drank with his father. A lot of people in this area lived the same.
Wellsville is a special place. It's beauty is beyond the pale. The river nestled between the hills. The spectacular trees and the valley we are in. I wish the people left there cared more.
There are so many things that Wellsville could be. But no one really wants to here our cry for help. I moved to East Liverpool because I feel safer here!( imagine that).
I would love to see Nunzio live forever.I swear He alone sustains the village. He does care; and I wish with all my heart that more people would back him.
I used to imagine what I would if I won a lot of money. I know a lot of people who would just leave the area; not me!
I don't understand what is wrong with bringing in river commerce. Wellsville's biggest problem is the people who do not want "bothered". I would build a boardwalk from the Marina to the other end of Wellsville. Invite the boaters. Invite the River Boats. Have small shops; crafters; fresh fruits ;veggies etc.
Look into a scenic rail road that has a main stopping point in Wellsville.
But you see, the richer people do not want this. The ones who own homes on riverside, especially.Heaven forbid someone walk by and see into there windows!
Just like the people who played on the weekends in yellow creek; ie. The Pitts. Instead of supporting these people as fresh commerce they where complained right out of yellow creek! I tried to go down to the trestles only to come upon a sign stating it was private property.
I am throughly disgusted with it! I love this place and if I could I would make the changes that monied property owners could...I would put this place on the map!