Relocating to Erie pennslvania (sales, rental, townhome)

[mitzicarbajal]

We definitely prefer a single family home. im going to look into those rentals that you posted. Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it. Its so hard being that we know nothing about erie and trying to find a decent place to live when your in another state makes it so much harder.

[trackstar13]

Here is a beachfront rental in Millcreek for $1,500
Millcreek Real Estate - 3257 LAKEFRONT DRIVE, Millcreek, PA, 16505

[trackstar13]

Did you find a place yet? I just noticed this place down the street from me is for rent. If interested you better act quickly, because houses in this neighborhood rent very quickly.
Glowacki Management Co. - Commercial, Industrial, Residential Properties - Erie, PA

[mitzicarbajal]

No I haven't found a place yet, Its hard because no one wants to wait till march, its basically first come first serve. I will call about the rental to see when it will be avaliable for rent.

[zarabeth]

My son is in medical school in Erie..has lived there for the past 4 years with his family. Rentals are very difficult to come by, and they're expensive. One thing you're also going to need is a 4 wheel drive vehicle...the snow is incredible in Erie, even for my kid, who has lived in the frozen Northeast since 1987. One thing he gripes about continuuously is the fact they rarely plow the roads in the city...to get the kids to school, they had to buy a large, 4WD SUV. So, bring your snow gear
Oh, and his kids are in Millcreek schools as well...Erie also has some good private schools.

[trackstar13]

I agree with Zarabeth and the Erie rental market was rather tough to navigate. When my wife and I were looking at rental houses we kept getting frustrated at the high cost of rent vs. taking on a mortgage payment. I know this can be the case in many cities, but sometimes the difference was so high we were really surprised. For instance, we were looking at a house in Millcreek for sale at a little over $200,000 and a house in the same subdivision was for rent at $1,950 per month. Even including mortgage, taxes, and insurance as part of the payment it would have cost us about $1,000 per month to own. My wife and I were amazed that in that case it was almost twice as expensive to rent as it was to buy. We rented for the first year we were in Erie in order to find the right house, but we were lucky to find a house that was more reasonably priced for rent.

One tip that we also noticed is that rentals in the city seem to be cheaper than Millcreek, even if they are located in an area with good schools like the Frontier area. The listing I posted a couple posts ago is located in this area and they are asking $800 per month. I walked by the house the other day and it has some peeling paint on the outside, but it looks like they had a professional cleaning crew in there cleaning up the carpets and everything. It is also located next to a football field on one side so there are no neighbors on that side. Renting is never easy, but Erie seems to be the toughest rental market I have lived in and that is saying something because I have rented in several other areas without much problem.

[trackstar13]

To add a little to my previous post and expand on what Zarabeth is saying:

1) 4WD is a necessity if you have a lengthy commute or you have to take the kids to school pretty far from the house. In our case it was not necessary because we live in the city and work in the city so we don't really have to drive that far and Erie is very flat so sliding around a little bit is not a big deal usually. With that being said, Peach street can be a pain when it snows because of the hill and the high amount of traffic at the same time. Yesterday somebody slid all the way down from the Wegmans turning lane and almost hit me in the right lane going up the hill on Peach. I was fine because I had the chains on my tires, but clearly the person who was rolling back down the hill and almost smashing me should not have been trying to drive in those conditions with that vehicle/tire combination (it was a Prius). Additionally, if you visit the "Snowbelt" very often you really have to be prepared because these areas get much more snow than Erie. I travel to Edinboro once every few weeks and I am constantly amazed at how much more snow there is than Erie.

2) Other than the main streets (State, Peach, Bayfront, 6th, 8th, 38th, 26th, etc.) the city of Erie and sometimes Millcreek do not plow very well or salt very often. My street has yet to be plowed and we have gotten over a foot of snow in the past few days and it is still snowing. I went to a Super Bowl party in Millcreek last night and the roads were a little better, but not much and the side streets were just as bad as Erie.

3) Make sure you have a two stage snowblower, even if you are renting and have to take care of the snow. During a normal winter the snow can be overwhelming and it really gets old having to shovel all of the time. Once you get used to operating a snowblower you can clear your driveway, sidewalks, etc. in less than an hour even after a big snow and your back will feel fine. The two stage blowers are more powerful and most of them have a lever that propels them forward and even backwards sometimes. Another tip is if possible get a snowblower with a light because it can be useful for early morning or late night blowing. I usually wait until we have about 6" of snow and then I go out and clear it. If I know we are going to get a few feet I try to clear every 6" at a time so the snowblower is not overworked and I can easily clear down to the pavement. Last tip for snow removal, spray cooking spray on the blades and chute of the snowblower so that it does not get clogged.

[Marty711]

^ You're right that the roads can be rough especially if you're not used to winter driving. Snow plowing is very poor which always amazed me. In an area like that, you'd think they would put more effort into it but I guess they figure it snows so much, why bother.

That said, I don't think you must have 4WD. I lived 20 miles from Erie and had to drive to work in the middle of the night but I did just fine and that was driving a little Plymouth. My commute when i didn't take I-90 which was virtually whenever it snowed, included that very hill you mention. I'll admit I was always hesitant to go through there especially at 2AM but if you know what you're doing, you'll do just fine. My wife on the other hand had a minivan and demanded snow tires after one day of driving through a snowstorm in Erie! I really think it depends on your comfort level and experience of driving in winter weather. If you live in the snowbelt, that's entirely different, and yes, you'd pretty much have to get a hefty vehicle.

[mitzicarbajal]

Wow! I’m a little scared about the weather and having to drive in snow! I'm originally from Florida, and been living in Jacksonville NC for about four years now. In those four years it’s probably snowed three times and that’s with only two to three inches of snow. So I am definitely not used to winter driving and it kind of freaks me out to know snow plowing is poor. My husband actually just traded our car for a 4WD because of our move. So that makes me feel a little better. We're Still not having any luck with finding a rental especially one that meets our needs. Since March is around the corner we decided to take a trip over there at the end of the month to see what we can find. Thank you guys for all your input, it really helps a lot!

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by mitzicarbajal

Wow! I’m a little scared about the weather and having to drive in snow!

Don't worry about it. Move slow and steady -- but not so slow that you lose momentum, especially when going uphill -- and keep your foot off the brake unless you're actually coming to a stop. Four-wheel drive will help, but it doesn't make you invincible.

Buy a brush and a scraper and use them -- clear as much snow off your entire car as possible, not just off the windows. Keep the car's washer fluid jug filled, and keep extra in the car. Keep a bag of plain cat litter in the trunk, both for weight and for traction in case you get stuck.

Good luck in your home search!