Countrylife possible close to these cities? (Pittsburgh, Harrisburg: real estate, how much, home)

[Pogo]

We are looking at a possibility of relocating to PA. My husband's job would most likely be in Pittsburgh or Harrisburg. We have two boys under the age of 4. We would love to live out in the countryside, preferable have a property for a few animals (chicken, horses, goats) and space to grow our own veggies. Now, we don't know nothing about how it looks outside of Pittsburgh or Harrisburg. Is something like we want close by? Do you guys have suggestions on areas?

Thank so much for any input!

[danwxman]

Very affordable countryside is most certainly possible within minutes of Harrisburg. Ten minutes north of downtown (up 322) and you are going by Blue Mountain and lots of rural/wooded areas. Also northwest of the city (Perry county and Cumberland county along Route 944) and southeast of the city (Lower Paxton Township). Directly west and east of the city it is built up for 10-15 miles, with scattered rural pockets. Either way, you have very easy access to the city from rural areas outside the city.

[dugdogmaster]

Originally Posted by Pogo

We are looking at a possibility of relocating to PA. My husband's job would most likely be in Pittsburgh or Harrisburg. We have two boys under the age of 4. We would love to live out in the countryside, preferable have a property for a few animals (chicken, horses, goats) and space to grow our own veggies. Now, we don't know nothing about how it looks outside of Pittsburgh or Harrisburg. Is something like we want close by? Do you guys have suggestions on areas?

Thank so much for any input!

I don't really have any suggestions on specific areas, but I can tell you that you can be close to either city and still have that country living you're looking for.

[CrestViewdrive]

You can get countryside living about 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh. The Redbelt goes through country areas, and it circles Pittsburgh in roughly a 20 mile radius.

[Mugatu]

Plenty of opportunity for country living near Pittsburgh. Just 13 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh around Oakdale and beyond it gets rural very quickly and I see lots of farmland in that area. Very easy access to the city too as you can just hop on 22 which becomes the Parkway West and takes you straight into the city.

[Pogo]

Sounds just perfect then! Thank you so much for replying everyone!

[ki0eh]

Although there certainly are farmette type places visible driving around both Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, their availability and affordability depends very much on your own resources and how much you want to drive. If there are fixed sites in either city that would be a work location and a suggested commute time I'm sure the folks here could help evaluate where to focus realtor searches.

You will also want very much to check municipal zoning requirements vs. keeping animals. The old farm family next door could be grandfathered in, but you moving in might be unable to do even what the previous owner could do with the land. Not sure where you're coming from, but PA zoning varies dramatically on a township to township basis (NOT COUNTY), and expecting common sense out of a PA zoning ordinance is an oft-repeated expensive mistake.

When it comes down to brass tacks choose your real estate agent very carefully. Ask are you familiar with keeping animals and local zoning in THIS municipality?? And make any purchase offer contingent on doing what you want to do with the property if that's what's important to you. If you don't trust a real estate agent you might even want to think about hiring a local surveyor or engineer for a due diligence and/or make the purchase offer contingent on that as you would for a normal home inspection.

Perhaps you could be tempted to buy land and build. If you think about this, in addition to the zoning concerns you should be aware that Pennsylvania's septic regulations are much stricter than many other states'. Again a good local real estate agent, surveyor, or engineer may be able to help you with this evaluation. Absolutely any purchase offer needs to be contingent on being able to place a REASONABLE COST septic system on the property.

So, be careful! Just last month an hour outside of Harrisburg I saw an Amish family who bought a home on the edge of a rural community disapproved from keeping a horse. Be VERY careful.

[BevoInPA]

Route 74 extends between I-81 in Boiling Springs across Route 15 at Dillsburg in York County and further south through Dover all the way to York City. The road is beautiful and the area feels rural but is suprisingly convenient. Route 15 has a grocery-anchored shopping center.