NC versus PA (Philadelphia, King of Prussia, Swarthmore: for sale, credit, home)

[ButterFly32]

Thanks for the input everyone! I will definitely have to check out the Philly area. I have another question that is probably really hard to answer. Do most people who live in Philly suburbs, such as Montgomery or Bucks Co., work in Philly? Are there professional jobs in the suburbs, or do most people commute everyday?

[Ohiogirl81]

ButterFly, I live in Montgomery County and work in Philadelphia, but my neighbors work just about everywhere you could imagine -- Pottstown, Reading, Exton, Fort Washington. There are professional jobs everywhere, with a lot of companies moving outside the city limits to escape the crushing taxes. The city administration wants to halt that trend, but is addicted to the easy money. My brother-in-law moved his advertising firm from Center City to Conshohocken last week.

Originally Posted by gameguy56

One thing a lot of people don't mention is that many of the philly 'burbs have access to SEPTA rail lines that head right into the city. If your work is in the city limits it would be a huge plus and you wouldn't have to deal with traffic for your commute.

I wish! If I were to take the bus from Norristown to Germantown, I'd have to transfer at least 3 times, maybe 4. If I were to take regional rail, I'd have to walk 2 miles uphill and through the projects. SEPTA is not always an option.

[rainrock]

Unfortunately the Philadelphia area is becoming an edgeless city. The majority of the office space and high paying jobs are growing in the suburban office parks. I beieve the % of white collar jobs are 27% center city,43% Pa suburbs, and 30% South Jersey/New Castle Co. Delaware.

There are 3 distinct classifications of this area. Philadlephia, older inner ring suburbs,growing suburbia. The majority of the new growth is obviously in the newer further growing suburbs although there has been a renaissance of sorts in center City Philly. West Chester,Malvern,Chesterbrooke,Great Valley,Exton,King of Prussia,Conshohocken,Plymouth Meeting,Fort Washington,Horsham is the RT. 202 corridor where alot of new neighborhoods and office parks have entrenched themselves. This is also the area that will remind you somewhat of NC as its set in pretty countryside with alot of sprawl.

Heres a good PDF to give you a guide of the Philadelphia region.

http://www.selectgreaterphiladelphia.com/uploads/files/SGP-02_RegionalReport.pdf (broken link)

[bostongirl]

I live right outside Doylestown and moved from Union County NC...PM if you have specific questions.

Bucks County is so gorgeous

[McDean]

Bostongirl, can you tell me how you like PA compared to NC?

[engineman529]

Originally Posted by bostongirl

I live right outside Doylestown and moved from Union County NC...PM if you have specific questions.

Bucks County is so gorgeous

Bostongirl

My wife and I are looking to move from Charlotte to either PA or NE marlyland. My wifes company is headquarterred in Wilmington DE. We have been ion Charlotte almost a year and there are some things that she likes. I on the other hand like very little and pretty much cant stand it here. Are there any decent towns that affordable housing can be obtained (under 250K) that are low in crime and relatively close commute to Wilmington DE (45 min or less). thanks for your help

[PHILLYRDU]

YOUR 12 STEPS TO:
NC VS. PA COST COMPARISON
Authored by: PHILLYRDU
03/03/08
You need to ask yourself
these 12 questions:
1) What is my salary in Raleigh,
and what is my salary said-to be in
Metro Philly?

2) In-reality, it takes about $60k,
closer-to $70k, to qualify for
home ownership in Metro Philly.
How soon do I need to OWN a home?
Am I content to live in rental rowhouses,
condos, or townhouse for more
than $1,000 a month?

3) The inventory is MUCH MORE LIMITED
than in RDU & Wake County!
Can I stomach looking-at: OLDER property?
Not historic, not antique...but GRUNGY

4) For example, $300-400K in RDU/Wake/
Wake Forest/Heritage subdivision
will buy you a NEW custom home!

Is it important to me: to have a NEW home,
or something almost-new, like custom?
Would I enjoy having this CHOICE?

5) But $300-400K in Metro Philly
(like Bucks & Montgomery county)
will acquire something average,
or GRUNGY with only 1 bathroom!
Am I accustomed to more than 1 bathroom,
like, from the nicer places in Raleigh/RDU?

6)There is NO: I-40, 440, nor 540
in Metro Philly! How adaptable am I:
to older, more narrow roads-- with potholes,
salt, and the sometimes-snow?

7)The interstates in RDU:
are SUPERIOR (wider, newer & smoother)
Will I miss the smooth-as-silk I-40:
and with EVERYTHING BEING OFF I-40?!

8) Make your move ONLY if:
YOUR salary is, in-fact, an INCREASE
from NC.

Do I have a CONTRACT,
or merely-vague promises of better wages?

AM I TAKING A UNION POSITION?
CAN I JUSTIFY THE TRANSITION
FROM THE LOW WAGES OF RIGHT-TO-WORK STATE?

9)AND, can I delay
any desires for homeownership?

CAN I STOMACH THE TWO TO THREE TIMES
HIGHER TAXES OF SOUTHEASTERN PA
OVER THE CAPITAL CITY OF NC?

(Just across the Delaware River
from Metro Philly: NEW JERSEY (NJ)
HAS THE HIGHEST RESIDENTIAL TAXES
OF HOMES IN THE NATION.)

You can be sure that:
this ADVERSELY impacts
the prices of houses
in Metro Philly
(like, Bucks/Montgomery County).

New Jerseyites, and transplanted
New Yorkers have INFLATED
the costs of homes,
including Lehigh Valley
(Route I-78).

10)Raleigh has many more young people.
Metro Philly, and PA as a state:
has the MOST number of OLD folks
(65 and above) EXCEPT for Florida!

Would I prefer to be around more young people?
Or, am I becoming middle-aged?

11)Pennsylvania is Number 2 in the nation
for retirees, and its local congressmen
know this about its constituents.

Am I ready to be in a state:
that LOST SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE
DURING THE 1990s--
BECAUSE THE PA ECONOMY WAS VIEWED
AS THE RUST BELT?

Where did those young folk
from 15Y or so move?
To places like RDU!


12) Get on the e-mail list, and make
a few phone calls to congressmen,
and house representatives in Metro Philly,
like for Eastern Montgomery County
and Central Bucks County.

They are aware of: affluent pockets
(Merck pharmaceuticals employer).

HAVE I DONE MY FACT-CHECKS
FOR ACTUAL SALARY COMPARISONS?

HAVE I DONE MY FACT-CHECKS
FOR COMPARITIVE MARKET ANALYSIS
(CMA) FOR PRICES OF
SOLD HOMES: RDU vs. Metro Philly?


AS YOU CAN SEE: PHILLYRDU
HAS BECOME AN EXPERT
ABOUT THIS TRANSITION!!
YOUR 12 STEPS TO:
NC VS. PA COST COMPARISON
Authored by: PHILLYRDU
03/03/08

[PHILLYRDU]

FROM: PHILLYRDU
Basically, the answer to your question
is "no." Please don't be too-quick
to dislike Charlotte.

Metro Wilmington, DE (Delaware)
is NOT a safe zone. Look up
stat's, for example, of crime:
in adjacent county:
Chester County, PA.

Heck, look up the murder stat's
of Philadelphia itself!

Homes, alas, have NOT
dropped to the $250k level
for ANYTHING NICE.
There are literally: GRUNGY
rowhouses, and "twins"
for about $200k.

Please re-assess your values:
about what, in-fact,
and, in-particular,
that you dislike about Charlotte.

TWO, major, national banks
have their HQ (headquarers) there.
You might bear that in mind:
about things like home financing.
Basically, in Wilmington, DE:
the banks there
are set-up for Big Business
tax loopholes,
and have been so for a long time.
Big Business loopholes.
Been that way LONGER:
than Charlotte.

PS: I have a 2nd post:
YOUR 12 STEPS TO:
NC VS. COST COMPARISON
Authored-by: PHILLYRDU
03/03/08

As I post BOTH these entries:
the reports on TV are predicting
that gas-at-the-pump
will become FOUR DOLLARS A GALLON!!!!
BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY 2008.

[PHILLYRDU]

Originally Posted by McDean

Bostongirl, can you tell me how you like PA compared to NC?

FROM: PHILLYRDU
I have 2 posts today: 03/03/08
Basically, BUCK$$$ COUNTY
IS Bucks County.
The cost of owning a home:
is about 2 to 3 times of what
it is in Raleigh/RDU(Wake County).
Rentals in Central and Upper Bucks County
are about: more than $1,000
for an older condo, townhouse,
or rowhouse. The inventory
is not-nearly as new as RDU!

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by PHILLYRDU

3) The inventory is MUCH MORE LIMITED
than in RDU & Wake County!
Can I stomach looking-at: OLDER property?
Not historic, not antique...but GRUNGY
4) For example, $300-400K in RDU/Wake/
Wake Forest/Heritage subdivision
will buy you a NEW custom home!
Is it important to me: to have a NEW home,
or something almost-new, like custom?
Would I enjoy having this CHOICE?
5) But $300-400K in Metro Philly
(like Bucks & Montgomery county)
will acquire something average,
or GRUNGY with only 1 bathroom!

Heres a 3 BR carriage House in Garnet Valley Pa. for less than $400 K



3 BR townhome in Newtown Square Pa. for $350K

6)There is NO: I-40, 440, nor 540
in Metro Philly! How adaptable am I:
to older, more narrow roads-- with potholes,
salt, and the sometimes-snow?
7)The interstates in RDU:
are SUPERIOR (wider, newer & smoother)
Will I miss the smooth-as-silk I-40:

I-95 is 8 lanes and its paved new every 10 years. The Blue Route I-476 which runs N-S about 10 miles west of Philly is one of the best designed highways in the country. Its about a nice as a highway as you will ever fine, especially in the northeast.

Yeah the Schuylkill Expressway I-676 is a mess but its built between a cliffside and a river, there just isnt enough room for it to be anything other than it is. The Pa turnpike,Rt 202,Rt 1 and RT 3 are all fine roadways.

10)Raleigh has many more young people.
Metro Philly, and PA as a state:
has the MOST number of OLD folks
(65 and above) EXCEPT for Florida!

There are 83 colleges and universities in metro Philly, 300,000 college students. There are 6 million people that live in metro Philly surely they all cant be elderly and retired otherwise this region would have burned out by now. Dont confuse Southeast Pennsylvania with the rest of Pa.


[b][color=#0000ff]Would I prefer to be around more young people?

THE PA ECONOMY WAS VIEWED
AS THE RUST BELT?
Where did those young folk

Whoa, didnt you just tell us the housing cost in PA were astronomical? How does that happen if metro philly has a rust belt economy? It doesnt happen because metro philly certainly does not have a rust belt economy. In fact 75 of the top 100 wealthiest counties in PA are located in the 4 county metro area. There are I believe 28 Fortune 500 companies in metro Philly

Again you seem to be confusing SE pa with western Pa or northern Pa which is a no no.