Considering Philly - What to know? (Philadelphia, Springfield: house, neighborhood, purchase)

[wacoscoob]

I'm a mother of two with a job at Rugers Camden campus and my spouse works from home. $290k budget for a house. Prefer a sizeable backyard, single family home not rowhome.

Living in Philly seems great, except the public schools are ranked poorly. Maybe an NJ or PA suburb. It appears that NJ is less built up, grittier, higher taxes than PA. For proximity though, places like Cherry Hill don't seem to bad. On the other hand, Northeast Philly seems to have a suburban feel and could check of some of the same boxes as an actual suburb. How would the commute be from the other side of the city be?

When we visited we really liked Media and Glenside in particular. Andalusia is not to shabby either. East Falls and Fishtown in the city. In NJ we liked Woodbury and Pitman a lot! Any thoughts on where we should move? Is NJ really as different from PA as people say? Does the lower cost of living make up for the much higher taxes? Thanks.

[FindingZen]

Some parents who are determined to enjoy the vibrancy of the city are willing to navigate their way through finding the city's better neighborhood and magnet schools or look towards charter or private options. It sounds like you may not be one of them so East Falls and Fishtown are not options.

Andalusia would put you in (I think?) Bensalem School District which IIUC is average for the suburbs. Depending on what part of Glenside you choose, you'll end up in either Abington, Cheltenham or Springfield School Districts, all of which are above average. You'd have a considerable but doable commute. Your budget may be slightly below average for the area but you should be able to find options. Note that property taxes will be a bit higher than average, especially in Cheltenham, to pay for the schools.

Media would be ideal for its idyllic charm, including downtown on State Street, and Rose Tree-Media School District is top notch. However, your budget is low for the area and I would not want to endure that commute.

There is a sub-thread for the New Jersey 'burbs where your questions about that area may be more easily answered. You may get more house for your money over there but, as you noted, that is often made up by higher taxes.

[Penna76]

There is not a huge difference between PA and NJ overall with its suburbs.

PA suburbs in general tend to have more access to charming areas in the countryside with quaint towns and villages.

Now NJ is not void of this, and living in NJ puts you closer to the shore which is also an advantage, but the PA side tends to be a little greener and more quaint. Again NJ is not void of this, but the NJ side seems to be more of a concrete jungle overall and typical suburbia since it was largely developed post 1950s whereas the PA side was developed much earlier overall.

Taxes are higher in NJ, but this means property prices are lower, so you would find more options in your budget. But once you factor in the property taxes though, your monthly bill could be higher than anticipated and require you to lower your budget below 290k to balance it out.

Media is a really lovely area and definitely one of the most vibrant suburban towns in Greater Philadelphia.

The commute to Camden is totally doable, as that southern portion of 95 is relatively decent when it comes to traffic.

You might find a lot of challenges with your budget within Media itself (it is pricey). You might be able to find a three bedroom twin home for 300k in Media, but definitely not a single family unless it was in the need of serious updates.

I would maybe suggest the neighboring town of Springfield,PA in Delaware County which has more single family housing stock in your budget and also is in an above average school district and only a ten minute drive to Media which offers tons of family friendly events and opportunities.

On the PA side, also check out East Falls and Fishtown as you stated if you would like to be in the city.

In NJ your best bet would probably be Cherry Hill and Collingswood. Collingswood is actually a charming town and probably the most vibrant on the NJ side. The downfall with Collingswood is the school district is not really good and I would say below average. Collingswood borders the City of Camden. And property taxes on your budget average about 8k a year for your price range which might require you to drop your budget.

Springfield has a better school district and sounds like might be the best option for you.

There are two Springfields in the Philadelphia metro. So it can be confusing, but you would want to look in the one that borders Swarthmore and is just next to Media!


Good luck!

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Penna76

Media is a really lovely area and definitely one of the most vibrant suburban towns in Greater Philadelphia.

The commute to Camden is totally doable, as that southern portion of 95 is relatively decent when it comes to traffic.

I stand corrected. I should have looked at the map commute first.

[1ondoner]

While the commute may be doable, there's a toll over the bridge which can be substantial if one doesn't have the option of working from home.

Originally Posted by FindingZen

I stand corrected. I should have looked at the map commute first.

[Penna76]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

While the commute may be doable, there's a toll over the bridge which can be substantial if one doesn't have the option of working from home.

Yes, the toll would be $100 a month if the OP works 5 days a week in Camden.

The toll is $5, but only collected when leaving New Jersey. You do not pay a toll to enter New Jersey.

You could say that this might factor into the property tax differences.

But overall I personally would invest on the PA side. It currently is seeing a stronger RE market right now. The property tax situation in NJ is a mess and not getting any better. New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. Which when you factor into your purchase price can 100% shrink your budget. (This is why NJ properties tend to be less money).

Camden County is actually seeing a net loss of people over the past several years and its RE market is not nearly as strong. Most from Camden County who are leaving are jumping across the bridge to the PA side for the lower property taxes, but staying within the metro.