Young Couple, First House, Delaware County (York, Chester: real estate, to rent, condo)

[adipresso]

My fiance and I are looking to get our first house... here are our wishes

1. A twin or a single (no condo or row home)
2. In between Philly and Delaware and West of 95(we currently are living in Aston, my fiance's company is moving to Aston, I work in Center City, so somewhere in the middle)
3. 2, preferably 3 bedrooms with a small backyard for a small dog
4. Would like a safe neighborhood (we don't have kids so school district doesn't really matter, but we want to make sure that we feel comfortable and not live in a "Chester" like neighborhood)
5. Would like to spend less than $200k
6. Want to be able to rent or resell after about 6 years or so

I've been getting very confused with Drexel Hill, Havertown, Clifton Heights, and Upper Darby

Any suggestions?

Thanks so much!

[orrmobl]

You should check the New York Times web site for a calculator on rent vs. buy. Very often you will not break even for 7-10 years so keep that in mind.

Drexel Hill is part of Upper Darby, but is the nicest part by far. You would want Drexel Park Gardens or even Pilgrim Gardens which has Haverford schools so is more expensive but the nicest section of Drexel Hill. Either way, stay on the Havertown/Rt 1/State Road side of Drexel Hill as it is the nicest part. Don't go towards Burmont and Garett, the borders with Lansdowne, Burmont Rd, Lansdowne Ave or Barkley Square/Beverly Hills section of Upper Darby.

Havertown has Haverford schools as well so this is also a great place to live, but puts you further from DE.

Clifton Heights is also part of Upper Darby but it borders towns on the decline and it itself is on the decline, I would not recommend it.

You should also definitely look into Springfield, Media, maybe Ridley Park and Morton but again if it borders a shady area, you can extrapolate that the town's days are numbered in the next 10-15 years...

After re-reading your post, you should throw in Lansdowne as it may be the only place you can afford a twin for that kind of money. But there is property crime and resale may not be great. Also check out Brookhaven and Parkside as I've heard good things about this area even though it borders Chester on one side.

I would definitely go with a Drexel Park Garden row home over a twin in Lansdowne any day...

[tbeckcampbell]

It's the area of Wallingford with tree street names. The neighborhood is nice. And, it was voted the 9th best place to live in the U.S. Good resale value.

[Gordo_Blanco_Hombre]

Originally Posted by tbeckcampbell

It's the area of Wallingford with tree street names. The neighborhood is nice. And, it was voted the 9th best place to live in the U.S. Good resale value.

A great suggestion, but make sure you pay attention to the property tax in Wallingford, that alone can increase your mortgage payment by a 1/3 or more. There is a fixer-upper available on Vernon Street in Media, and it is a fixer-upper in ever sense of the word. I am not involved in real estate, but I did check it out and it will definitely appreciate in value, after the market levels off. It is a twin, in an up and coming area of Media, nice yard, and a great attached neighboor. Do a search for twins in Media, it is listed for $175k last time I looked. If you have any questions let me know.

[Empress_Valencia]

For that price in a nice area in Delco, that will be tough. You may be able to find something for that price in Darby, Yeadon or Folcroft but the reason why is b/c they are not that nice. Havertown, Springfield and Swarthmore are nice but can be pricey but great, safe, clean area close to lots of shopping and things to do. Good luck.

[GMonkey]

You can absolutely find a place in Wallingford's Garden City District for your price. They are smallish bungalows and ranches for well under 200K. Even though schools aren't important to you, they will certainly help in resale.

Also, check out Ridley Park, Folsom, Morton...and possibly Rutledge. Definitely nicer than Darby, Folcroft, or Yeadon. Lansdowne is pretty and has potential, but in that area, you are looking at a 15 year commitment at least to experience its "renaissance".