Buying my 1st home in the main line area?? help! (Chester: credit, townhouse)

[skye300]

Im looking to buy a home, but i dont know exactly where yet. I would like to be close the city, yet close to work in lansdale. i was looking around the conshohocken area, but i did not like it that much. i really like the main line, ardmore, haverford area....
any ideas, leads, or Realtor that can help me?
i have excellent credit, and have already been preapproved. i am looking to find a 2 or 3 bedroom single family home for around the 350's.....


Ideas?
HELP!


THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[orrmobl]

Best schools close to the city would be the Lower Merion SD. Haverford SD is also good but not on par with LM, Radnor (snob city), Tredyffrin-Easttown (Wayne, Paoli, Berwyn, parts of Malvern and Devon).

It really depends on your priority - you will get much more house in the Haverford district and probably the LM district as well - if city proximity and being close to work is your priority, I would definitely check them out as well as Central Bucks and Methacton SDs.

If the absolute best district around here is your goal, T/E is it.

Choose your realtor wisely as they tend to be sharks on the Main Line. I can recommend a good one - she knows the area very well but I think also keeps her eye on her money as well if you know what I mean...Direct Message me if you want her info...

[Tone509]

Just be aware that none of the Main Line towns are truly that close to Lansdale, unless you're going by NYC/LA commuting standards. For example, a quick map search shows that a Haverford-to-Lansdale commute would be about 30 miles. I agree with orrmobl that there are plenty of fine communities closer to your job location.

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by skye300

.... i was looking around the conshohocken area,

Not to be picky, but I don't think Conshohocken is considered the Main Line. Ask any of the blue bloods who live there (the ML) and they can get pretty huffy about this.

Owning RE on the Main Line (Lower Merion/Narberth and TE/Easttown SDs) means you're contributing a lot towards the local schools, are you enrolling kids in those schools? I'm just pointing out.

I also agree with other posters that a commute from the Main Line to Lansdale will be a long one, time wise, even though mileage wise it looks short. The NE extenstion, Sumneytown Pike, the Blue Route, all will have slow moving areas during the peak commute times.

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by PeeAye Native

Not to be picky, but I don't think Conshohocken is considered the Main Line. Ask any of the blue bloods who live there (the ML) and they can get pretty huffy about this.

Not sure why the resentment for the Main Line, but you should be aware that a large amount of people on the Main Line come from humble backgrounds. My mother grew up middle class in Brooklyn, and my dad grew up middle class in Overbrook, and paid for college himself by working two jobs since he was 14. In fact, I'd say the vast majority of people I know and grew up with were from humble backgrounds. Sure, places like Villanova and Gladwyne have people from very wealthy families that go back generations, but they don't represent all of us.

[PeeAye Native]

No resentment on my part. I've spent a lot of time there over the past 14 years as a matter of fact. And you can count me as one of those with the backgrounds you describe.

The reality is there are subtle but clear differences easily observable in the social and community interactions that are a common part of daily life. One of those differences being a lot of materialism and entitlement that I would not want to raise kids in. And as I've clearly stated, that is my opinion, and obviously not shared by those who choose to live and raise kids there.

[skye300]

Just to fill in a couple more blanks, i know conshy is not the main line. i said i looked around there and did not like it that much. so now i am going to look into the main line. i dont mind the commute. i live in lansdale and commute to KOP and my wife lives in Center City and commutes to lansdale. so anything closer help for her. we do not have any kids yet, so that is not too much of a conern for a while..............

knowing a good realtor is very very important, and i do not know of any.
im not rich or snoby, but would like a town with action; bars, shops, and resturants....

thoughts?

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by skye300

...a town with action; bars, shops, and resturants....

thoughts?

You're describing downtown Wayne. They have more bars and restaurants than the downtown areas of any of the other contenders (Narberth, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Malvern). I'd describe what Wayne has a very nice critical mass of bars, shops and restaurants.

[hilster]

Think abt looking in Chesterbrook, a planned community not far from where many major rds intersect, e.g. the PA Turnpike, the Schuylkill Expressway and Rt. 202. You can easily hop onto the Turnpike at the Valley Forge interchange and take it to the NE Extension to Lansdale. You'd be close to the Main Line and also abt 30 mins from Philly (that is w/o traffic). You wouldn't get a single family home for that price, but you'd get a very nice 3 BR townhouse in a beautiful setting with rolling hills, lots of trees and great walking trails literally outside your door. All that and a nice group of shops in the community (supermarket, dry cleaners, restaurants, etc.) I lived there for two yrs (wouldn't have left but my mom moved here and we needed an in-law suite), and I have two friends who continue to live there after many happy yrs. Great place!!

[Boompa]

You must be kidding, commuting from Lower Merion or Radnor to Lansdale. Start where you work and start looking. Save yourself a ton of grief.