Where would you buy a fixer-upper now? (Wilkinsburg, McKees Rocks: for sale, real estate)

[ferrarisnowday]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Sure, why not? Prices are rock bottom. They might not go up, but they can't go down.

Is there anywhere in the West End that you'd specifically recommend (or recommend against)? It's crazy how much the West End is just an enigma to so many people, including myself.

[alleghenyangel]

West End Village - yes
Elliott - yes (safe and seems somewhat stable)
Windgap - yes (nice, well kept area)
Sheraden -iffy, declining, only if you get the house cheap enough or you're an urban pioneer. Same goes for McKees Rocks and Stowe. You have to buy cheap.
Crafton / Ingram - yes, nicest area west of the city
Fairywood - no
Esplen - urban pioneers only, but it is safe.
Crafton Heights - yes

[onwardandupward]

Garfield

[ML North]

East Allegheny or possibly the Hill District near Jumonville or Miltenberger. Maybe Brookline, but doubtful.

[Drover]

Troy Hill; Beechview

[safak]

Originally Posted by onwardandupward

Garfield

i was having lunch with a friend yesterday and mentioned garfield seeming like a good place to buy right now.
he laughed and said i was an idiot, which i am..but thats beside the point. a few people have had that reaction when i mention garfield

maybe parts are real bad, i can't say. i haven't been down every street at all times of the day. my grandfathers family was from there(a few still live there) so maybe im just biased..but garfield seems like a no brainer when you look at a map anyway!

[heartchya]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

Why get a mortgage when you can get a decent house for $35k in nice neighborhoods like Munhall, Overbrook, West View, Brookline, and Beechview. You can even find some homes in Brentwood and Mt. Washington, close to Warrington Ave. You have a ton of options with that amount of money. Also, be aware that most banks would put rules on your mortgage that you cannot pay it back within a year in order to avoid flippin***

Where have you seen houses in West View for 35k? I was looking to buy there about a year ago and mostly everything was 80k and up.

[AaronPGH]

Seconded on Garfield. Ever walk down Penn Ave on a weekend? It already has sidewalk traffic because of the galleries, venues and restaurants. The central location in the East End is going to help push it the rest of the way over the top in the coming years.

[steindle]

Originally Posted by safak

i was having lunch with a friend yesterday and mentioned garfield seeming like a good place to buy right now.
he laughed and said i was an idiot, which i am..but thats beside the point. a few people have had that reaction when i mention garfield

maybe parts are real bad, i can't say. i haven't been down every street at all times of the day. my grandfathers family was from there(a few still live there) so maybe im just biased..but garfield seems like a no brainer when you look at a map anyway!

Your friend probably just doesn't know what he's talking about. Five years ago my suburban coworkers were still telling outdated horror stories about Lawrenceville; now they're taking zumba classes there.

[Hopes]

Are you planning to flip it or live in it?