crazy or not: thinking of maybe buying a house in westmoreland county (Pittsburgh: apartment, renting)

[BarqCider]

instead of renting im thinking of buying a house thats selling for 90k in westmoreland aka trafford,pa. border of allengheney county and comuting into U of pitt. mortgage be roughly to what i would pay in rent, but it would be mine.

My goal is to live in pgh, or atleast in the suburbs. commute into the city is nothing to what i deal in nova aka northern va so im ok with that.
So am i crazy for thinking of it?

[audiojan]

I don't about crazy, but have you also considered the cost of maintenance, insurance, utilities, etc.? Mortgage is only part of owning a home...

Also, I'm not that familiar with what you can get for $90k... can really get a house that is livable and not a money dump at that price?

[Pitt Chick]

My son bought a house in Coraopolis (because it was WAY cheaper than renting a two bedroom apartment) for less than that three years ago. It was wonderfully maintained and he had not had to replace anything since owning it.
Definitely NOT a money dump.

[Copanut]

I know that area very well and good homes are available at that price. Not exactly a quick commute to Downtown Pgh, the 67F Pat Bus runs frequently, or used to. A couple dive bars in the town with cheap beer, if you're on a budget. Just remember to add in all the time you'll spend maintaining and the gear you'll have to buy, lawnmower, ladder, you name it.
Have fun.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Just remember to add in all the time you'll spend maintaining and the gear you'll have to buy, lawnmower, ladder, you name it.

This.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by BarqCider

instead of renting im thinking of buying a house thats selling for 90k in westmoreland aka trafford,pa. border of allengheney county and comuting into U of pitt. mortgage be roughly to what i would pay in rent, but it would be mine.

My goal is to live in pgh, or atleast in the suburbs. commute into the city is nothing to what i deal in nova aka northern va so im ok with that.
So am i crazy for thinking of it?

No that's a great price for a home and the area is pretty good. As the others said there are a lot more mantainace costs for owning a home but if you are up for the challenge go for it! Good luck!

[SorryIMovedBack]

Only you can decide whether it makes sense, financially. But there was a family in my hometown that bought a house in State College, PA because they had 5 kids. They housed their kids there and also rented to other students. They said it was an all-around better deal on a monthly-cost basis, and it even helped the kids get better financial aid packages. Unless you are planning to live in Pittsburgh for years, look to see what you can get for less than $90k, though.

Did you try placing your own Craigslist ad? I did that and it shook out some grad students who wanted housemates and a few landlords who wanted to screen their tenants. One landlord had a house and one grad student tenant moving in from out of state, but he was trying to help that tenant find a suitable adult housemate. None of those places ever worked out for me b/c I had pets, too much furniture, and too many vehicles and I needed more space than they offered, lol.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by audiojan

Also, I'm not that familiar with what you can get for $90k... can really get a house that is livable and not a money dump at that price?

You can get one for much less.

[fleetiebelle]

And keep in mind that if you're moving to Pittsburgh to go to grad school, you might be so engrossed in your work that you might not have a lot of extra time to be messing around with home maintenance.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by audiojan

I don't about crazy, but have you also considered the cost of maintenance, insurance, utilities, etc.? Mortgage is only part of owning a home...

And property taxes.