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Old 06-29-2013, 12:20 PM
 
6,596 posts, read 8,916,294 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alleghenyangel View Post
While Brighton Heights is in better condition than Spring Hill and Troy Hill now, and has more upscale housing, the location on the outer edge of the city limits will hurt it more than help it. Since the trend seems to be that neighborhoods closer to the core are being gentrified, Troy Hill, Spring Hill, Spring Garden, East Deutshtown, etc. are poised to absorb most of the benefits of that, whereas BH may fall in line with the plight of the disinvested, older inner suburbs. That remains to be seen.
True that neighborhoods close to the core are being gentrified, but they aren't the only ones that are improving. I see Brighton Heights taking the path of places like Beechview, Brookline, and Regent Square. Those places are Improving, but not seeing mind blowing appreciation or pushing current residents out. I tempted to say that Brighton Heights is already on that path. The business district's vacancies are filling, lots of beautification projects going on, homes prices are steady, home sales are primarily going to owner-occupants rather than companies.

Brighton Heights is technically on the outer edge of the city, but I think it feels more accessible to the core than most of the other outer neighborhoods. It's physically closer than a lot of them, and isn't separated by tunnels or mountains. There's multiple traffic-free bus and car routes. And if someone should decide they'd like to walk or bike to downtown, it's quite feasible, which isn't always true of the outer neighborhoods.

I just hope that one day people will seek out Craftsmans as much as they do Victorians now.


EDIT: I think that the presence of a business district is more telling of a neighborhood's path than it's distance to the core. Polish Hill & Manchester are the only two areas I can think of off the top of my head that are seeing a lot of improvement without a business district.
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Old 06-29-2013, 12:23 PM
 
6,596 posts, read 8,916,294 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alleghenyangel View Post
I think it's just starting to happen now. The area seems to be on every Pittsburgh preservationist's radar. I take credit for some of that, because I have spotlighted those neighborhoods countless times on my blog, hoping that people would take notice!

East Deutschtown/Spring Garden/Spring Hill is one of my targeted areas for buying my next property. However, I am still very interested in Esplen, West End / Elliott, Woods Run, and McKees Rocks, which all have numerous affordable 19th century homes, and are in desperate need of preservation efforts. I also have a thing for McKeesport lately.
There's an adorable for-sale-by-owner home on Woods Run between Preeble and Eckert I think it is. It's two homes down from a missing tooth, which sucks, but it looks like someone has been taking good care of it.

Edit: I found it on street view, it looks like the address is 3147 McClure.
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Old 06-29-2013, 01:17 PM
 
461 posts, read 745,186 times
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I still cry (literally) about a house that got away. We were still contemplating moving to here, and my dream house appeared in Ben Avon - a Sears Bungalow. Not too much had been done to ruin it, except for a horrible updating of the kitchen - fixable, since the cast iron double drain board sink was sitting in the front yard. It had a great back yard for the animals and plenty of room for gardening. The sweet lady who was selling it had lived there all her life - her father built it from the kit. I'm crying again...that was MY house!! It was insanely underpriced and sold in a day. (I hadn't even put my Philly house on the market and didn't qualify for a mortgage for another house, dammit.)
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Old 06-29-2013, 01:45 PM
 
15,631 posts, read 26,122,878 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Q-tip motha View Post
Depends on what you do with them. I'm familiar with where you're coming from, but it will get better. There are times when I hate our home because I'm tired of working on it, but I'll never move because ever inch of this place is mine. Its also left its mark on me as I went from an idealistic and enthusiastic young man when we bought the place in 2010 to a slightly jaded "jerk of all trades" (my wife's words as I do a little bit of everything, and none of it with an abundance of skill) who can do just about anything. All in all I think I prefer having the adventure and the stress that it brings to the alternative (still renting an apt and not knowing how to do any of this).

I could see either of those places becoming quite cute, but they will require a good amount of renovation. What it comes down to is whether the OP feels that the location and the structure suit what they need, and what kind of vision they have for the property.
Unfortunately, we've been here 27 years -- it's still bad. Our tiny segment of here is okay, but the rest of it is not. And the gang activity and murders do seep over every once in a while.

I'm with you on becoming a jerk of all trades (that's funny and true for me too!). I've done wall repair and plumbing and all sorts of stuff. Hubby does electrical -- too scary for me.

One night year ago, we had a major plumbing mishap and we were under the sink taking apart the joints to clear it, and I said to my husband, somewhere up there, our dads are playing poker and drinking beer and laughing their butts off at their two idiot kids trying to figure this out.

Hubs said -- considering how incompetent I was growing up -- I think they'd be proud...

On reconsideration I had to agree with him.
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Old 06-29-2013, 05:24 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,203,280 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alleghenyangel View Post
I am still very interested in Esplen, West End / Elliott, Woods Run, and McKees Rocks, which all have numerous affordable 19th century homes, and are in desperate need of preservation efforts. I also have a thing for McKeesport lately.

If you like the West End, $12,750 right on Steuben just above Guardian Angels. Its virtually across the street from the Pulaski Club.

227 Steuben St, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 - Zillow
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Old 06-29-2013, 06:26 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,988,628 times
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I have my heart set on a house on Woods Run Avenue. I went so far as to write to the owner, who no longer lives on the property (appears to be vacant). Maybe I'll hear back.

While I was exploring the neighborhood, I chatted with an older guy who lives down there. He knew the history of every house on his part of the street, and listed off every one of them, who owned it, and what happened to it. Basically, they're all vacant, deteriorating, and left for dead by their owners who have washed their hands of the properties or died. Very sad. I heard the same stories when I talked to people in Spring Garden. It seems to be going on all over the city. Owners die, properties get tied up in legal problems or the people who inherit them wash their hands of the properties and let them sit too long, taxes go unpaid, and finally the city comes in and demolishes them. It breaks my heart, because some of those houses are architectural jewels, have survived since the 19th century, and are now treated like garbage.
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Old 06-29-2013, 06:36 PM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alleghenyangel View Post
I have my heart set on a house on Woods Run Avenue. I went so far as to write to the owner, who no longer lives on the property (appears to be vacant). Maybe I'll hear back.

While I was exploring the neighborhood, I chatted with an older guy who lives down there. He knew the history of every house on his part of the street, and listed off every one of them, who owned it, and what happened to it. Basically, they're all vacant, deteriorating, and left for dead by their owners who have washed their hands of the properties or died. Very sad. I heard the same stories when I talked to people in Spring Garden. It seems to be going on all over the city. Owners die, properties get tied up in legal problems or the people who inherit them wash their hands of the properties and let them sit too long, taxes go unpaid, and finally the city comes in and demolishes them. It breaks my heart, because some of those houses are architectural jewels, have survived since the 19th century, and are now treated like garbage.
Instead of demolishing tax delinquent properties, why doesn't the city just auction them off to the highest bidder? This would make more sense. The city would recover some of its lost tax revenue, and at the same time, many of these properties would be purchased by people who would restore them. Everyone wins.
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Old 06-29-2013, 06:42 PM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
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Originally Posted by eschaton View Post
I suppose I should say, I had my eye on this house this week. Went on the market on Monday. I was away on a business trip this week, but I called my realtor and made an appointment to see it on Sunday. Was under agreement by Thursday.

I still get pissed seeing the pictures and the potential.
That's a gorgeous house. However, when homes go under contract that quickly (when the market is that hot), how does a person even have a chance?
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Old 06-29-2013, 06:50 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,203,280 times
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Originally Posted by Hip Priest View Post
That's a gorgeous house. However, when homes go under contract that quickly (when the market is that hot), how does a person even have a chance?

If you have a real estate agent that's knowledgable about the market, you can get the heads up on it.

When I bought my house in 2007, I was told about the property going up for sale before it was listed and signed the contract it within a few days of the listing.
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Old 06-29-2013, 06:52 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,203,280 times
Reputation: 3509
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hip Priest View Post
Instead of demolishing tax delinquent properties, why doesn't the city just auction them off to the highest bidder? This would make more sense. The city would recover some of its lost tax revenue, and at the same time, many of these properties would be purchased by people who would restore them. Everyone wins.

Many tax delinquent properties would take more of an investment to make them habitable than they would be worth after the work is done.

It costs the same to gut and remodel a house in Larimer as it does in Shadyside, but getting someone to pay $100k or $150k to live in a dangerous ghetto just isn't going to happen.
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