Housing crisis in Pittsburgh? Dont think so (Fox Chapel, Rutherford: sale, chapel)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by GeneW

I'm with Eschaton, I hate lawns and don't want to have to own a lawnmower. I didn't move to the city to push one of those infernal contraptions around a square of grass. We have parks full of lawns, no reason to own your own.

So take out the lawn, plant some trees and ground covers.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by GeneW

I'm with Eschaton, I hate lawns and don't want to have to own a lawnmower. I didn't move to the city to push one of those infernal contraptions around a square of grass. We have parks full of lawns, no reason to own your own.

Mowing a lawn, at least of a reasonable size is totally meditative. It's great to just stroll around, listening to spotify, and actually get something accomplished.

Gardens are nice. So are cookouts and throwing the baseball around and just coming home from work and deciding to flop down on the grass and stare at the clouds for an hour.

I mean, what's the point of having one's own domicile at all? There are plenty of hotels with warm beds and clean commodes out there?

[karen_in_nh_2012]

I live in New Hampshire but subscribed to this thread because I found it so interesting! Can't believe those house prices. Wow.

I've looked at several of the houses in the links and I like most of them. I am curious, though, the lots all seem really small -- the thing I love about my house is that it's on over an acre of land (so lots of space between neighbors -- I have never heard a thing and I've been here almost 2 years now) but still has city water/sewer. Are the lots all small in the neighborhoods you've been writing about? I realize that's probably the case in older, established neighborhoods.

[PghYinzer]

My city lot is 30 feet wide by 120 feet deep....1/3 of it is a slope downward that is nothing but ground cover, and honestly in almost 4 years there are parts of my property i have never even stepped foot on. The last 10-15 feet, although flat, are at the bottom of the drop off, and I have never even wandered down there. So yes, most of our lots are small.

[FreightTrainRunning]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Mowing a lawn, at least of a reasonable size is totally meditative. It's great to just stroll around, listening to spotify, and actually get something accomplished.

Gardens are nice. So are cookouts and throwing the baseball around and just coming home from work and deciding to flop down on the grass and stare at the clouds for an hour.

I mean, what's the point of having one's own domicile at all? There are plenty of hotels with warm beds and clean commodes out there?

We have a very nice brick patio with a grill and a two foot-wide strip of mulch that we call a garden. If I want to throw a ball, there's a huge park a block away with all the grass that you could want to sit on. I bought a house not a farm; if I wanted to raise crops I'd move to Sarver.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

My city lot is 30 feet wide by 120 feet deep....1/3 of it is a slope downward that is nothing but ground cover, and honestly in almost 4 years there are parts of my property i have never even stepped foot on. The last 10-15 feet, although flat, are at the bottom of the drop off, and I have never even wandered down there. So yes, most of our lots are small.

Interesting. My last house's lot was 100x100 (about .23 acre), which is pretty standard, although a lot of lots were half that (50x100 -- the 50' side was the road frontage). THE biggest reason I moved to my current house was that I didn't want to hear my neighbors (I LIKE them, just don't want to be forced to listen to their music!).

I really like the housing styles in this thread, just would want a MUCH larger lot. (I too find mowing my lawn pretty relaxing and even fun ... I have a riding mower due to the size of my current lot.)

[PghYinzer]

My house is brick with only a few windows on the sides, with most of the windows on the front and back, so I rarely hear anything from my neighbors, unless my windows are open and they are on their porches or decks listening to some music in the summer....

After a while you get used to it, at least I have, and I rarely hear anything...

[UKyank]

I don't think any of this information is a surprise, the 'crisis' is that there are not properties available in much supply that a lot of people want.

Just sift through many of the threads about people moving here. Too many of them - often from DC metro area or Texas (irrationally) only seem interested in new construction which is in short supply.

[okaydorothy]

Oh I would have bought an old one if it was in the price range and neighborhood we could.

We are looking at property in Youngstown so my dh can stay one or two nights a week and omg some of the woodwork is fantastic. I would absolutely love an older house and dh would be fine with that also.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

I am curious, are there any older, established (but safe) neighborhoods with larger lots (half-acre or bigger)? Or would you HAVE to go with new construction for that?