What's this city coming to? (Pittsburgh, Butler: sales, 2014, apartments)

[theta_sigma]

Eschaton, that house looks amazingly like the one that my husband and I looked at when we were in the market 7 or so years ago. Maybe another house in the same row? And like yours, the only toilet was the Pittsburgh Potty. The people selling it had done a lot of work on the first floor with new bamboo flooring and such but the second floor and attic were still pretty much untouched. We decided against it given that as first-time home-buyers we would have been over our heads with that amount of work needing to be done, and just the purchase of the house was going to clear out most of our savings anyway. I am slightly kicking myself given the appreciation in the area in the past 5 years but... only a basement potty was such a deal-breaker for me.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by theta_sigma

Eschaton, that house looks amazingly like the one that my husband and I looked at when we were in the market 7 or so years ago. Maybe another house in the same row? And like yours, the only toilet was the Pittsburgh Potty. The people selling it had done a lot of work on the first floor with new bamboo flooring and such but the second floor and attic were still pretty much untouched. We decided against it given that as first-time home-buyers we would have been over our heads with that amount of work needing to be done, and just the purchase of the house was going to clear out most of our savings anyway. I am slightly kicking myself given the appreciation in the area in the past 5 years but... only a basement potty was such a deal-breaker for me.

It probably wasn't one in the same row, given the house is part of a "mini row" of four houses, none of which have been sold during that time period but ours. But around the corner on Plummer Street, nearly an entire block is filled with houses of the same plan and dimensions (with varying levels of remuddling) so it's indeed possible you did look at one of those.

The Pittsburgh potty was the only second toilet - there was a functional bathroom, albeit scary as hell until we finally got it redone this past year. Still, a toilet in the basement is all-but-useless, IMHO, and with the layout of the house, we couldn't figure out any serious way to put the needed half bath on the first floor.

[UKyank]

There's houses in my neighborhood that have been listed for sale at crazy high prices that no one buys too, so not really indicative of much other then people having unrealistic expectations in many neughborhoods; until something like that actual sells near asking price it doesn't mean much.

[charisb]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I know you were off the forum for awhile, but the basic deal is this: My wife and I love Lawrenceville, but our family outgrew that house. It was fine when it was the two of us. Once my daughter was born it began getting more crowded (particularly since we lacked a second bathroom besides a Pittsburgh toilet in the basement), but it was doable. Once we found out we were having a second kid, and it was going to be a boy, we knew we couldn't stay in the house, because we didn't have a bedroom for him.

We looked for around two years for an upgrade in the neighborhood. We would have been willing to just have a slight upgrade - something with three bedrooms, two full baths, and around 1500 square feet. Couldn't find it for under $300,000 asking price unless there were major issues which would have required work after closing - and we really didn't want to go through gut restoring anything with kids (we had enough of a scare with elevated lead levels in our daughter. And my wife wasn't willing to go any higher - hell, she didn't want to go over $250,000 actually, since unlike me she's from Pittsburgh, and has odd ideas about what price makes a house expensive.

We tried looking all over the city, and found roughly the same thing in all of the neighborhoods we wanted to consider (Bloomfield, South Side, Lower North Side) that we were priced out of anything that didn't have major issues. The house we picked in Morningside is circa 1905, and has all intact woodwork, stained glass, pocket doors, floors, etc. It's also twice the size of our old house. And there's a bus stop right outside my front door. I can't say it would have been my top choice as a neighborhood, but the house was so good (and affordable compared to what the same house would have cost anywhere else) so we made the plunge.

IIRC, you posted the listing for your new house at one point. It is gorgeous, and it sounds like the move to Morningside will be great for your (growing) family. Best of luck in your new neighborhood. I hope your Lawrenceville house sells quickly.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

The fact that people in Lawrenceville think ugly houses are worth $375,000 in and of itself is indicative of the neighborhood entering a housing bubble.

Which can be dangerous. Look at the Southside. When I first came here the talk was all Carson, Carson, Carson. Now I don't know anyone who wants to live there. The current buzz is the Northside.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The Pittsburgh potty was the only second toilet - there was a functional bathroom, albeit scary as hell until we finally got it redone this past year. Still, a toilet in the basement is all-but-useless, IMHO, and with the layout of the house, we couldn't figure out any serious way to put the needed half bath on the first floor.

I dunno, I've found it does come in handy when we're having a large gathering and we can direct the guys to pee in the basement, which helps keep the actual bathroom traffic from getting backed up.

Also, it's a lovely convenience when I'm in the middle of loading the washer and realize I really have to pee.

[jea6321]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Which can be dangerous. Look at the Southside. When I first came here the talk was all Carson, Carson, Carson. Now I don't know anyone who wants to live there. The current buzz is the Northside.

Southside has somewhat flat lined in appreciation recently. Homes that were selling for 250-300k are now being listed around 200-230k. It will correct itself eventually and get back to peak prices, but for the short term, south side looks like a good place to find a deal.

[Der Schwabe]

Originally Posted by jea6321

Southside has somewhat flat lined in appreciation recently. Homes that were selling for 250-300k are now being listed around 200-230k. It will correct itself eventually and get back to peak prices, but for the short term, south side looks like a good place to find a deal.

Some would call it a market correction. Not unlike what L-ville will eventually experience. There is ultimately a limit to the market for these row houses and as people age or grow out of them, the market will become "heavy" with supply.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

I dunno, I've found it does come in handy when we're having a large gathering and we can direct the guys to pee in the basement, which helps keep the actual bathroom traffic from getting backed up.

Also, it's a lovely convenience when I'm in the middle of loading the washer and realize I really have to pee.

Especially since men are such bathroom slobs, LOL! (J/K)

My parents' house in Beaver Falls had a basement bathroom, started out with a toilet for my father to use when he was working in his shop. He then put a shower in, and that was helpful when my bro came home all dirty from doing sports. He could enter the house and go directly to basement to shower, again, it didn't mess up the one full bath.

My father-in-law was a house painter, and they too had a shower in the basement which he could enter directly from the garage. He'd shower and throw his painting clothes in the laundry. (My MIL had him well-trained.) That was not in Pittsburgh, though, it was in Omaha. These basement baths are common in old houses everywhere.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by jea6321

Southside has somewhat flat lined in appreciation recently. Homes that were selling for 250-300k are now being listed around 200-230k. It will correct itself eventually and get back to peak prices, but for the short term, south side looks like a good place to find a deal.

Originally Posted by Der Schwabe

Some would call it a market correction. Not unlike what L-ville will eventually experience. There is ultimately a limit to the market for these row houses and as people age or grow out of them, the market will become "heavy" with supply.

My prediction is the Southside will decline sharply. Everything good that is on Carson can be found in other neighborhoods without crossing a river to get to it (and dealing with the horrendous traffic). Carson makes for a good tourist stop but for day to day use, Southside isn't where people are wanting to live, eat, or party.