Young new family need HELP searching for HOME in Pittsburgh

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by gg

If people only knew how CHEAP that island was when it was new construction!!!! Now? Not so much. lol

The evolution of Herrs Island


$139,900 to start, that is crazy

[gg]

Originally Posted by guy2073

The evolution of Herrs Island


$139,900 to start, that is crazy

I was selling Real Estate back then and showed one for that price. Wow, what a deal! That place is pretty damn cool and unique.

[Formerly Known As Twenty]

Originally Posted by gg

I was selling Real Estate back then and showed one for that price. Wow, what a deal! That place is pretty damn cool and unique.

My former spouse purchased an end unit near the roundabout area when Washington's Landing was a new development. Having a roommate who lived on the top floor pretty much paid his mortgage for him.

Suffice it to say that he made out fairly well when he sold the unit about a decade or so after he'd bought it.

For the O.P., Washington's Landing would be a wonderfully simple commute to AGH. No traffic, no fuss, and the island is relatively quiet once you get away from the bar/restaurant (if it's still there, that is) and the boat slips. Winter weather is a non-issue as is flooding. The only flooding related incident that I recall that affected the island was when Hurricane Ivan came through and took the entire J dock down the river along with all of the boats that were attached to it.

[eschaton]

Working in AGH, you absolutely want to look to areas to the north of the city (provided you're a suburb person, not a city person, which seems the case). This area is collectively called the "North Hills." The North Hills are arguably the most desirable swathe of Pittsburgh suburbia overall, due in large part to the relatively recent construction of 279 meaning they boomed a bit later than suburbs to the east and south of the city, meaning less small dated mid-century homes and more contemporary designs. There's not really a single section of the North Hills where you wouldn't get decent appreciation on a home, though generally speaking the inner suburbs (like Shaler and Ross) are a bit more downscale than the outer ones (Franklin Park, McCandless, Pine, etc).

I would not look anywhere south or east of the city, because you'd have to drive through or near Downtown to get to work. Somewhere to the west near the airport would be more feasible, because you could avoid going into town, but it doesn't get you anything, so you could just look north. The other option would be living in the city, which does indeed have family friendly neighborhoods, but you pay a premium for living somewhere walkable, and it sounds like you don't like historic homes anyway.

Could you describe what your price range actually is? By national standards Pittsburgh is still considered kinda a cheap city, though I know in Atlanta there's just so much construction constantly happening that it keeps the price of homes somewhat depressed.

[Knepper3]

Yeah, North of the city also gives you a good deal of options. Most school districts rank pretty well and there is a decent amount of new construction spread throughout if you are not wanting older stock. Depends on what exactly your price range is and what else is important. My mom has had some medical issues over the past few years and I live out in the general North Hills area (Ben Avon) so I have been to AGH often at various times. Commute really isn't bad as there are several route options. It is usually easier when you dont need to cross a bridge or go through a tunnel. Out this way you have Ross/McCandless, Ben Avon, Pine Richland, Franklin Park, Ohio Twp, and also Wexford or Sewickley though a little further out.