Pittsburgh - Growth & Taxes? (Lebanon, Upper St. Clair: mortgage, loan, how much)

[smuckerd]

My family and I recently made a visit to Pittsburgh for my first time to consider relocating there, and was blown away by the property taxes - more than 3 times what I am paying now in Virginia. I am really trying to justify the move, but am scared to buy if there is no growth and will be hard to realize any equity - willing to pay but have to factor in the taxes onto the mortgage and may be hard to swing.

Also got to see some houses in Mt. Lebanon but do you really have to pay this much to be around the best schools. Do you know what areas are seeing growth in terms of new construction and a influx of younger folks . . . . of course with very good schools? Your advice will help add to our decision to move here.

It seems that if Pittsburgh wants to attract industry and professionals like myself, then the city should really look at reducing the property, wage, school, tax. Am I missing any other taxes? Thank you for your advice.

[guylocke]

My best advice to you would be to look into Cranberry. It's the fastest growing suburb in the greater pittsburgh area and it's in Butler County (much lower taxes) over Allegheny County. It's north of the city as oppose to South (Mt. Lebanon). It's school district is Seneca Valley which is a more than fine district. You might want to look into Wexford, too, it's right next to Cranberry and is also part of the large growth in the north but it's in Allegheny County. However, i'm not positive how all the borders up there work. I've heard of kids in Cranberry going to North Allegheny (where most of Wexford goes) and some kids in Wexford going to Seneca Valley.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by boylocke

My best advice to you would be to look into Cranberry. It's the fastest growing suburb in the greater pittsburgh area and it's in Butler County (much lower taxes) over Allegheny County. It's north of the city as oppose to South (Mt. Lebanon). It's school district is Seneca Valley which is a more than fine district. You might want to look into Wexford, too, it's right next to Cranberry and is also part of the large growth in the north but it's in Allegheny County. However, i'm not positive how all the borders up there work. I've heard of kids in Cranberry going to North Allegheny (where most of Wexford goes) and some kids in Wexford going to Seneca Valley.

There may be a parental decision about where a kid goes to school -- as in -- if the child has been going to Seneca and the parents move out of disctrict the parents can appeal to the school to keep letting their kid go to Seneca. Happened to a friend of mine -- her mom died and her dad lived in Butler, but he didn't want to rip her out of what she knew best...

And out here in California, if the parent works in one area and getting to the other in an emergency would create a hardship they will let the kid go to the closest school to the parent's work. I'm sure that's not limited to California.

And to the OP -- property taxes are higher because there isn't a lot of business coming in to the county to take up the slack. What new business going in also gets massive tax breaks to open there.... leaving the property owners picking up the slack. Sort of a lose/lose proposition, I think.

If you move there you will see that a lot of people don't live in Allegheny County because of the taxes -- check outlying counties and taxes are much lower.

I grew up in Cranberry Township, and it was a peaceful bucolic place to live. Now I think it's a bit crazy, and the growth wasn't managed well. But I'm coming from a standpoint of it should have remained a more rural area. It's a very desireable place to live. I believe taxes are going up a there, too. Still won't be as bad as Allegheny though.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by smuckerd

Also got to see some houses in Mt. Lebanon but do you really have to pay this much to be around the best schools. Do you know what areas are seeing growth in terms of new construction and a influx of younger folks . . . . of course with very good schools? Your advice will help add to our decision to move here.

Here is a link to a thread I started which shows the best school districts in the greater metropolitian area of Pittsburgh including all surrounding counties:

Holy School Rankings!

If you read the link, you'll see that Peter's Township ranks 26th out of 693 schools in the entire state. It's not as good of a state ranking as Mt. Lebanon, but it's a better ranking than almost all the other school districts in Allegheny County. Peter's Township is located in Washington County where there are lower taxes than Allegheny County. Furthermore, it's literally just across the county line from Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Claire so it's not much farther of a commute than living in Mt. Lebanon. I recommend checking out Peter's Township.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by boylocke

My best advice to you would be to look into Cranberry.............It's school district is Seneca Valley which is a more than fine district.

The school district in Cranberry has a terrible state ranking (405th out of 693). I wouldn't recommend anyone with children to move into the Cranberry area.

Originally Posted by boylocke

You might want to look into Wexford, too, it's right next to Cranberry and is also part of the large growth in the north but it's in Allegheny County. However, i'm not positive how all the borders up there work. I've heard of kids in Cranberry going to North Allegheny (where most of Wexford goes) and some kids in Wexford going to Seneca Valley.

You're getting comfused by mailing addresses and townships. Wexford is a zip code, not a township. A portion of the children in Wexford go to Pine/Richland, another portion go to North Allegheny, another portion go to Cranberry. As I said, Wexford is simply a mailing address and has nothing to do with townships. This link about Wexford might help you understand the difference between towns and townships in Pennsylvania: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wexford,_Pennsylvania

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

There may be a parental decision about where a kid goes to school -- as in -- if the child has been going to Seneca and the parents move out of disctrict the parents can appeal to the school to keep letting their kid go to Seneca. Happened to a friend of mine -- her mom died and her dad lived in Butler, but he didn't want to rip her out of what she knew best...

School districts around here will generally allow that for the remainder of a specific school year, but I doubt they will permit it permanently. The only way I know families that have been able to have their children attend a different school district from where they reside is if they still own a home in the school district they want to send their child. Since they are paying school taxes via the property they own in the township, they are permitted to continue sending their child to the schools there.

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

And out here in California, if the parent works in one area and getting to the other in an emergency would create a hardship they will let the kid go to the closest school to the parent's work. I'm sure that's not limited to California.

Since we really don't have much traffic congestion in Pittsburgh, I think it's unlikely the school districts would make that accomodation to a family here. That said, most school districts will allow out of township children to attend their district for a price. I think the going rate is above $7,000. That's what my friend paid to Pittsburgh for his daughter to attend Pittsburgh Public Schools even though they lived in the suburbs. That was quite a few years ago so I'm sure it costs more today.

[guylocke]

Oh I was mistaken on Seneca Valley, then! My apologies! And I know Wexford is a zip code it's just easier to say than the Borough of Franklin Park, the Town of McCandless, Pine Township, and Marshall Township.

[guylocke]

I just looked up Seneca Valley at the Department of Education Academic Achievement Report from last year and they did fine. The school district didn't pass with shining colors like North Allegheny, but they met their AYP target. I imagine as more business thrives in Butler, the school district will improve.

[South Range Family]

One of the things that always bothered me about the Pa. school taxes, is that there is no chance to vote on an issue. Every year people watch the local paper to see if their school taxes were arbitrarily raised by the school board. It doesn't give them any reason to be fiscally responsible. I was comparing taxes to a guy at work last night.
He is paying $6600 a year for a 1400 sf split entry with no land, at the end of a runway near the Pittsburgh airport. I believe he said West Allegheny school district.

I'm paying $4005 for a new, 3100 sf 2 story on ten flat acres with a detached 4 car, 2 story garage, and a one acre pond.
If our school, township, police, fire department, or county wants to raise our taxes, they have to tell us why, how much, and for how long. If we approve it, the tax money can only be used for that reason. Nothing else. My school district recently paid off a loan. My taxes dropped by $500 this year.

[guylocke]

mmmmm I'm not sure if there is absolutely no chance to vote on such things or that what you said about PA is absolutely accurate for all districts and counties. Clairemaria can probably clarify this, but I think North Hills has been trying to raise their school taxes for several years but the citizens won't stand for it.