Crafton? (Pittsburgh, Carnegie, Ingram: real estate, apartments, rental) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

unicornsareawesome · 11-24-2009, 05:13 PM

Hi all!

We fell in love with Crafton after seeing pictures of it's old and beautiful houses. As I understand from reading other posts around the forum, I think this area would fit our lifestyles quite nicely.

My question is this: I see houses going for $250,000 in Crafton.... and for $35,000. This is QUITE a leap. As I don't live anywhere near there (Florida) I can't just jump in the car and look around. Why is there such a gap in pricing? Are there areas within Crafton to stay away from? Any input/comments are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Tinare · 11-24-2009, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unicornsareawesome

Hi all!

We fell in love with Crafton after seeing pictures of it's old and beautiful houses. As I understand from reading other posts around the forum, I think this area would fit our lifestyles quite nicely.

My question is this: I see houses going for $250,000 in Crafton.... and for $35,000. This is QUITE a leap. As I don't live anywhere near there (Florida) I can't just jump in the car and look around. Why is there such a gap in pricing? Are there areas within Crafton to stay away from? Any input/comments are welcome. Thanks in advance!

It could be a couple of things. One is that there is Crafton Borough and Crafton Heights. Crafton Borough is just outside of the city limits, Crafton Heights, though right next door, is a city neighborhood. Crafton Heights is not a bad or dangerous area, it's just that the houses there tended to be smaller, and the neighborhood is a bit more traditionally blue-collar. Crafton, at the turn of the century, was a fairly wealthy area, hence those big old Victorians. So the lower priced house could actually be in Crafton Heights. Check the school district in the real estate listing -- Pittsburgh will be Crafton Heights, Carlynton will be Crafton Borough.

The other thing could be that the house may need some work or a lot of updating. I can't say that there is a particularly bad part of Crafton that you should stay away from, but a lot of the old Victorians have been split into apartments, so there are a lot of rental units mixed in among single family homes. That can also effect property values. I'm assuming you'd look at a property before buying so you would be able to judge the condition of the properties around you.

I really liked living in Crafton. I rented a huge apartment in one of those big old Victorians and found the neighborhood to be really convenient to everything.

highway29south · 11-25-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinare

It could be a couple of things. One is that there is Crafton Borough and Crafton Heights. Crafton Borough is just outside of the city limits, Crafton Heights, though right next door, is a city neighborhood. Crafton Heights is not a bad or dangerous area, it's just that the houses there tended to be smaller, and the neighborhood is a bit more traditionally blue-collar. Crafton, at the turn of the century, was a fairly wealthy area, hence those big old Victorians. So the lower priced house could actually be in Crafton Heights. Check the school district in the real estate listing -- Pittsburgh will be Crafton Heights, Carlynton will be Crafton Borough.

The other thing could be that the house may need some work or a lot of updating. I can't say that there is a particularly bad part of Crafton that you should stay away from, but a lot of the old Victorians have been split into apartments, so there are a lot of rental units mixed in among single family homes. That can also effect property values. I'm assuming you'd look at a property before buying so you would be able to judge the condition of the properties around you.

I really liked living in Crafton. I rented a huge apartment in one of those big old Victorians and found the neighborhood to be really convenient to everything.

I have to agree. My mother currently lives in Crafton and I lived there when I was first married. It has gone downhill a bit, I think mostly because they closed a housing project near there a while back and some of the criminal element came into Crafton. But it still maintains it's family oriented feeling even given that situation.

I also agree that the housing can be in those ranges because of the closeness of Crafton to the city. The next neighborhood over is the West End and that is mostly a lower income city area. Sheriden (city) is also nearby as well as Ingram. Ingram is a nice family area as well and it's very hard to tell where the border is between Ingram and Crafton.

Crafton also has a nice park in the middle of it with a community swimming pool and plenty of area for kids to play. The shopping center is across the street and that has a major local grocery store (Giant Eagle) and several smaller shops. Crafton is also only about 10 to 15 minutes from Robinson which is a huge shopping area with malls, movie theaters, shopping centers and restaurants.

unicornsareawesome · 11-25-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highway29south

Crafton also has a nice park in the middle of it with a community swimming pool and plenty of area for kids to play. The shopping center is across the street and that has a major local grocery store (Giant Eagle) and several smaller shops. Crafton is also only about 10 to 15 minutes from Robinson which is a huge shopping area with malls, movie theaters, shopping centers and restaurants.

Hmm. Maybe I'm picturing something completely different in my head but I've read that areas outside of Pittsburg are like small little towns... there are still bars and restaurants within walking distance around Crafton, yes? The last place I want to end up is in another strip mall hell like Florida is.

highway29south · 11-25-2009, 02:02 PM

Yeah, you can say that about Pittsburgh. But not every area has all you will need. Crafton has gone downhill in the past few years so it doesn't have a whole lot to chose from in terms of shopping and restaurants. That is why I suggested Robinson for more options with shopping and eating out. Robinson is an up and coming area and is developing, where Crafton has not developed in several years.

jimmyev · 11-25-2009, 04:16 PM

The price differences may have something to do with utility bills. I found a beautiful brick Victorian in Carnegie priced 'ridiculously' low only to find out the gas bill averages $760 a month - more than the mortgage. Crossed that one off.

I really like the Crafton-Carnegie areas. Both have reasonably priced, older houses; neighborhoods are walkable; they have easy access to the Parkway West and I-79; they both have easy transit connections to Pittsburgh and the Airport with the West Busway; and they're a few minutes from Robinson Town Center and Settlers Ridge. I think they have quite a potential in the future.

unicornsareawesome · 11-25-2009, 09:28 PM

Wow what a bill! Thanks for the heads up on that one. I will def keep that in mind while looking at houses in the area.

I am totally A-OK with buying a fixer upper- in fact, that would be fulfilling a dream of mine. I just think (maybe comparing to the market in the area I currently live in) that $35,000 for a fixer upper is most certainly in the most unpleasant part of town.

Thanks for all the input and keep em coming!

SlurmsMcKenzie · 01-19-2010, 01:20 PM

I would say that the differences between Crafton and Robinson are night and day. If you prefer larger lots, more shopping, etc..., then Robinson may be your area. Personally, the traffic around Robinson is enough to keep me away. Crafton is by no means a bad area...I do no sense it going downhill, either. There are many fine streets in Crafton, namely those that intersect Crafton Blvd. We have lived in Crafton in the past and plan on purchasing a home there after we get married. Schools are good and you can generally feel safe in Crafton, day or night. I still think of Crafton as a hidden gem as most Pittsburgers (non-westenders) do not know about it.

letsgostillers · 01-28-2010, 02:51 PM

I don't understand why people think the area is bad. I hear almost only bad opinions from people that have never been to or lived in the area.

I've lived there most of my life and just bought a house in the neighborhood I grew up in.

Not to be morbid, but I think what happened was a few years ago all the old people died off and left houses that were pretty neglected. Mind you, this was only maybe 1 in 20 houses but it may have been enough to make people think that it is run down. Since then, most of these have been bought and fixed up by younger growing families.

Let me know if you have any specific questions!

Brandnew82 · 11-08-2010, 05:56 PM

I know this post was listed awhile ago, but a i had a few things to ask as well. I just returned from a visit to Pittsburgh where I spent most of my time House hunting. I found that Crafton, aside from being really small had some amazing homes, and most all with great curb appeal on tree lined streets. All throughout pittsburgh you'll find some gritty homes with crap on the porches, or just under kept. I personally saw less of this in the Crafton area, however some of the neighboring towns which the bording lines are hard to tell have a few grittier homes. My one main question is safety. I felt safe in the area, but if anyone has a bit of a heads up that is preferred. Alot of older people think this place is charming and safe, but I am in my late 20's moving in with a small family. I want to be part of a 'small' town feel but minutes from the city. This place seems to be most suiting, along with great homes on every block. Its primarily a safety issue. Is this place safe and can anyone who is from the area see it improving or going downhill? Thanks