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Old 10-01-2015, 05:56 PM
 
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My husband just received a job offer in the Bethlehem area so we will be relocating there from Indiana in the coming weeks. I am hoping to get some information on the area as we will not have a chance to visit before the move. We are looking to rent a 3-4 bedroom home, preferably with fenced yard. We have 2 young children, the oldest of which will be starting kindergarten next year, so a good public school is very important. Also of importance are good parks, churches and decent proximity to at least basic stores. My husband doesn't mind having a bit of a commute (up to 45 mins each way) if it means we would get a better bang for our buck. My biggest concern is the rental prices of homes here as they are considerably higher than where we are now (currently we rent a 2300 sq. ft home for $1100/month). Where should we be looking...and most importantly where should we avoid? I have seen some in East Stroudsburg..is this a good area?

Last edited by toobusytoday; 10-02-2015 at 06:07 AM.. Reason: fixed typo
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Old 10-02-2015, 06:16 AM
 
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I hope your husbands salary is going to be reflective of increased housing costs in this area. You will not be able to get a single family home in a good school district for anywhere near $1100/month. You can compare scores for school districts on either of these sites: Select a County - PA School Performance Profile I would suggest looking in Lehigh and Northampton counties to start with. When you look at schools, focus on the high schools. Most elementary schools, even in the known-to-be-bad school districts may have good elementary schools.

Our secondary roads are often not well maintained, so I wouldn't suggest more than a 30 minute commute, but I know some people do that. My husband and I each commute 12-20 minutes away, and that seems to be just right. I love that I work where we live and can pop home if I need to.

I would suggest looking at Nazareth and Saucon Valley school districts. If at all possible, double your housing allowance. Avoid Bethlehem and Easton School districts. In PA, there is a wide difference in the quality of the schools district to district, and our districts are tiny. Most have just one high school.
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Old 10-16-2015, 07:02 AM
 
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Popping this back up because I noticed that you are also looking further North in the NEPA forum, but you also gave a higher estimate to pay for rent. I would strongly encourage you to look closer to Bethlehem - Nazareth or Saucon Valley. I've lived in snow areas before where the roads were maintained (very rural area) but that is not the case around here. I don't know if it's because we get more ice or our road crews are not as good or maybe that there are more open areas for snow to build up, but it's not uncommon for our major highways to be down to one lane each way after a snow. There are also dead zones for cell reception - not the combination you want with an iffy commute.
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Old 10-21-2015, 07:50 PM
 
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Thank you very much for the info. I think we have narrowed our search to Nazareth, Upper/Lower Macungie or Whitehall areas. Still searching as it is slim pickings for rental single family homes!
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Old 10-22-2015, 07:24 AM
 
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Originally Posted by lmharrison83 View Post
Thank you very much for the info. I think we have narrowed our search to Nazareth, Upper/Lower Macungie or Whitehall areas. Still searching as it is slim pickings for rental single family homes!
Yes. I think your limiting factor will be the available rentals in a good school district. That said, we rented a townhouse in the SLDC and there are a bunch of townhouses available for rental there.
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Old 11-19-2015, 02:58 PM
 
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We have an option in Lower Macungie (East Penn SD) and Northampton (Allen Township) (Northampton school district) . From what I can tell, bot are decent areas..any sway one way or the other?
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Old 11-19-2015, 05:46 PM
 
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If you are going just by school stats, East Penn is better but if I were in your shoes, I would look at the neighborhood, and think about how you feel about both areas. Your husbands commute would be much better in Northampton. Northampton has a much smaller HS. To me, that's a plus, but not to everyone. Two good choices - Yay!
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Old 11-21-2015, 04:49 AM
 
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Originally Posted by lmharrison83 View Post
Thank you very much for the info. I think we have narrowed our search to Nazareth, Upper/Lower Macungie or Whitehall areas. Still searching as it is slim pickings for rental single family homes!
Some of the older homes in Nazareth borough are fairly affordable. Much more affordable than Lower Macungie. The school district is one of the two best in Northampton County. Plus you never know with long commutes. Gasoline is low now, but it could zoom by next year.
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Old 11-21-2015, 06:38 AM
 
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We went with the one in Northampton. Yayy! Thanks everyone for your help. I am so relieved to have a place since the movers come next week! Can't wait to explore the area with my family.
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Old 11-21-2015, 10:50 AM
 
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Roxy Theater is 94 years old, and plays family films for $3.

Carmike Allentown has films for $5.75 between 4:00 and 5:30
$5.75 Super Bargain (4-5:30pm):
$5.75 Senior (60-older):
$6.25 Senior 60 (Friday-Saturday):
$7.00 Child:
$7.50 Child (Fri-Sat Ages 3-11):
$7.50 Military (Fri-Sat):
$7.50 Military (Sunday-Thursday):
$7.50 Matinee (Fri-Sat):$
$7.50 Matinee, Adult:
$10.00 Evening, Adult:
$10.25 Adult (Fri-Sat):

$4.00 Additional 3D Surcharge:
\\\\\\\
There is a T-mobile cell tower at (40.66447, -75.48222) 1460 Main Street North Catasauqua, PA, 18032 within a mile or two of Northampton.
T-mobile is considerably cheaper than Verizon or AT&T, but there coverage is not as good. But you should get excellent coverage near your home.

Last edited by PacoMartin; 11-21-2015 at 11:21 AM..
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