Scranton relocation (Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, Dunmore: ski resorts, crime rate, mortgage) - Northeastern Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania (PA) -Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area - City-Data Forum

knoxfd · 07-23-2006, 12:27 AM

My wife, 2 year old daughter and I are planning on moving to the Scranton area in August, 2007. I plan on attending College Misericordia in Dallas, PA and my wife will be working full time. I currently live in a rural area of TN. I would like some information about the city and the school. I am interested in information about the housing market, job market (Accounting and finance), crime rate and overall opinion of the town and the people. I have been reading the local papers on-line but one can only obtain so much information from the newspaper. I would like the input and insight of the locals. I plan on residing just outside of Scranton or Wilkes-barre in one of the small, rural areas. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I am interested in buying a newer home (0-15 years old) on at least an acre or more. My wife will be working in Scranton. I would be willing to commute 45-60 minutes to school and my wife would be willing to commute 30-45 minutes. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

SteelCityRising · 07-23-2006, 05:30 AM

As a lifelong resident of the Scranton area, I can tell you that this region has a lot to offer to its residents. We're only about 2-2.5 hours from both Philly and NYC for easy access for day-trips, we're about thirty minutes from just about every attraction in the Pocono Mountains, and we're only a little over an hour from the state capital, Harrisburg. Outdoor recreation in the region is abundant, ranging from great state parks to white-water rafting to ski resorts to urban parks.

May I recommend that you search for a home in the Pittston area of Northern Luzerne County? Where I live we're about 25 minutes from College Misericordia and only about 15 from Downtown Scranton. The city of Pittston itself won't afford you that "quiet, rural" atmosphere you're searching for, but there are a few housing options in the mountains just east of town that may be worth checking into. (Basically I-81 is the dilineating factor between suburban/rural in the Pittston area).

One of the most peaceful areas of Pittston lies around ten minutes to the northwest in the village of Harding, where you can have deer wander into your yard while still not being a far drive from both Dallas and Scranton. Granted, there ARE better parts of the Scranton area in which to reside, but I'm looking purely at trying to make your dual commutes as feasible as possible, since Scranton and Dallas are about 45 minutes apart. The Pittston area is a popular commuter destination for the simple fact that it is only eight miles from both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The more "rural" you get, the longer your drives will be, so just bear that in mind.

I'd be more than happy to continue to offer you my assistance; Check out www.scrantonchamber.com, the Scranton Chamber of Commerce, for more information about relocation as well. Give me an idea of a price range, and I can also give you some better suggestions as well.

knoxfd · 07-24-2006, 04:29 PM

Thank you. I will send you an e-mail with more specific questions later.

knoxfd · 07-25-2006, 07:28 AM

I would like to thank you once again for your response to my original post. I am interested in buying a house in the $150,000 to $200,000 price range. I will only be living in the area for 2-3 years. I am not interested in making a big profit on the re-sale but it would be ok if I did. My main interest is buying a newer home that does not have any flood damage or mold. I do not want a fixer upper. I will be a full time student. I have been on realtor.com and about all of the houses that show up for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area are older homes. As far as making the commute easier for both my wife and I that is not a problem. I would rather drive 45-60 minutes one way and my wife drive 15-30 minutes a day. I would like at least 1 acre of land. Being rural and having to commute longer distances does not bother me. I am from a small town in TN where the nearest Wal-Mart is 20 minutes away. I commute 30 minutes (30 miles) one way to work every day. I just want a nice, safe and friendly area to raise my two year old daughter while I am in school. I do not care which direction from Scranton the area is. My wife has her CPA and Bachelors degree in finance. What is the job market like for someone with her background in the Scranton metro area? Do you know anything about college misercodia in Dallas, PA? If you do do you know anything about their masters degree physical therapy program? Thank you so much for any information that you can provide.

Knoxfd

SteelCityRising · 07-25-2006, 08:06 AM

Being a college student myself, I have several friends who attend College Misericordia, and they are quite happy with the quality of education that they receive. Their main gripe is, of course, the twenty-five minute commute for those who still live here in Pittston, and the "nothing to do out in Dallas" syndrome for those who dorm. I don't know much at all about their physical therapy program, but I do know that the school overall offers a very strong academic program. If it weren't for my desire to attend college in the city (King's in Wilkes-Barre) I would have considered heading out to Misericordia myself.

For someone with a financial services background, the job market in our area is mixed, but I'm optimistic. I know TMG Health Services in Dunmore is looking for a few accountants, financial analysts, etc. (About ten minutes due NE of Downtown Scranton). Parente-Randolph is a very reputable local public accounting firm that usually also has openings. Other than that, most local banks (PNC, Pennstar, First Liberty, etc.) always have openings for mortgage officers, branch managers, etc. The market isn't as abundant as it is just two hours east in NJ/NYC, but it's not as bleak as it may be in rural KY. Prudential Financial has a major installation in the Montage section of Scranton (just off the Davis Street exit of I-81). My father worked for the company for many years as a systems analyst, netting a $70,000 salary, and he highly-praised the management there. They are usually always looking for financial analysts as well. Sandvik Steel, just north of Clarks Summit, currently has an opening for a Controller, but it may require more experience than your wife currently has. Your wife's best bet would be to scout around the Montage area and submit her resume to all of the major financial-related installations there (Prudential, IBM, Cigna, Bank of America, etc.) There's also a few new, larger businesses downtown that may offer some opportunity for her (Diversified Technologies, VaxServe (A Division of Aventis-Pasteur), Southern Union, and the smaller, professional offices that line the city streets come to mind). Your wife shouldn't have much trouble at all securing employment; It just may be a bit cutthroat in the summer to find work as she'll be battling recent college grads from our area as well for the same position (Even though most high-tail it to NYC/NJ for the "big money" as soon as they graduate anyways).

Your housing situation might be a bit harder to pinpoint though. Your budget represents a "niche" in our area that doesn't exist much. There are a lot of "in-town" properties for less than that, and there are a lot of "McMansions" for more than that in suburbia, but there's no solid "ONE AREA" that offers a multitude of homes in the neighborhood of $150,000-$200,000. Abington Heights offers EXCELLENT schools, and you'd only be ten minutes or so from Scranton. The housing market up there usually ranges around $250,000 though---Finding a home for $150,000 in Clarks Summit IS possible, but most homes in that range sell quickly, so you'd have to pounce on it. The Wyoming Area School District offers excellent schools as well, and it's about twenty minutes from downtown Scranton (15 from the Montage area), and about 25 minutes from the Dallas area. It would be well-suited for your and your family, and housing in that range is very possible here. Check out communities such as Harding, West Pittston, and Exeter.

Granted, your daughter is only two, so she probably would just be starting kindergarten when you would be about to move out of PA again, so schools are probably not a big issue. If that's the case, then there really aren't any "bad" parts of the area that I'd advise you to stay out of. Obviously the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre themselves have some "seedy" areas, but so does any city. I recommend you just look for homes anywhere in Northern Luzerne and Southern Lackawanna Counties that appeal to you, and then ask me about the surrounding community. Also look into the Newton or Ransom area, between Clarks Summit and Pittston. It's not a bad commute at all to Scranton (Dallas is a bit far), the schools are great, and most properties come with PLENTY of land. Don't necessarily write off our smaller towns completely though---They're not all congested and uninhabitable.

Best of luck! ;o)

SteelCityRising · 07-25-2006, 08:10 AM

Another helpful hint for resources---Check out (broken link) to search for homes in Luzerne County by price range, school district, etc. Go to (broken link) and click on "Search Entire MLS" to search the Scranton multiple-listing service.

Moderator cut: links removed

knoxfd · 07-25-2006, 08:07 PM

Thank you for all of the helpful information. My wife and I will be visiting the scranton/Wlikes-Barre are next week. We plan on staying for 3-4 days to get a better feel for the area. I plan on visiting as many towns as possible while I am there. I will start with the towns that you have recommended.

SteelCityRising · 07-26-2006, 06:05 PM

Knox, if you would like me to meet up with the two of you while you are in to answer more of your questions in person, then I'd be more than happy to do so. I work at the local Lowe's, so I'm basically on a swing-shift schedule this time of the year, but if I have a break in the action I'll help you out the best that I can! ;o)

NSHL10 · 07-26-2006, 07:39 PM

Misericordia's website says it offers a 5 year PT Masters degree. Check to see if that is still accurate, as many programs have transitioned to a doctorate (DPT) degree. Are you going in new to the PT field, or are you a PTA?

enviroman · 07-26-2006, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fopt65

Misericordia's website says it offers a 5 year PT Masters degree. Check to see if that is still accurate, as many programs have transitioned to a doctorate (DPT) degree. Are you going in new to the PT field, or are you a PTA?

The website seems to show that the 5 year master's is still in effect. The doctoral program seems to be brand new (read: be wary of new programs) and it is another 13 credits on top of the 5 year program (13 credits = 1 semester?). I've never seen a credible doctoral program that only requires 1 year of post graduate study (well, 1 year and 3 months)...