Affordable areas no more than 50 minutes away from Philly?

[pman]

Some two story hones are 1700 sq ft with a basement

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Ms_Christina

Without a job you will be hard pressed to find a private landlord that will rent to you. Although they may be cheaper they are a lot more strict on credit/income/background check. While a large property management company can survive if a tenant doesn't pay, a private landlord risks not being able to pay their mortgage. They have much more at risk.

You might want to find a job first before jumping the gun.

And no, a large savings account does not counter not having a job. In fact it is a big red flag.

I've been approved for a couple of apartments without having a job (more often, in the case of having a job, not having a job lined up). This includes decent places in decent neighborhoods in both Philadelphia and NYC. Having good credit, good rental references, and employment verification help, in addition to savings.

Although it will come down to the personal preferences of the landlord - if you're upfront about your situation, you'll save both parties time.

[pman]

Originally Posted by k3xql510ue

Well it's good to hear that the selection is good. But in your opinion. what would be the closest town to Philly that meets the criteria I listed?

you need to find places in your price range in those towns or ask about specific places

[Icy Tea]

Audubon is a nice place and has some great green space considering all that surrounds it. Phoenixville does too. There should be plenty of jobs in those areas.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Can we do this the other way around? Can you tell us what towns you are considering? Here's why - If you had a radius of say 50 miles, you could just draw a map and see what towns were 50 miles out. However 50 minutes really depends on the town and the roads that are near the town. I live in Lehigh County and I know I can get to PHL in 50 minutes if I go non-rush hour or it can take me an hour and 10 minutes (sometimes more) if I hit rush hour or Friday rush hour+ vacation traffic.

Here's two towns that I personally like - Collegeville and Lansdale. Collegeville has Ursinus College, walking/bike riding trails and a nice small town. Lansdale has a vibrant town with rail service. Without traffic, you should be able to get to Philly within 50 minutes from either one.

Piggybacking on what toobusytoday says, it's easier to eliminate the suburban towns that don't meet your criteria - notwithstanding the relative unknown of house rentals in your preferred budget - than it would be to make specific suggestions. Most of Philly's PA suburbs are good to great in terms of safety. While there is increasing racial/ethnic diversity, most suburbs are still majority white. (Do note that a majority-minority neighborhood does not necessarily correlate with crime.)

Right off the bat I would cross off: Chester (as already suggested), Upper Darby, Darby Borough, Yeadon and Pottstown, off the top of my head. They're not awful towns (except much of Chester, sadly) but crime is likely higher than what the OP appear willing to tolerate although committed by a diverse cross-section of citizen. Ironically, they are among the places most likely to offer a home in the range the OP is looking for.

[Danwalker19139]

Levittown