Affordable areas no more than 50 minutes away from Philly? (Philadelphia: real estate, apartment)

[k3xql510ue]

Mid 20s college grad here looking to move from central PA closer to Philadelphia. I want my new location to be no more than 50 minutes away. I'm presently unemployed but have enough $$$ to last 2-3 years if I budget accordingly. I want to stay in PA and do not want to live in surrounding states. I am looking to rent a small home that meets the following criteria:

-Bare minimum 1000 sq ft in size and has a basement
-Rent is 1100/month max
-General surrounding area doesn't have to be affluent but it can't be a crime ridden ghetto/druggie den
-I would feel a lot more comfortable in an area that is predominantly white (at least 60%)

Just a note, I would be looking to rent from a PRIVATE LANDLORD, since a lot of these real estate companies/developments tend to be pricier. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you in advance.

[pman]

Phoenixville, ambler, lansdale...the list is pretty long. Not chester

[k3xql510ue]

Originally Posted by pman

Phoenixville, ambler, lansdale...the list is pretty long. Not chester

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?

[toobusytoday]

I'd suggest just looking North and West, and most likely Northwest. You have to realize that the most attractive places are those along the rail lines and near the NJ border when you are talking about the outermost suburbs. Renting a small single house under $1.000/month is going to be a challenge.

[Better Than You]

Originally Posted by k3xql510ue

Mid 20s college grad here looking to move from central PA closer to Philadelphia. I want my new location to be no more than 50 minutes away. I'm presently unemployed but have enough $$$ to last 2-3 years if I budget accordingly. I want to stay in PA and do not want to live in surrounding states. I am looking to rent a small home that meets the following criteria:

-Bare minimum 1000 sq ft in size and has a basement
-Rent is 1100/month max
-General surrounding area doesn't have to be affluent but it can't be a crime ridden ghetto/druggie den
-I would feel a lot more comfortable in an area that is predominantly white (at least 60%)

Just a note, I would be looking to rent from a PRIVATE LANDLORD, since a lot of these real estate companies/developments tend to be pricier. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you in advance.

Are you dead set aginst living in the city?

[k3xql510ue]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I'd suggest just looking North and West, and most likely Northwest. You have to realize that the most attractive places are those along the rail lines and near the NJ border when you are talking about the outermost suburbs. Renting a small single house under $1.000/month is going to be a challenge.

Just to clarify, the most attractive places are the ones I can't afford, correct? I recently contacted a realtor and have received over 40 listings, some of which I'm sure aren't in hot areas. What specific towns would you recommend?

Originally Posted by Better Than You

Are you dead set aginst living in the city?

I'm not dead set against living in the city, but I figured that I would not be able to find anything in my price range that's not ghetto and full of crime. I can't compromise at all on the size of the living space at all because I'm going to be transporting a lot of furniture. Do you have any recommendations on specific sections of the city that would be good?

[Cnote11]

You could sell some furniture... is there a reason you NEED a basement?

[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.

[k3xql510ue]

Originally Posted by Cnote11

You could sell some furniture... is there a reason you NEED a basement?

I already am planning on getting rid of some stuff, but there is absolutely no way I would be able to squeeze into a 1 br studio apartment. The reason I need a basement is that I need 1500 sq ft of space. If a 2 story home is 1000sq ft and has a basement, the basement provides an unofficial 500sq ft of space.

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.

Well to be honest I really don't know the area at all. I'm not specifically looking at any specific towns at the moment. Ideally, I would like to be in an as close to philadelphia as possible while being safe and meeting my budget. I will be moving closer to philadelphia in hopes of finding a job, so I will most likely be driving into the city during rush hour traffic

[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.