Modest Home in Philly Suburbs - Working in Philly (Philadelphia: condo, mortgage)

[RGG83]

Hi Everyone,

New to this site and in the beginning phases of planning for a big move. Me and my husband live in Philly and work in Philly. We are not high earners but are both steadily employed at a university and have been for some time. We are tired of the city and want to live in the suburbs but are not sure which ones are possible to afford on our income.

When are you moving?
Next 3 years – 5 years.

Where are you coming from?
Philadelphia

Why are you moving?
We want to live in the suburbs. We want a single-family home, not connected to other homes. We want less crime, and more space. A driveway would be a dream come true.

Where will you be working?
We have both worked at UPenn for quite some time and are steadily employed. We will need to find a place with a reasonable commute to West Philly.

Have you been here yet?
Yes. We live in Philly.

Will you buy or rent?
Buy

If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo?
House

How much can you spend?
We have a combined income of about $100K. Obviously we are not high earners but we both have a strong work history with steady employment.

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb?
PA suburb

Are you married or single? Do you have children?
Just the two of us. We don’t have kids so school districts are not a concern for us.

Do you want or need a yard?
Yes

Are you keeping a car?
Yes, 2 cars

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?
calm and quiet but not rural

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
We want a neighborhood that is accepting of us, we are both mixed race. We want a neighborhood that is safe, where you can take a walk outside and not worry so much.

Favorite Beverage - Craft Beer, wine, water?
All of the above

[MarketStEl]

What's your housing budget? How big a mortgage payment can you afford? Do you have the usual 20 percent saved up for a down payment on your house?

The answers to those questions will shape the answers you get.

My first inclination, for instance, is to recommend South Ardmore to you. This is the oldest and largest historically Black community on the Main Line, settled by Blacks sometime not too long after the end of the Civil War. The area just south of Lancaster Avenue near the Regional Rail station is about 27 percent Black and has a diversity index near 60, both of these figures on the high side for the Main Line.

I think that twins account for a larger percentage of the housing stock here than in other parts of Ardmore, but I also believe that there are enough freestanding houses in it for you to be able to find one. And: The median house value in the Census tract I have in mind (bounded on the north by Lancaster Avenue, on the south by County Line Road and the Montgomery-Delaware county line west of its end, on the east by Cricket Avenue and on the west by Railroad Avenue) is just $259,200, which means that there should be houses that you can afford here. You will, however, have Haverford College for a neighbor in the western part of the Census tract.

House values in the Census tract to the east of this one are also fairly reasonable (median: $371,000), and the diversity index is 42.71.

Ardmore has the largest downtown on the Main Line as well — it's home to the Lower Merion Township Building and one of the oldest planned shopping centers in the country, Suburban Square. But the residential blocks around Lancaster Avenue are quiet.

Your commute to Penn will be an easy one via the Paoli/Thorndale (R5) Regional Rail line. Or it's a straight shot down Lancaster Avenue to the campus via 34th or 38th streets.

[NewtownBucks]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

What's your housing budget? How big a mortgage payment can you afford? Do you have the usual 20 percent saved up for a down payment on your house?

The answers to those questions will shape the answers you get.

My first inclination, for instance, is to recommend South Ardmore to you. This is the oldest and largest historically Black community on the Main Line, settled by Blacks sometime not too long after the end of the Civil War. The area just south of Lancaster Avenue near the Regional Rail station is about 27 percent Black and has a diversity index near 60, both of these figures on the high side for the Main Line.

I think that twins account for a larger percentage of the housing stock here than in other parts of Ardmore, but I also believe that there are enough freestanding houses in it for you to be able to find one. And: The median house value in the Census tract I have in mind (bounded on the north by Lancaster Avenue, on the south by County Line Road and the Montgomery-Delaware county line west of its end, on the east by Cricket Avenue and on the west by Railroad Avenue) is just $259,200, which means that there should be houses that you can afford here. You will, however, have Haverford College for a neighbor in the western part of the Census tract.

House values in the Census tract to the east of this one are also fairly reasonable (median: $371,000), and the diversity index is 42.71.

Ardmore has the largest downtown on the Main Line as well — it's home to the Lower Merion Township Building and one of the oldest planned shopping centers in the country, Suburban Square. But the residential blocks around Lancaster Avenue are quiet.

Your commute to Penn will be an easy one via the Paoli/Thorndale (R5) Regional Rail line. Or it's a straight shot down Lancaster Avenue to the campus via 34th or 38th streets.

I know exactly the area of South Ardmore that you are pointing to, and it is very nice, but I don't think that anywhere on the Main Line is going to the best for Opie's budget. I'd probably recommend an area more like Drexel Hill / Lansdowne / Clifton Heights. They will get more for their money in that area, like a yard and stuff. Plus, the commute to West Philly from that area is pretty easy, either by trolley, el, or car (Rte 3 or Baltimore Ave).

[Flyers Girl]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

I know exactly the area of South Ardmore that you are pointing to, and it is very nice, but I don't think that anywhere on the Main Line is going to the best for Opie's budget. I'd probably recommend an area more like Drexel Hill / Lansdowne / Clifton Heights. They will get more for their money in that area, like a yard and stuff. Plus, the commute to West Philly from that area is pretty easy, either by trolley, el, or car (Rte 3 or Baltimore Ave).

Yeah, I think the NHSL and the El are a better commute to Penn than regional rail.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

I know exactly the area of South Ardmore that you are pointing to, and it is very nice, but I don't think that anywhere on the Main Line is going to the best for Opie's budget. I'd probably recommend an area more like Drexel Hill / Lansdowne / Clifton Heights. They will get more for their money in that area, like a yard and stuff. Plus, the commute to West Philly from that area is pretty easy, either by trolley, el, or car (Rte 3 or Baltimore Ave).

I'd second your recommendation of Lansdowne, whose downtown brims with not-quite-realized potential, though the restoration of the Lansdowne Theatre proceeds apace. (Lansdowne's dining scene remains a bit stunted because the borough is dry.)

The neighborhoods to the east and west of North Lansdowne Avenue are filled with huge Colonials and Foursquares to boot. The one to the west is IIRC a National Register historic district. The community is also reasonably integrated and tolerant. Median house prices are definitely more affordable (in the $160s), the neighborhoods range from 35 to 65 percent Black, and the diversity indices match those of South Ardmore.

And the Media/Elwyn (R3) Regional Rail line stops at Penn Medicine (nee University City) Station, right at the southeast corner of the Penn campus.