Relocating to Pittsburgh from San Francisco (Advice Needed) (Lebanon, Washington: real estate market, apartments)

[scottfleisher]

TRO Z: Thanks for all the Mt. Lebo info...it seems a bit remote, but the houses are sooo adorable - it's tempting.

[likepgh]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Well, no, there isn't. I would not recommend doing so to anyone, especially if they have kids to support. I have sounded similar cautions on the Colorado/Denver forums. Unless you are independently wealthy (I am not) you should not move somewhere waiting for a "comeback".

Fair enough.

[Katarina Witt]

I am from Pittsburgh. I don't live there any more. I left to get married. Have not lived there since the 1980s. I have had family in the area continuously, though both parents are now residing at the Beaver Falls Cemetary. My brother lives in Moon Twp and his son moved to Pgh lastfall from Colorado. I live in Colorado.

[bezly]

It also depends on what your definition of "comeback" is.

Should anyone expect a booming city like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc? A quick jump back to a population of 900K or so? I doubt it anytime soon.

I'm hoping for slow and steady growth. A population that increases over time. An area that becomes more livable with more amenities.

I think that's possible in all of our lifetimes.

-B

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I truly doubt it will happen in my lifetime, and that is not meant to be sarcastic.

[Katarina Witt]

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103233/Best-Places-to-Live (broken link)

Here is where I live. Gotta brag a little! The article is overblown, but fairly accurate.

And as has been noted on this forum before, Pittsburgh is not growing, at all. The metro area is shrinking and it isn't all from more deaths than births. There are more people leaving than coming. It would be good if that trend would reverse.

[kpoeppel]

I've found Pittsburgh to be somewhat of a paradox. One one hand, it is a unique city with nice topography, picturesque views, spectacular architechture (although much of it in need of restoration), all with a low cost of living. This is probably why the Pittsburgh region scores well in the "livability index".

Unfortunately, there is also an entitlement mentality in the region thanks to the labor union heritage. In western PA, the belief is that businesses exist primarily to create wealth for employees...not to create a profit for the owner of the business. The owner must pay whatever the employees demand (or else we'll strike!). Starting a business is a tremendous challenge and risk. Not suprisingly, few want to make the attempt in the Pittsburgh region, even though the region has some top-notch research universities. Add to that one of the highest state corporate net income taxes in the country, and you're left with an economy that isn't growing much. Many young people with college degrees have to move out of state to land their first jobs.

I think a local newspaper article headline summarized the Pittsburgh Paradox best: Pittsburgh is Most Livable and Most Leaveable.

[TRO Z]

well scottfleisher,

I'm glad I could be of assistance..I gave ya the best Mt. lebo pitch I could...But if your not ready for the suburbs yet..then ur not ready..

Good Luck in your choice and keep everyone posted...

[scottfleisher]

Our initial budget was $300, but it looks like you can get something nice (small) for around $200. Is this really the case, or are we fooling ourselves now (i.e., would this be a fixer-upper)?

Also, in Mt. Lebo, the neighborhood we liked was between Washington and Gilkeson (W of Washington, N of Gilkeson). Is this a good neighborhood?

It seems Mt. Lebo is back on the list...

[TRO Z]

A good neighborhood is the understatement of the day...That is the area next to the Galleria...Very high end...In that area of Mt. Lebo you might be looking more into the 230k to 259k...

In the Mission Hills area, and Sunset Hills area...200k to 229k will get you a great house...Not a fixer upper...

Have to love the affordability of Pittsburgh....Me and my wife lived in Philly for 13 years before coming back to Pittsburgh, and I remember looking at homes when we were preparing to move back...Does the old adage KID IN CANDY STORE..pretty much say how you feel...

[hnsq]

A decent article attempting to explain the population issue in Pittsburgh is:

Forum: Young people are NOT leaving Pittsburgh

The part I found interesting was when they said 55% of those leaving the city are over 65 years old. It also says we really are not losing people in their 20's. It is a post-gazette article, so it might be biased, but it is at least good news for the future.

Personally, I am a guy in my 20's (with a degree in Computer Information Systems) dating a girl going to school to be a doctor, and I know we are both amazed at the opportunities for jobs. Granted these two fields are better than most in terms of job outlook but still...I don't think it is as bad as everyone says.