Do I need glasses? (Pittsburgh, Washington: for sale, real estate, condo)

[Haligonian]

I'm from Nova Scotia, Canada. I recently visited Pittsburgh and instantly fell in love. I decided to look online at houses just for the heck of it. I'm basically just wondering if the prices of houses I'm seeing online are for real. Regardless of neighbourhood, crime rate, taxes, or ANY other variable, the houses I'm seeing for $80,000 +/- are comparable to houses here that sell for $400,000, again regardless of neighbourhood, etc.

Is there some kind of catch I'm not aware of when looking at these houses?

[Drover]

It's a simple matter of supply and demand. The Pittsburgh area's population is stagnant at best so there's just not a lot of pressure on real estate prices. Also, it's not quite true that houses are 80K no matter the neighborhood. You'll find that a starter home in the more in-demand neighborhoods in the East End will be about twice that much. Newer construction especially in the suburbs will tend to be more expensive as well. And perfectly habitable homes in distressed neighborhoods can be had for 30-40K, maybe even less.

That said, older 2- to 4-bedroom homes in modest but safe neighborhoods can easily be had for $80K. The only catch is that, at that price, chances are it will need serious cosmetic updates at a minimum, and maybe some mechanical updates too. But yes, you can easily find a habitable home in a safe (though not "trendy") neighborhood for $80K or less.

[Haligonian]

Sorry I didn't mean there's $80,000 houses in any neighbourhood. What I meant was if you took pretty much ANY $80,000 in Pittsburgh and put it where I live in ANY neighbourhood you could probably quadruple the price and get multiple offers. I'm just shocked at how much the prices differ.

Thanks a lot for your input and good info!

[rhondee]

There are several nice homes in my neighborhood and on NICE streets for sale. One is a 3 bed, 1 bath at $79,000. I can't give you any info d/t forum posting rules but to see an example of one neighborhood check out the photos I took mostly of Bellevue neighborhood under thread " Pittsburgh and North Neighborhoods Pics"
There are many other nice neighborhoods in and around Pittsburgh you may want to explore.

[rhondee]

Oh, and as an aside, you know Pittsburgh loves Canadians , especially b/c of Sidney Crosby!!! LOL!

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by rhondee

Oh, and as an aside, you know Pittsburgh loves Canadians , especially b/c of Sidney Crosby!!! LOL!

Probably vice-versa as well, since Pittsburgh has such a great hockey team!

--

To the topic of housing...yeah, I share the OP's fascination with beautiful scenery of a city combined with incredibly reasonable housing prices!

[SteelCityRising]

The affordable housing prices are one of the primary motivating factors behind my impending move to Pittsburgh from uber-expensive Fairfax County, Virginia.

I absolutely fell in love with this home online so much that I went to go see it in person:

Mt Washington, Pa 15211 Home - Real Estate and Homes for Sale - MLS #835811 - Realtor.com®

Yes, it needs cosmetic updating, but it's a great deal, and it's in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Mt. Washington. Where can you find a house with this much character for $45,000 in Fairfax County? You can't even find a distressed 1-BR condo here for that.

(Cue those whining about how much "higher" the salaries are in NoVA in 3, 2, 1...even though I've been finding positions with COMPARABLE pay in Pittsburgh to what I'm making now!)

[paladinking]

Originally Posted by Drover

It's a simple matter of supply and demand. The Pittsburgh area's population is stagnant at best so there's just not a lot of pressure on real estate prices. Also, it's not quite true that houses are 80K no matter the neighborhood. You'll find that a starter home in the more in-demand neighborhoods in the East End will be about twice that much. Newer construction especially in the suburbs will tend to be more expensive as well. And perfectly habitable homes in distressed neighborhoods can be had for 30-40K, maybe even less.

That said, older 2- to 4-bedroom homes in modest but safe neighborhoods can easily be had for $80K. The only catch is that, at that price, chances are it will need serious cosmetic updates at a minimum, and maybe some mechanical updates too. But yes, you can easily find a habitable home in a safe (though not "trendy") neighborhood for $80K or less.

[Haligonian]

RestonRunner, that's a very nice home, similar to this one which I love:
[mod]link removed, please read the tos[/mod]
I'm a die hard Steelers and Pirates fan, so I already knew I'd feel right at home before I ever went to Pittsburgh. But once I visited with my girlfriend, we instantly settled in and didn't want to leave. We explored a lot of the city, and we're both a huge fan of brick houses as well as landscaping, both of which seems to be very common in Pittsburgh. It's just a beautiful city, and add to that the fact that the real estate is extremely well priced, I just want to move there right now!!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Haligonian

I just want to move there right now!!

DO IT! You only live once, my friend! I just quit a stable job near Washington, DC to pursue my Pittsburgh dream. I recently celebrated my 24th birthday alone eating fast-food in my boxers and crying while playing games on Facebook, so that was a wake-up call for me to take charge of my life and pursue my true dreams.

I'm going to be in Pittsburgh as of 11/30/2010. If my ideal place in the Polish Hill neighborhood comes through I'm going to become VERY active in the community and make a name for myself.

In 2012 I'm going to pursue a dual MPA/JD program at the University of Pittsburgh. Once that's completed I plan to run for city council to help make the city even better.

My grandmother vacationed in Nova Scotia, and she said it's an absolutely beautiful province. I've only ever been to Ontario, but I can't wait to get my passport and explore more of Canada someday. Pittsburgh is gorgeous in its own special way. Some people look at it and think "rust, grit, grime, blech!" I look at it, close my eyes, and envision the way the city once was when it was in its heyday before the hideous suburbs/exurbs decimated its population. As an idealist and a dreamer I envision helping to bring Pittsburgh into a new era of prosperity.

You'll be most welcome in the Steel City! So far everyone I've met in Pittsburgh has been eager to help me become acclimated, and everyone seems to view my optimism as being refreshing. With everyone and their brother-in-law moving from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC I'm probably the only one bucking that trend---burned out by the sterile career-obsessed people, traffic congestion, unattainable housing prices, chain store/restaurant orientation, sprawl, etc. Most Pittsburghers I've met who live here now HATE the Steel City, but I'm not letting their vitriol deter me.