Would you rent in Avalon? (Pittsburgh, Bellevue: rentals, low crime, house)

[sky40]

I'm looking to buy a rental property in Avalon. I don't know much about the area. So, would you rent in Avalon?

[Retiredcoach]

The Avalon area is aligned with the Northgate School District. This is a smaller district with a large base of senior citizens and renters. I share this because taxes tend to be higher and the competition for quality tenants is intense. Your potential rental property is probably going to be a large, older house parceled into rental units that will typically have very high monthly utility bills and property taxes. As much as I personally like the character and architecture of the many stately homes in the walking communities in Bellevue/Avalon area, I would probably call this region more of a declining area than a robust one. The recent projected closing of a large portion of Suburban Hospital (a very large employer in his area) will be another variable to consider as your potential tenant pool will take another hit.

[rhondee]

Suburban Hospital closed last July, however Lifecare Hospital currently occupies several nursing units in the building with plans for a continued expansion. The ER has been converted to a Urgent Care Center. But those changes still have resulted in a total net job loss for the hospital.

Avalon has a low crime rate with a crime index of 132.3 ( U.S. average is 319.2) and I've heard through the grapevine the new mayor is doing a very good job at being proactive with getting the community on the right track with revitalization efforts. Next door community Bellevue has been participating in the Allegheny Together program for revitalization and is fairly vibrant for a small community.

The Northgate School District is small but underperforms nearby Avonworth and North Hills Districts. Many people from Pittsburgh Public move into the district and I've heard that many times some remediation is required for those students moving in to stay on track with Northgate.Again, this is purely anecdotal evidence so don't quote me.

There is also parochial Assumption School which is in nearby Bellevue near the border between Avalon and Bellevue.

The location of these communities is very convenient to downtown, North Hills and west suburbs. Public transportation is convenient but nearby Bellevue is somewhat better.

The local wage tax is a low 1% which makes it more attractive for renters.

I personally prefer to see more owner occupied homes in the North Boros, but have seen many responsible landlords who keep their properties well maintained so I'm not totally adverse to the idea of rentals. It just depends on how well they take care of their rental properties.