Good old affordable Pittsburgh (York, Lebanon: for sale, real estate, apartment)

[safak]

I'm not in the real estate business so I'm sure I am missing something.

But every 'affordable' list, we are in it. Usually top 3.
Is it really true?

I know Pittsburgh isn't anything like New York or L.A. or a resort town. But few places are. Looking at real estate, and school districts, and neighborhoods across the nation in other decent sized cities..Do you really get more in Pittsburgh?


I'm not saying its expensive, but from what I see its not cheaper, and slightly higher than a lot of places. A new 4 bed, 2+ bath, 2500-3000 sq foot house, a half hour drive into the suburbs, in a decent school district(not top, but decent like Penn Trafford or Norwin). Its going to run you 300k+ easily.

Property taxes aren't low by any means. Sales tax are about right in the middle. Sending kids to college is more expensive here than anywhere in the nation (pitt and psu are the 2 highest public universities for in state tuition the past few years running). Gas and food are more or less the same across the board, unless you have a Giant Eagle with no competition for a few miles..then you get raped.
What am I missing?

Looking around at other cities and their suburbs, almost any city you point at you can get just as much, if not more for your money as you can here. And alot of those places pay higher wages. Although alot seem to pay lower 'low end' wages, the middle class on up jobs , like engineers or pt/pharmacy type fo stuff certianly aren't on the higher end.

So what am I missing? Do we have alot of older houses for sale in nice areas that are cheap? I'm sure its something or we wouldn't always be so far up on the lists.


I just got curious about this as I have a friend who is a real estate agent who keeps telling me to sell my house soon if I'm going to do it, and that our 'bubble' in Pittsburgh, espeicaly the overpriced suburbs, is due to burst. He insists to me that anywhere form NC, SC, down to Flordia, over to Texas and all through the midwest its just as, if not more 'affordable'.

[stburr91]

Real estate isn't as affordable as it once was, especially if you want a larger home in a decent school district. The cost of living here is on the rise, and will start to catch up with many other cities in the next 5-10 years.

The rental market is even more expensive here. I spoke to a woman from Boston who was looking for an apartment in Pittsburgh last year, and she said that the cost of living was much closer to that of Boston than she thought.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by safak

I'm not saying its expensive, but from what I see its not cheaper, and slightly higher than a lot of places. A new 4 bed, 2+ bath, 2500-3000 sq foot house, a half hour drive into the suburbs, in a decent school district(not top, but decent like Penn Trafford or Norwin). Its going to run you 300k+ easily.

The suburbs you mention are not Pittsburgh, or even Allegheny County!

[Rob320]

I think a lot of those people that tout Pittsburgh in the media and the ratings are referring to the "opportunity" that exists here. My partner and I moved here from economically-depressed Michigan, and have not had nearly as rough a time as we did there. We purchased a 100-year old home that needed EXTENSIVE renovations for around $10K. We were fortunate to be able to live in our home during the work (not for the faint of heart), and thankfully we're nearing the mid-point. My point is that it's all about what you're willing to do to get what you want. Some people are more suburban-minded, and don't want the hassle of the city. We both happen to love being in a 1st-ring suburb, with the convenience of the city 3 miles away (and the views!), but not having to pay the taxes Pittsburgh is known for. Once finished, our home will be amazing. True, the other houses in the area aren't rivaling Beverly Hills...but again, it's all about what you're looking for. We personally decided to try and make a difference here. Kind of the "monkey see, monkey do" approach, hoping others will see what they have the opportunity to achieve with a little work and dedication.

With that said, I think if you're from out of the region (state) and willing to roll up your sleeves & dig in, you'll find Pittsburgh to be quite rewarding. There's issues, cost factors, and other not-so-lovely attributes no matter where you go. Generally speaking, though, we both feel we made the right choice by coming to Pittsburgh and choosing to settle down here (McKees Rocks). We were looking at several different cities, like Indianapolis, Columbus, Nashville, Denver and Louisville. We're both from Michigan/Ohio, and wanted to be close enough to be "home" within a few hours. Not to mention the weather is a lot better here, although most locals complain about it. Far less horrid winter days!

[EveKendall]

I live in a nice house in the city in a safe clean neighborhood with good schools. We paid $155,000 for it last year. My friends own a comparable home in Philly; their house is slightly larger but they have to send their kids to private schools. They paid $350,000 for their house. Another friend lived in a beautiful house in Mt Lebanon. She moved to Denver last year and they cannot afford anything close to comparable. In my field of work I am going to get paid the same whether I live in Berkeley, NYC, or Pittsburgh, so yes, it seems pretty cheap to me here.

[PreservationPioneer]

I swear when I read this post, my eyes almost fell out of their sockets. So I'm not the only urban pioneer in McKees Rocks anymore? I'm also from Michigan! Good luck on your home restoration. I'm restoring a row-house in West Park. I'd love to see pictures!

Originally Posted by Rob320

I think a lot of those people that tout Pittsburgh in the media and the ratings are referring to the "opportunity" that exists here. My partner and I moved here from economically-depressed Michigan, and have not had nearly as rough a time as we did there. We purchased a 100-year old home that needed EXTENSIVE renovations for around $10K. We were fortunate to be able to live in our home during the work (not for the faint of heart), and thankfully we're nearing the mid-point. My point is that it's all about what you're willing to do to get what you want. Some people are more suburban-minded, and don't want the hassle of the city. We both happen to love being in a 1st-ring suburb, with the convenience of the city 3 miles away (and the views!), but not having to pay the taxes Pittsburgh is known for. Once finished, our home will be amazing. True, the other houses in the area aren't rivaling Beverly Hills...but again, it's all about what you're looking for. We personally decided to try and make a difference here. Kind of the "monkey see, monkey do" approach, hoping others will see what they have the opportunity to achieve with a little work and dedication.

With that said, I think if you're from out of the region (state) and willing to roll up your sleeves & dig in, you'll find Pittsburgh to be quite rewarding. There's issues, cost factors, and other not-so-lovely attributes no matter where you go. Generally speaking, though, we both feel we made the right choice by coming to Pittsburgh and choosing to settle down here (McKees Rocks). We were looking at several different cities, like Indianapolis, Columbus, Nashville, Denver and Louisville. We're both from Michigan/Ohio, and wanted to be close enough to be "home" within a few hours. Not to mention the weather is a lot better here, although most locals complain about it. Far less horrid winter days!

[Rob320]

Nope! You're not the only one. But believe me, we thought we were for the longest time, too. It's not a "hot spot" area just yet....but give it some time. It's getting there. One of our goals in the next few years (more than likely after the house is finished, if that day ever comes) is to open a cafe. You know, the kind with tables & chairs outside, lots of candles & low lighting, heavy red velvet drapes over huge windows, exposed brick, maybe some jazz in the background.

There's no way around the advantages our best-kept-secret-of-a-town offers when it comes to ease of access to the city and it's wonders, just 8 minutes away. And yes, Pittsburgh has some amazing qualities that we've fallen in love with. We're avid bike riders and walkers, so we're loving the challenges of all the hills.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by Rob320

One of our goals in the next few years (more than likely after the house is finished, if that day ever comes) is to open a cafe. You know, the kind with tables & chairs outside, lots of candles & low lighting, heavy red velvet drapes over huge windows, exposed brick, maybe some jazz in the background.

I hope you do this! I would be a regular customer. It would be cool to have a place like that with live jazz in the area.

I have been tossing around the idea of opening a little coffee shop on Broadway. I would call it "Nostalgia Coffee Shop" and it would be full of old-fashioned mementos of McKees Rocks and Stowe's past, such as old black and white pictures of the town, post cards, souvenirs, etc.

[gg]

The reason why real estate seems so reasonable, is because the school taxes are so high, it makes the prices of homes very low. It is the only place in the US that you have a $300K home and you are paying close to $10k a year in tax. $400k? $11-13K a year. Don't kid yourself, it isn't that cheap.

[MathmanMathman]

Sounds like Pittsburgh needs to do some recruiting for new residents in Michigan.

"Big fan of "This Old House"?...well...you'll live it in Pittsburgh."

Maybe WQED should do its own version "Red Up Yinzes Haus in da 'Burgh".