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Old 10-24-2012, 07:14 PM
 
4 posts, read 11,105 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello all,

Hang tight because I have a million and one questions. I really appreciate the help!

My guy and I are looking to move to Pittsburgh at the end of the year. He is transferring to finish his degree at Pitt, and I have an elderly grandmother still living in town, so it'd be good for her to have family around again. I've been searching Craigslist for the past several -months- trying to feel out areas we should live/landlords to get in touch with but haven't gotten many replies back. We were in town last weekend and looked at a handful of places from two different property managers. There were two that we could live with, but the guy showing them to us hinted that they probably will be gone before we're ready to move. I don't know if he was just trying to get us to sign right away or not, but we're not ready for that just yet - soon, but not on our first trip touring anything!

Here's our deal:
Looking for a one bedroom
$400-$500
Allows cats (just one)
Need parking for one car
Close to the bus line is a plus!

Neighborhoods we're looking at are Lawrenceville and Etna, primarily, because we really love Lawrenceville/the Strip and it's a pretty easy commute to Pitt. We're certainly open to other areas - we're just not familiar at all! We originally thought Shadyside but quickly realized it was quite out of budget.

Can anyone give me information on what Etna is like? We visited for a couple hours during the day and it seemed quiet enough - the whole area looked like it could use a coat of paint and maybe some repairs here and there but generally nice.

Anyone know of landlords etc. in/near Lawrenceville we should get in touch with? I got really excited about Wylie Holdings' 'handyman specials' but it seems like they don't have anything available at the moment (their website isn't up to date).

Also, anyone familiar with RPI? We saw a couple properties with them in Etna and I'm just wondering what their general reputation is.

Alllssoo (I said a million and one, right?) is it a law in Pennsylvania that landlords have to provide past utility information to prospective renters? I believe it is in some states, just don't know about PA. I asked about the gas bill to heat an older rowhouse we were looking at because that was my main concern, and the guy just kind of shrugged it off and said that wasn't a fair way to know what *we* would pay for utilities, because maybe the previous renters kept the thermostat at 85 all winter long. True, but probably not... I would just like to get a general idea. If it's slightly higher than I'd like, I can probably work with that and be more frugal. If it's through the roof, then maybe this place isn't the one. Would it be worth it to push a little harder for that info, do you think?

Thanks in advance for the input!
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Old 10-24-2012, 07:31 PM
 
Location: 15206
1,860 posts, read 2,578,094 times
Reputation: 1301
500 / month was hard to find in Lawrenceville 8 years ago when I was looking for a rental there. Prices are much higher now. Not sure about Etna. Maybe try Millvale too. Prices seem to be cheaper there and it isn't far from Lawrenceville, etc.
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Old 10-24-2012, 07:35 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,004,288 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SongandSerenity View Post
Alllssoo (I said a million and one, right?) is it a law in Pennsylvania that landlords have to provide past utility information to prospective renters?
All you have to do is call the utility company with the address of the unit and you'll find out the usage history. Keep in mind that won't necessarly be an accurate reflection of your usage. The previous resident could have used more or less energy than you will. People truly do have different levels of comfort. A low heating bill could be the result of someone very frugal and your heating bill will be higher. Or it could go the other way and your bill will be lower. It's all relative so that landlord was right in that respect. If you want the info, call the utility company.
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Old 10-24-2012, 07:36 PM
 
Location: 15206
1,860 posts, read 2,578,094 times
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Also, landlord's comment about utilities is totally correct. You can call the gas or electric provider and ask them. Either way they could keep the thermostat at 85 or at 55. You have no idea.
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Old 10-24-2012, 07:43 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,004,288 times
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Etna sure could use a coat of paint, just like most of Pittsburgh's working class neighborhoods. But it's a fine neighborhood. It's safe and convenient to downtown, the east end and shopping on McKnight, Waterworks and the Mills. They also have free concerts in the summer at the baseball field. Oh, and there is a small community swimming pool that you can walk to. Not far up the road there is a larger pool in Shaler too.

There's a rental crunch in Pittsburgh. If you see an apartment you want, give the deposit and sign the lease because it definitely could slip away from you.
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Old 10-24-2012, 07:46 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,004,288 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by selltheburgh View Post
Either way they could keep the thermostat at 85 or at 55. You have no idea.
Exactly. I just want to stress how true this is. Back when I was young, I often checked the utilities to see how much they would be on a rental. I wouldn't check now. I really don't care how much my utility bill is. Once you become more financially secure, you don't really pay as much attention to those things. And even if you're renting a low-rent type of place, the previous occupants could have had energy assistance helping them pay their bills. There is really no way of knowing what utilities will be like until you move in and start using them.
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Old 10-24-2012, 08:18 PM
 
4 posts, read 11,105 times
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Thanks for the input! I really am smitten with this one tiny rowhouse we found in Millvale, but I'm concerned about heating it because it is older and it's three stories (basement, 1st floor has kitchen and livingroom, 2nd floor has 2 bedrooms, third is a small attic). It's older and on the large side (at least for two people and a cat!), so I have no idea what gas will cost us... that is my main hangup, so it's discouraging to hear that looking at previous usage won't help estimate at all. I definitely hear where you're coming from, I guess it's just hard to hear an answer you don't like sometimes.
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Old 10-24-2012, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
29,739 posts, read 34,357,220 times
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A rowhouse that shares walls with other rowhouses isn't going to lose heat the same way a freestanding building would. The adjoining buildings provide a kind of insulation. You're only going to lose heat from the front and back. It's not really how many floors there are that would affect things, but how good the windows are.
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Old 10-24-2012, 09:10 PM
 
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D'oh! Haha I didn't even think about the houses on either side, that's awesome.
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Old 10-25-2012, 01:00 PM
 
674 posts, read 1,412,274 times
Reputation: 690
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
Etna sure could use a coat of paint, just like most of Pittsburgh's working class neighborhoods. But it's a fine neighborhood. It's safe and convenient to downtown, the east end and shopping on McKnight, Waterworks and the Mills. They also have free concerts in the summer at the baseball field. Oh, and there is a small community swimming pool that you can walk to. Not far up the road there is a larger pool in Shaler too.

There's a rental crunch in Pittsburgh. If you see an apartment you want, give the deposit and sign the lease because it definitely could slip away from you.
This. And at a budget of $400-$500 for a one bedroom that allows a cat, many of the places you'll find will be in areas that could use a coat of paint. That doesn't mean that they aren't fine otherwise. But the spiffy and shiny areas are going to have much higher rent.
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