East Allegheny (Deutschtown) (Pittsburgh, Troy, Spring Hill: low income, renting, insurance)

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by jay5835

You do realize, don't you, that you can end up living next to people who are equally annoying, and who, because they own the place, can feel even more entitled, and are even more entrenched?

I've had noisy, obnoxious neighbors both as a renter and as a homeowner. As an owner you can do more to dampen the noise. We noticed a fairly dramatic reduction in noise after insulating our home and installing dual pane windows.

[Goodjules]

SCR, you're probably aware of this, but here's a link to info on the Allegheny County first time homebuyer's program: Allegheny County Economic Development - First Time Home Buyer

This is a link to their Vacant Property Recovery program: http://economic.alleghenycounty.us/r..._recovery.aspx

And finally, a link to their Targeted Areas Recovery program: http://economic.alleghenycounty.us/r...ted_areas.aspx

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by jay5835

You do realize, don't you, that you can end up living next to people who are equally annoying, and who, because they own the place, can feel even more entitled, and are even more entrenched?

Very, very true--and as a homeowner it is more difficult for you to simply move away if a situation becomes unfortunate. Consider the unhappy saga that happened to someone we both know on the Nepa forum. She moved into a neighborhood and then had ongoing harrasment from a neighbor that got so bad they had to leave. It's a good reminder that it's important to consider who your neighbors are before buying a house (especially if you're thinking of living without a car).

[greg42]

Reminds me of my first and last time renting an apartment in old house up on Mt Washington. A great location and mostly it was fine, and it was pretty cheap, but when my upstairs neighbors had a late party when I was trying to sleep or not feeling well or something, it was useless (happened once or twice). I ultimately had to leave the house during one of those. Lesson learned. I got out of my lease a couple months early even (amicably, it actually worked to both of our advantages). Sometimes have to learn it the hard way, but I learned I'm not going to rent an apartment made from an old house. The purpose-built apartment building I moved to was bad enough a couple times, at least until I moved up to the upper floor. For some reason the sounds transmit more from upper to lower level usually so to a certain degree there can be an advantage to living on the top floor.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Very, very true--and as a homeowner it is more difficult for you to simply move away if a situation becomes unfortunate. Consider the unhappy saga that happened to someone we both know on the Nepa forum. She moved into a neighborhood and then had ongoing harrasment from a neighbor that got so bad they had to leave. It's a good reminder that it's important to consider who your neighbors are before buying a house (especially if you're thinking of living without a car).

So true. We had a paranoid schizophrenic neighbor with rich parents who were in denial of his situation. They bought him a house across the street from us. He would do donuts with his motorcycle on people's lawns. One day he demolished the entire back wall of his house leaving it completely open to the elements. He would walk down the middle of the street, oblivious to traffic, ranting and raving and threatening anyone who had the misfortune to be walking by. He was very scary. The authorities were called many times. Eventually he did something crazy enough that the cops showed up with an ambulance. It took four big orderlies to restrain him. We were overjoyed when his parents finally put the house on the market. And that he was finally getting professional help.

[sealie]

I think it's OK if he posts the details because he's not ready to buy yet. This is obvious. He's not preapproved, he's not fully informed about his financing options, he doesn't have an agent. This is still the window shopping stage. So posting and getting feedback is part of that. It's not like trulia is insider information.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

^ And this is why I rush. There was a cute 1-BR home behind the alley from me on Paulowna Street in Polish Hill on the market for around $50,000 not long ago. Since it needed work, was tiny, and was on a busy road I thought it was overpriced and balked at buying it only to have it rapidly sell before I even scheduled an appointment to view it. Then there was a home on Pauley Avenue in Hazelwood that I was also drooling over (and even started another thread about). That, too, sold before I could view it.

If both the Blossom Way and Ingham Street homes I currently desire sell before I can buy them I'll be heartbroken.

It doesn't seem like you're rushing. I'm sure you spend a lot of time personally searching on real estate sites and thinking about what you want, but you still don't have a buyer's agent or a mortgage pre-approval. I'm not recommending that you rush, but if you are trying to rush, you're doing it wrong.

Those homes on Paulowna and Pauley, how did you find out about them? Trulia? If you have a buyer's agent they can set you up with automatic e-mail alerts the day homes are listed on the MLS (usually 1-2 days prior to when they go on Trulia and the like), and they also are sometimes privy to homes that are going to market but aren't officially listed on the MLS yet. Relying solely on real estate websites is putting yourself at an unnecessary disadvantage if you are serious about this.

[Debbie1125]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Very, very true--and as a homeowner it is more difficult for you to simply move away if a situation becomes unfortunate. Consider the unhappy saga that happened to someone we both know on the Nepa forum. She moved into a neighborhood and then had ongoing harrasment from a neighbor that got so bad they had to leave. It's a good reminder that it's important to consider who your neighbors are before buying a house (especially if you're thinking of living without a car).

This happened to me when I was too eager to buy a house and get out of the terrible neighborhood I lived in. After about a year I started getting harassed by the family next door and their friends who lived across the street. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do. I didn't have enough equity built up to move.

Although it took years I did manage to save up enough and with the sale of that house, I was able to move to a much better neighborhood that I am very happy with.

[Hopes]

Sorry I missed this thread until now. I lived just up the street on Itin which Chestnut turns into at the Spring Garden intersection. The only way in and out of Spring Hill is through East Allegheny.I've also spent a lot of time driving through there this summer when I was on Troy Hill three days a week. It's a drug area with drug dealers standing outside and blocking the streets with their vehicles, but it's a safe area by urban standards. If anyone is going to get hurt, it will be the drug people hurting each other. I personally prefer the part of East Allegheny that's on the other side of Chestnut Street, closer to the brewery. There are a lot of brick row houses over there with flower boxes, but you sure could start a trend with this house too. I think it could look cute. Maybe you'll paint it wild and fancy colors like the houses in the Mexican War Streets. If you like it, go for it!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Uptown kid

I have a good friend who lives in East Deutschtown & all I have to say is that: East Deutschtown is safe, though you better know it's not the War Streets. The area doesn't deserve to be called a ghetto though you will find out if you go with through it that East Deutschtown can get pretty ghetto at times...
-Also be aware that hardcore drug dealing might be done in broad daylight & try not too walk to far away from Madison Ave after dark (especially Constance St & Trippoli Park).
Despite all of the above I OK it, and we all know East Deutschtown is far safer than Larimer, the heart of Hazelwood, Cal-bride Place, Allentown or Arlington.

Absolutely agree with this. If SCR would be comfortable living in Lawrenceville, he'll be comfortable in East Allegheny. Lawrenceville has the drug dealing and prostitutes. I don't think East Allegheny has the prostitutes (literally working the streets there) so it is an improvement on that level, without the great business district that Lawrenceville has, of course.