Looking for more ideas on next neighborhood... (Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville: foreclosure, house)

[EveKendall]

Separate residences?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by EveKendall

Separate residences?

You read my mind!

[Tinare]

I was going to say you're screwed right after reading the first post, but that looks like where the conversation has come around to. I agree with Sealie, you're going to have rank needs/wants and figure out what are the real dealbreakers and are the things you don't necessary like, but that you can live with. I'm not sure all of what you want really exists let alone comes on the market in your price range often.

[sealie]

Originally Posted by Hopes

It's obvious he's serious and she's not.

I meant that my lackadaisical approach would only be useful for narrowing things down if you didn't want to buy asap this spring season, and just wanted a better handle on your options. The thing that seems to kill people in this market is they keep twiddling around and refusing to pull the trigger. "Pretend shopping" might save some time next year, maybe, but of course rates go up in all likelihood.

Seriously. Buy the big house and hire a cleaner. Then if you have another baby or mom needs live-in care in her elder years or one of the couple gets a sleep disorder and you need separate beds, you're set.

I take back anything I ever said about real estate agents being overpaid.

[Hopes]

Or the OP could offer to be responsible for cleaning!

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by sealie

"Too big" is sort of a silly dealbreaker if you want historic as most of Victorian Pittsburgh was either your modest rowhome or your showpiece for the semiwealthy with not too much in between. The kitchen and bathroom take longest to clean, sweeping an extra couple rooms is no big deal and you can hire that out. I would bet you are not going to find that "just right" size until the 1920s at least, probably an American Foursquare, which is right on the edge of what you find acceptable age.

I'm well aware of this. I've paid a lot of attention to what's out there regarding houses. As I said, if you want something which has a second bathroom which is old (hell, not even 19th century old, even including houses up through the 1950s) you need to get something somewhat grand, unless it has been very recently (and probably awkwardly) retrofitted.

Originally Posted by sealie

How serious are you about making this happen this year?

I've been serious about moving since at least two years ago. Honestly my plan was to fix everything in this house over five years, then sell it and move on from the start. We ended up behind schedule on fixing the place up due to having kids, but the neighborhood has appreciated well beyond my wildest dreams, so I suppose it evens out.

Regardless, while there's no hard deadline on having to move now, I know that at some point Lawrenceville's appreciation is going to tail off, other neighborhoods are going to continue to get more expensive, and most importantly, interest rates will further rise. The longer we wait, the more likely we will be to have less options.

[selltheburgh]

get her pregnant. she'll start nesting and will find you a house in no time.

[mjyarish]

Originally Posted by Hopes

It's hopeless. Take out a second mortgage and build a third or fourth story onto your house.

You're far better off just adding on somehow to what you already have, whether it's an addition off the back, top, side.. heck, you can even dig the basement out and relocate utilities. Then you'd have the ONLY house like it in the neighborhood and you'd never have to think about moving again!

[rockthecasbah121]

Originally Posted by mjyarish

You're far better off just adding on somehow to what you already have, whether it's an addition off the back, top, side.. heck, you can even dig the basement out and relocate utilities. Then you'd have the ONLY house like it in the neighborhood and you'd never have to think about moving again!

I think Pittsburgh's zoning is pretty hard to deal with when it comes to some of this stuff.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by eschaton

(she) doesn't know if she could stomach seeing Allegheny Center all the time.

That is probably the most awful thing about living in the North Side... I HATE that stupid thing.

Anyways... sounds like your wife is impossible to please concerning neighborhood... she wants to be close to parents in the South Hills, but doesn't want a "South Hills like" neighborhood... etc etc etc.

Personally... I think you should avoid anything like Brookline, Greenfield, etc... boring "suburb in a city" neighborhoods... they have their assets... but you seem like someone who wants an urban experience.

I live in West Deutschtown... I don't regret my decision... it's nice walking to work. But as a former resident of Bloomfield... I miss the amenities. So often in the evening... I find little to entertain myself in the North Side... so many businesses close early... I get tired of the handful of restaurants nearby... I usually find myself driving over to the East End or South Side.

The problem is that the North Side got hit with depopulation much harder than the city overall over the past century... and despite a very central location... and a broad flat area for development... it has a very sluggish energy. The area has been improving... slowly... and it has my favorite residential architecture in the city... but sometimes I wish I was amidst the hustle and bustle of the East End.

That said... it is really easy to get to the South Hills from the Lower North Side... and I would describe it as only semi-highway driving.