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View Poll Results: What would be considered "expensive" rent (2bd, 1ba)?
$500+ 1 2.00%
$750+ 5 10.00%
$1000+ 16 32.00%
$1250+ 28 56.00%
Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 03-22-2017, 09:05 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,606 posts, read 77,287,663 times
Reputation: 19071

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We pay $725/month plus water/sewer, gas, and electric for our rundown 1-BR in a trendy neighborhood. We don't have off-street parking, a dishwasher, laundry, or A/C. Our rent is likely increasing soon. I checked CraigsList for any pet-friendly 1-BR units in this city that are <$750/month (excluding utilities) and have found slim pickings---similarly dumpy 1-BR units, mostly from one management company.

I would personally consider $1,250/month+ to be expensive for a 2-BR apartment in this city (excluding utilities) and $1,000/month+ to be expensive for a 1-BR apartment in this city (excluding utilities). I make <$30,000/year, which is far less than ~75% of the higher-earners on here make, so my own personal observations are divergent from the norm.

I read an article somewhere recently that said rents were actually on the decline now in Pittsburgh due to a glut of new construction luxury rentals. Can someone tell my landlord this?


I will say, though, as an aside, that "City-Data Pittsburgh" hasn't at all been my experience with "Real Pittsburgh".

Most of my fellow 20-something friends are making $25,000/year-$40,000/year. All have at least a Bachelor's Degree. Some have Master's Degrees. Coupled with hefty student loan burdens and the rising rents here none of us are living very comfortably at all. I don't foresee myself being financially secure until age 35. Judging by this forum Pittsburgh's job market is red hot, and everyone's rolling in the deep. The only people I know who are 25-34 or so who are making bank largely ALSO have current or past help financially from wealthy parents to be in their current life position. Not everyone has the aptitude to be an attorney, physician, autonomous vehicle engineer, controller, software developer, coder, etc. Many "old school" Pittsburgh employers, including my own, continue to under compensate their staff because the job market here still isn't that great, and they know they can exploit their talent as a result.

Every class of Pittsburgher seems to have advocates expect for the working-class. It's a shame, too, considering the working-class helped to make Pittsburgh a legacy city.
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Old 03-22-2017, 11:45 PM
 
281 posts, read 338,605 times
Reputation: 810
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityRising View Post
We pay $725/month plus water/sewer, gas, and electric for our rundown 1-BR in a trendy neighborhood. We don't have off-street parking, a dishwasher, laundry, or A/C. Our rent is likely increasing soon. I checked CraigsList for any pet-friendly 1-BR units in this city that are <$750/month (excluding utilities) and have found slim pickings---similarly dumpy 1-BR units, mostly from one management company.
Buy a house already!!! I almost want to add, "Please?!?" Although prices have increased a bunch in some walkable neighborhoods like East Deutschtown and Troy Hill, there are still relative bargains to be had in stable and interesting areas like Elliott and Spring Garden. You and your partner could find a liveable place inexpensive enough that your mortgage would be a ways less than your current rent. And it would be yours, with your own outdoor space, no paying the neighbor's water bill, etc.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:10 AM
 
6,357 posts, read 5,008,150 times
Reputation: 3309
Rents ARE getting tough, even for a middle class situation, and with eschewing luxuries.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:26 AM
 
684 posts, read 414,994 times
Reputation: 728
I don't know...you can actually buy a small 2 bedroom house for under $1k/month so anything over that for just a rental seems expensive to me.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:45 AM
 
684 posts, read 414,994 times
Reputation: 728
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityRising View Post
I will say, though, as an aside, that "City-Data Pittsburgh" hasn't at all been my experience with "Real Pittsburgh".

Most of my fellow 20-something friends are making $25,000/year-$40,000/year. All have at least a Bachelor's Degree. Some have Master's Degrees.

Coupled with hefty student loan burdens and the rising rents here none of us are living very comfortably at all. I don't foresee myself being financially secure until age 35. Judging by this forum Pittsburgh's job market is red hot, and everyone's rolling in the deep. The only people I know who are 25-34 or so who are making bank largely ALSO have current or past help financially from wealthy parents to be in their current life position. Not everyone has the aptitude to be an attorney, physician, autonomous vehicle engineer, controller, software developer, coder, etc. Many "old school" Pittsburgh employers, including my own, continue to under compensate their staff because the job market here still isn't that great, and they know they can exploit their talent as a result.

Every class of Pittsburgher seems to have advocates expect for the working-class. It's a shame, too, considering the working-class helped to make Pittsburgh a legacy city.


Hang on....$25k/year is less than $15/hour.....if you need a 4 or 6 year degree to make that, then you have some serious vocational issues that are easily solvable unless you have some serious personal problems.

The whining that comes from this group of folks makes me seriously fret for the future. Everyone expects that right out of college that some wonderful life is owed them. Give me a cool apartment in a trendy part of town with enough money for Starbucks every day, the latest iPhone, dinners at new restaurants all the time, and parties every weekend.

That's not how life works. I busted my ass in my 20's working various part time jobs, found something that I enjoyed and was good at (software), taught myself what I needed to know, went to college (with no help from anyone, including loans)...I worked my way through school....and when I started my "career", I wasn't making great money but I was learning and worked hard. Eventually got raises, changed jobs, and progressed to where I'm at a point where I now can afford those things. But nobody gave it to me, and I didn't expect it.

I know I sound like some old cranky boot straps right winger, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:54 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
140 posts, read 164,988 times
Reputation: 132
If I were renting again, I wouldn't pay more than $800 for a 2br apt in the suburbs (ease of commute to suburban office location). Preferably, I would try to stay within the $600-$700 range, which was most definitely possible when I was in the market for a rental 4 years ago.

Though, If you're spending 800 on rent, why not just buy?? The rental market here is outrageously expensive compared to the housing prices.. I pay roughly $500 per month for my 1500ft2, 2 bedroom house in the suburbs. The house not only is larger than a rental, but also includes a garage, laundry, full basement (not included in ft2), large yard, and large deck.
($500 = mortgage,taxes,insurance,trash,water)
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:58 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,783,846 times
Reputation: 17378
None of those are expensive really. I would say $2,500+ would be expensive, but not crazy expensive.
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Old 03-23-2017, 07:04 AM
 
1,577 posts, read 1,272,224 times
Reputation: 1107
Quote:
Originally Posted by aw_now_what View Post
Buy a house already!!! I almost want to add, "Please?!?" Although prices have increased a bunch in some walkable neighborhoods like East Deutschtown and Troy Hill, there are still relative bargains to be had in stable and interesting areas like Elliott and Spring Garden. You and your partner could find a liveable place inexpensive enough that your mortgage would be a ways less than your current rent. And it would be yours, with your own outdoor space, no paying the neighbor's water bill, etc.
it is apparent that they would rather complain than buy a house in an "undesirable" area
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Old 03-23-2017, 07:41 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
1,776 posts, read 2,685,877 times
Reputation: 1741
I pressed the wrong button as I didn't see it was for a 2 bedroom. Meant to press $1250+...
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Old 03-23-2017, 09:20 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,606 posts, read 77,287,663 times
Reputation: 19071
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul2421 View Post
it is apparent that they would rather complain than buy a house in an "undesirable" area
<$30,000/year income. High rent, utilities, student loans, car payment, car insurance, groceries. Where am I finding thousands for down payment and closing cost money, exactly?
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