Working Class can’t afford the American Dream in Pittsburgh (to rent, mortgage)

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

All you have to do is hire a home inspector, as anyone would. Obviously, cheap houses will need repairs, but that doesn't mean you couldn't live in a house that needs some TLC. Most of us do.

The houses that I have bought we're actually in nice shape, I have a 12 year old house in North Braddock that I bought for less than 20k including repairs. I found a lot of the cheaper houses had new roofs and windows and some mechanical rehab done. I looked for bank houses, they were under renovation when the owner defaulted on the mortgage.

[TechCom]

Originally Posted by guy2073

The houses that I have bought we're actually in nice shape, I have a 12 year old house in North Braddock that I bought for less than 20k including repairs. I found a lot of the cheaper houses had new roofs and windows and some mechanical rehab done. I looked for bank houses, they were under renovation when the owner defaulted on the mortgage.

It seems like all the North Braddock homes I've been in have problems with water getting in the basement. Do you have that problem?

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by TechCom

It seems like all the North Braddock homes I've been in have problems with water getting in the basement. Do you have that problem?

No, it is a ranch on a crawl space, all new construction. It is almost impossible to stop water from entering a sandstone foundation. That is the type of foundation most commonly used in North Braddock.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by guy2073

The houses that I have bought we're actually in nice shape, I have a 12 year old house in North Braddock that I bought for less than 20k including repairs. I found a lot of the cheaper houses had new roofs and windows and some mechanical rehab done. I looked for bank houses, they were under renovation when the owner defaulted on the mortgage.

There will always be examples of good deals, but they are not the common condition, especially for non-real estate folks. Yes, there are examples, but I see more homes over 50k in Mt. Oliver than under 20k.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

There will always be examples of good deals, but they are not the common condition, especially for non-real estate folks. Yes, there are examples, but I see more homes over 50k in Mt. Oliver than under 20k.

yeah what these people aren't telling us is that they have years and years of real estate experience to sniff out the good deals from the life ruining disasters. this isn't possible for the every man. spending $500 after $500 on home inspections adds up.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

yeah what these people aren't telling us is that they have years and years of real estate experience to sniff out the good deals from the life ruining disasters. this isn't possible for the every man. spending $500 after $500 on home inspections adds up.

$500 is a little on the high end for an inspection, but even so, it's not that big of a drawback. Even if you do 10 of them for $5,000, it's worth it if it saves you $50,000+ on housing costs. If you walk with the inspector, after the first couple you'll have a good idea of what to look for yourself and will be able to "pass" on some homes without even getting to the offer/inspection stage.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

yeah what these people aren't telling us is that they have years and years of real estate experience to sniff out the good deals from the life ruining disasters. this isn't possible for the every man. spending $500 after $500 on home inspections adds up.

Anyone can tell during a walk thru if a house is a disaster or not. Wet basements, water stains on walls, extremely slanted floors, windows that won't open, and remodels that you can tell have been done by the previous owner. Aim for buying from old ladies who may not have put the newest backsplash in their house, but they maintained everything else and probably kept records of it. My house came with a receipt for the stove, that had her notes written on it. Day ordered, amount paid, amount of tax, day delivered, and the check number. That is the kind of person that kept up the maintenance on their house, however I had blue kitchen counters and a pink dining room.


You could also watch the movie "The Money Pit" and learn a lot in the first 20 minutes. If it seems like too good of a deal, it is.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Anyone can tell during a walk thru if a house is a disaster or not. Wet basements, water stains on walls, extremely slanted floors, windows that won't open, and remodels that you can tell have been done by the previous owner. Aim for buying from old ladies who may not have put the newest backsplash in their house, but they maintained everything else and probably kept records of it. My house came with a receipt for the stove, that had her notes written on it. Day ordered, amount paid, amount of tax, day delivered, and the check number. That is the kind of person that kept up the maintenance on their house, however I had blue kitchen counters and a pink dining room.


You could also watch the movie "The Money Pit" and learn a lot in the first 20 minutes. If it seems like too good of a deal, it is.

haha i agree here but those houses go fast. luckily i was able to find a two owner house that was lived in until old age by the first owner and had a new kitchen put in by the second owner that only lived there for four years. i still find remnants of their color choices though...

[RogersParkTransplant]

I'm surprised that people are having a hard time believing that some of the smaller and over-looked municipalities on the outskirts of Pittsburgh are cheap. It's also weird to watch a debate between some people posting about their own experiences, regarding properties they actually own, and then other people who are basically saying "nah, that can't be right, let's come up with a reason not to listen to them."

[Copanut]

They're are good deals everywhere, just might not be your ultimate place you want to live. I've been lucky with my purchases over the years. My one piece of advice is focus on vacant homes, someone is usually paying two mortgages and are ready to deal.