Family potentially relocating to Pittsburgh. Please help (Mount Lebanon, Lebanon: rental, how much)

[Rust Belt Kid]

Renting a single family home in an area with good schools tends to be significantly more expensive than buying. You'll have more flexibility if you are willing to live in an apartment/townhouse/condo.

For a commute to the VA, I would look to living in the North. Pittsburgh commuting is different than Buffalo because the topography, bridges, and tunnels, create bottlenecks. Coming from the North is the better commute. I would look into the Shaler SD (Shaler, Etna, Millvale, Reserve Twp), Fox Chapel SD (Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Sharpsburg, O'Hara), North Hills SD (Ross, West View), Avonworth SD (Emsworth, Ben Avon, Ohio Twp, Kilbuck). Prices will vary depending on the locale, but there are certain areas (I'm thinking Ross, Etna, Reserve, Emsworth, West View, O'Hara) that should be able to fit into your price range.

North Allegheny, Hampton, Pine Richland, and Quaker Valley School Districts are further out and more expensive, but excellent school options.

Zillow or Realtor is a good resource. A lot of people here use Craigslist to look for rentals--you just have to be smart about it.

[wilsond89]

Thanks for all the info so far. Update. I am looking at the West Penn hospital for myself. So with hubby being at the Oakland VA, and if i am at West Penn, would that influence any decisions for recommendations on housing. And as far as being a single home, it does not necessarily have to be that. I would prefer, but we currently reside in a townhouse now. Which I am comfortable with moving into again Thanks for all your help so far!

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by wilsond89

Thanks for all the info so far. Update. I am looking at the West Penn hospital for myself. So with hubby being at the Oakland VA, and if i am at West Penn, would that influence any decisions for recommendations on housing. And as far as being a single home, it does not necessarily have to be that. I would prefer, but we currently reside in a townhouse now. Which I am comfortable with moving into again Thanks for all your help so far!

i think your main issue will be parking. at your budget, if you can park near work, i would look in ross and shaler. ross has better schools and shaler you might be able to get more for your money. optimally i would say squirrel hill or the like but that is a tight budget. it gets tougher when you have to work in public transit.

[DaisyDaisy]

Originally Posted by Rust Belt Kid

Renting a single family home in an area with good schools tends to be significantly more expensive than buying. You'll have more flexibility if you are willing to live in an apartment/townhouse/condo.

For a commute to the VA, I would look to living in the North. Pittsburgh commuting is different than Buffalo because the topography, bridges, and tunnels, create bottlenecks. Coming from the North is the better commute. I would look into the Shaler SD (Shaler, Etna, Millvale, Reserve Twp), Fox Chapel SD (Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Sharpsburg, O'Hara), North Hills SD (Ross, West View), Avonworth SD (Emsworth, Ben Avon, Ohio Twp, Kilbuck). Prices will vary depending on the locale, but there are certain areas (I'm thinking Ross, Etna, Reserve, Emsworth, West View, O'Hara) that should be able to fit into your price range.

North Allegheny, Hampton, Pine Richland, and Quaker Valley School Districts are further out and more expensive, but excellent school options.

Zillow or Realtor is a good resource. A lot of people here use Craigslist to look for rentals--you just have to be smart about it.

There was a suggestion for Bethel Park, which is in the South, and would not be a happy commute to VA-Oakland or West Penn Hospital.

Agree with suggestion on looking North and the locales Rust Belt mentioned.

[robrobrob]

I think you really should reconsider your preference for renting. I realize that you don't know the the specific areas but you will have tons more options if you buy. Frankly, we have quite a few suburbs that have good to great schools that are fairly close to Oakland and you can find a decent house for around 200,000. A good realtor can show you different suburbs.

If you have a down payment, you can buy a 200,000 house with taxes for less than 1500. Our taxes here are fairly high. So, that impacts rent. A 200,000 house may have taxes around 5000 a year.

Our public school are really good. A private Montessori school will run you a lot (about 10,000 a year). Plus, child care in the summer.

[wilsond89]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

I think you really should reconsider your preference for renting. I realize that you don't know the the specific areas but you will have tons more options if you buy. Frankly, we have quite a few suburbs that have good to great schools that are fairly close to Oakland and you can find a decent house for around 200,000. A good realtor can show you different suburbs.

If you have a down payment, you can buy a 200,000 house with taxes for less than 1500. Our taxes here are fairly high. So, that impacts rent. A 200,000 house may have taxes around 5000 a year.

Our public school are really good. A private Montessori school will run you a lot (about 10,000 a year). Plus, child care in the summer.

Robrobrob,

We would not have an issue with buying if we knew good specifics about the area, and we like to get a feel for the area before we make a purchase. I would hate to relocate buy a house and then a couple of years later move and stuck. Also that would be a very quick turnaround. If he receives the transfer than we would literally have less than 2 months. to move. Is it possible to find a decent house and close in that short amount of time?

[dbsteel]

Originally Posted by wilsond89

Hmmmmm,

I thought COL was decent in Pittsburgh? I heard that housing was good down there. What the average family income? Or is it because I am looking for a house etc? I would be more flexible on the budget if needed.

Its probably cheaper to own around here than rent- especially out in the burbs. Squirrell Hill isn't out in the Burbs.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by wilsond89

Robrobrob,

We would not have an issue with buying if we knew good specifics about the area, and we like to get a feel for the area before we make a purchase. I would hate to relocate buy a house and then a couple of years later move and stuck. Also that would be a very quick turnaround. If he receives the transfer than we would literally have less than 2 months. to move. Is it possible to find a decent house and close in that short amount of time?

Get a year's lease on a single family in the approximate area you're looking. There are lots of reasons one house could work for you and others won't. I leased when I first moved to Pittsburgh and I think it was a good decision even though I could have afforded a place (for one thing it helped bridge the sale of my old house without having a ton of cash outlay).

[rowhomecity]

I would go to zillow and check out Bethel Park. Top rated school district, generally beautiful area. Tons of rolling hills and trees. You have transit access to get into the city. The "t". And because it is a bit of an older suburb you will have more within your budget. I think this will give you the opportunity to find which areas of Pittsburgh you like best, while putting you in 100% a great area. The commute might be a little more challenging, but you will definitely discover the areas of Pittsburgh you like best. The North Hills tend to be newer and a bit pricier overall.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by rowhomecity

I would go to zillow and check out Bethel Park. Top rated school district, generally beautiful area. Tons of rolling hills and trees. You have transit access to get into the city. The "t". And because it is a bit of an older suburb you will have more within your budget. I think this will give you the opportunity to find which areas of Pittsburgh you like best, while putting you in 100% a great area. The commute might be a little more challenging, but you will definitely discover the areas of Pittsburgh you like best. The North Hills tend to be newer and a bit pricier overall.

I live next door in usc, I love bethel Park. I would live in and recommend bethel Park to anyone. If I had to commute to Oakland from bethel every day I would go insane. This is coming from someone who does a usc to north Braddock commute regularly.

I have to agree with the people saying to live in the North Allegheny school district or fox chapel school district. Your commute will be easier.