move to p'burgh (Pittsburgh, Washington, Zelienople: real estate, how much, house)

[vegwoman]

Hi out there. Husband and I are considering moving to Pittsburgh after retirement. DC area is too frantic and expensive. thoughts ? good idea bad idea ?
thanks

[Hopes]

According to Clairmarie, the weather in Pittsburgh is much better than the weather in Washington DC.

Originally Posted by Clairmarie

Only someone from the upper midwest could reasonably describe Pittsburgh's winters as "short and mild" and its summers as "tropical." The summers are not tropical. They are actually quite moderate. If you want to experience true humidity (without going to Florida), come to the DC area. I grew up in Pgh in a house without a/c, and my parents still live there without a/c, and there are only a few weeks in the summer that are unpleasant. Pgh just doesn't get the weeks of 90+ days that we get in Virginia. I can vividly remember watching the fireworks on the 4th of July with a jacket on, and freezing in August at North Park Pool. Honesty is the best policy. The tropics, it ain't.

It sounds absolutely miserable down there to me.

Okay, I'll be serious now.

The cost of living is much lower here, but tell us what you want from a city.

Then many people will give their various opinions on if Pittsburgh is that place.

[claremarie]

You'll have plenty of company in your retirement living, as Pittsburgh has an extremely high senior population. Cost of living is lower than DC, but the winters are colder and Pittsburgh gets more snow.
Have you ever been to Pittsburgh? Any reason to pick Pittsburgh over, say, South Carolina?

[Drover]

My major concern about retiring to the Pittsburgh area is property taxes. That is one cost that bedevils retirees more than virtually any other, and they are excessive in the Pittsburgh area. If you don't really need to live in or near an urban area, you might consider alternatives elsewhere. The high property taxes in the area is largely offset by the low cost of living, but if property values ever do start to rise significantly, your taxes are going to zoom right up with them. Not a good position to be in when the tax rates are already high and you're on a fixed income.

[Hopes]

Drover,

You make a good point about fixed incomes and a sudden rise in taxes. But what are the chances of Pittsburgh's property taxes skyrocketing in the future? Yeah, it may be a gamble, but how much of a risk? Historically, property values in Pittsburgh rise at a slow and steady rate. It's never been anything compared to the almost overnight property value increases in other areas of the country. What would cause that to happen to Pittsburgh? It becoming the place to live, it attracting huge corporations overnight? For the way people talk so negatively about Pittsburgh, what are the odds?

(I'm just asking because I'm trying to brainstorm on a brain that's still waking up this morning...lol)

What they pay annually in taxes here is most likely lower than what they're paying in DC (because their house is worth more, etc.) That's the response we always get from people we warn about property taxes----they still think our property taxes are a bargain compared to what they pay out each year elsewhere.

There are surrounding counties where the property taxes are lower but access to the city is still convenient. What about places like Zelienople where there is a bit of a town atomsphere with cool antique shops and restaurants? It's not depressed in Zelienople, and it's convenient to downtown for the occassional city experience.

[Drover]

Well the thing is, while property taxes in the aggregate may not rise too quickly in the area, there are specific patches where real estate prices have increased fairly significantly. Lower East Liberty and Lawrencevile come to mind. Point Breeze is another. One of my ex's CMU classmates bought a house in Point Breeze in 1998 for $60,000. He could probably sell that same house in its same condition for close to $200,000 today. Sometimes it does happen, even in Pittsburgh. I don't know how often that happens in the suburbs, but I don't see any reason why it can't.

[guylocke]

I have several family members who are "big time" people in DC and make a lot of money. They are just about ready to retire in a year or two and are chomping at the bit to come back to Pittsburgh. They hate the cost of life in DC.

They own like 5 cars and correct me if I'm wrong but they have a luxery tax on each on?????

For example, they buy each car new and pay all the tax. The next year, they pay the tax all over again for EACH car based on the blue book value???

And on and on year after year! My god.

Pennsylvania doesn't tax retirement, either. That is VERY important.

[HachePR-PGH]

Pittsburgh is a great place to live and play. The seasons are magical. The population is diverse. The housing is affordable. Do your research. Chose your neighborhood. Meet new friends. Be thankful you're not looking for work here.

djh

[Snaily]

Out of all places one could retire why would you pick the Pittsburgh area? There are a lot of old folks in Pittsburgh though, but not because its a nice place to retire, but rather they are from the area and can't really afford to go elsewhere. That and all the young people leave whenever they get a chance.

[guylocke]

That and all the young people leave whenever they get a chance.

That's ignorance talking there and that sentence is completely and utterly untrue anymore. Just FYI Here is one of many research groups shredding that old perception to pieces.

http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/co...dchris05p1.asp