Winter Sports in Pittsburgh? (horse, rated)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Hopes

When you discover during your real estate search that you get more property and a larger house in the suburbs for your money, that might close the deal for you.

I agree if maximizing the size of your house and lot for a given amount of money is your top priority (maybe aside from schools), the suburbs are likely going to be where you end up. And we get many people here with such priorities, so it is not an unusual preference.

That said, I'm not sure this fact is exactly a secret, and I wouldn't promote the East End neighborhoods (and don't) to people who say those are their top priorities. The East End neighborhoods are instead going to appeal to people with a different set of priorities, ones in which the size of your house and lot are at least being balanced against some different factors that more favor those neighborhoods.

And we get people like that too, which again is why I don't think it is surprising the East End is talked about with some frequency here.

[robrobrob]

While O'Hara and Indiana aren't Beverly Hills you will get less house for your money there than some other Suburban areas. This is due to probably due to its location and the school district. O'Hara and Indiana have houses that are extremely inexpensive but for the most part a typical 4 bedroom 2 and 1/2 bath suburban colonial house will be more than 250,000. There are exceptions but not a lot. Another reason that O'hara and Indiana are expensive is that they really aren't that big in comparison to other suburban municipalities.

[Fiddlehead]

Great comments!

My only response would be I would hope to buy a nice enough home to consider paying off in a neighborhood I enjoy. Out here in the West it has been tough on the middle class because nobody would give us the straight dope. Everyone was pimping real estate so hard and believed that home prices at 10x income could only go up! And the realtors had the monopoly on info. until recently. I bought in 2003 and if I sell in 2010, I will be looking at just about zero equity over seven years, because things were so far separated from income / credit fundamentals even back then. So, if I buy, I will be looking for an area where all the elements (schools, nearby jobs, modest, sensible appreciation, outdoor and cultural amenities,etc.) are solid. No hocus-pocus like the realty madness out here over the last decade, which made some rich and which you and I are now paying for.

[BrianTH]

You should really be paying no more than about 2.5-3 times gross income for a house in Pittsburgh (in fact, the latest calculations of median multiples I saw had us at 2.6). You can push that out to 4-5 if you are a stable and at least moderately-high income household without a lot of pre-existing debt and you don't otherwise spend a lot on luxuries.

But anything past that just isn't justifiable in Pittsburgh--or anywhere else it turns out, but no one expects otherwise here so prices reflect that. And again it certainly isn't necessary to go past 3 or so to get a home that should meet realistic expectations.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

While O'Hara and Indiana aren't Beverly Hills you will get less house for your money there than some other Suburban areas. This is due to probably due to its location and the school district. O'Hara and Indiana have houses that are extremely inexpensive but for the most part a typical 4 bedroom 2 and 1/2 bath suburban colonial house will be more than 250,000. There are exceptions but not a lot. Another reason that O'hara and Indiana are expensive is that they really aren't that big in comparison to other suburban municipalities.

It's not just location because Shaler actually has the better location. It has to do with the fact that it's more rural, which means there was land for developing newer housing plans. I'll acknowledge that there is a higher concentration of more expensive houses in O'Hara and Indiana, there are also very inexpensive houses in those areas too. O'Hara and Indiana aren't just full of new developments. There are many older houses from almost every decade.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

So, if I buy, I will be looking for an area where all the elements (schools, nearby jobs, modest, sensible appreciation, outdoor and cultural amenities,etc.) are solid. No hocus-pocus like the realty madness out here over the last decade, which made some rich and which you and I are now paying for.

Every area we're discussing (northern suburbs and east end city neighborhoods) will have those elements.

Pittsburgh doesn't have a hocus-pocus real east market. It's very stable and houses slowly appreciate here.

Your criteria of nearby jobs makes me chuckle. All areas we're discussing are within 15 to 20 minutes from each other.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I agree if maximizing the size of your house and lot for a given amount of money is your top priority (maybe aside from schools), the suburbs are likely going to be where you end up. And we get many people here with such priorities, so it is not an unusual preference.

That said, I'm not sure this fact is exactly a secret, and I wouldn't promote the East End neighborhoods (and don't) to people who say those are their top priorities. The East End neighborhoods are instead going to appeal to people with a different set of priorities, ones in which the size of your house and lot are at least being balanced against some different factors that more favor those neighborhoods.

And we get people like that too, which again is why I don't think it is surprising the East End is talked about with some frequency here.

My remark you quoted was made to the OP. I'm not sure why you think you need to keep defending your East End recommendations. I merely provided information for some options to consider. There's no reason for anyone to feel defensive. In the end, the OP will decide where the OP wants to live. However, without offering alternatives, how will OP's ever find out the other options to consider. That's where I'm coming from. And there's no reason for you to feel you need to continue defending yourself in this thread. The East End is great. But I'm STILL going to discuss other alternatives on occassion. Now, let's drop this off-topic interaction between us, PLEASE.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Hopes

However, without offering alternatives, how will OP's ever find out the other options to consider. That's where I'm coming from.

I 100% agree.

And there's no reason for you to feel you need to continue defending yourself in this thread. Now, let's drop this off-topic interaction between us, PLEASE.

For what it is worth, I never felt personally under attack, and from my perspective we were just having a friendly discussion. But I agree this is off-topic, so I will happily agree to let this part of the conversation come to a close.

[robrobrob]

I'm not sure why you think you need to keep defending your East End recommendations.

A little harsh don't you think. Especially, coming form you who frequently makes posts defending your position.

[Hopes]

Fiddlehead,

Someone resurrected an old thread about Shaler today. Check out the description I wrote about it two years ago: //www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...24-shaler.html