Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There's some great advice on this forum, so I figured I would get some feedback from those who know the area better than I. First, some background...
I'm 25, married and with two young children (3 and 13 months). I'm not from Pittsburgh but have lived in the area for about 5 years -- my wife was born and raised in Penn Hills (Verona). I love the region and want to settle and raise my family here.
We've recently decided to look into purchasing a starter home. I work on the South Side as a marketing specialist for a credit union and make 45k per year -- wife doesn't work. I have almost excellent credit with some student loans, a car loan and a bit of credit card debt that I'm paying off rapidly. Based on my calculations and money I've saved for a down payment, I can afford a mortgage in the 110k range and houses listed in the 120-125k range.
We'd be looking for at least a 3 bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood that is family friendly. Transportation is not that important to me, as I don't mind having to drive to work. I'd like to stay in Allegheny county is possible. So being on a smaller budget, what areas should I be looking?
I love the North Hills, but it's out of my range. 150-175k is more like it up there. Living in Verona/Penn Hills, there are a bunch of affordable homes, but the crime and general deterioration of the area concerns me.
So, lemme know. I've heard so many stereotypes and generalizations about certain areas and I've trying to have an open mind. I've ruled out only a few places I would never dream of living, but I'm open on the rest.
If I've left out any info, let me know and I would be glad to clarify.
Yeah, I know I've seen a decent selection of homes in Shaler and Ross Township. But anything further north is too pricey. So North Hills is a good school district?
Also, because of the market you might be able to find some houses that have been on the market for awhile and will come down a bit in price so you might find something on the high end of your scale that you might think is out of your reach. I have been looking to rent in the same areas (even considering a lease purchase). If you have the right realtor to help you there are endless possibilities. I have used pittsburghmoves.com (coldwell banker north hills) because they sometime have the dates that the house was listed at the bottom so I can see how long its on the market (its hard to get that info). Their search engine SUCKS but if you play around with it or use realtor.com to find MLS# then plug them in on the site that usually works well. I had contacted Dolly Nicely (?) about a property she was selling to see if they would rent and she was helpful and seems to have a big presence on the net (like trulia.com). Check out values and sales prices using zillow.com and trulia.com when you get the house addresses. Some houses might be overpriced and sitting on the market. Wherever you look those two sites can help you see what else is on the market in the area (trulia) and then what the estimated value would be (zillow - also public facts like sq feet and acreage, when built etc). Zillow values can be WAY off but it gives you ballpark figure to see what a house is supposedly worth and what they are selling it for (and what other area houses are worth). I use it to gage a range of value because obviously its better to buy a low price home in a nice area (for resale) than vice versa. Good luck!
There's some great advice on this forum, so I figured I would get some feedback from those who know the area better than I. First, some background...
I'm 25, married and with two young children (3 and 13 months). I'm not from Pittsburgh but have lived in the area for about 5 years -- my wife was born and raised in Penn Hills (Verona). I love the region and want to settle and raise my family here.
We've recently decided to look into purchasing a starter home. I work on the South Side as a marketing specialist for a credit union and make 45k per year -- wife doesn't work. I have almost excellent credit with some student loans, a car loan and a bit of credit card debt that I'm paying off rapidly. Based on my calculations and money I've saved for a down payment, I can afford a mortgage in the 110k range and houses listed in the 120-125k range.
We'd be looking for at least a 3 bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood that is family friendly. Transportation is not that important to me, as I don't mind having to drive to work. I'd like to stay in Allegheny county is possible. So being on a smaller budget, what areas should I be looking?
I love the North Hills, but it's out of my range. 150-175k is more like it up there. Living in Verona/Penn Hills, there are a bunch of affordable homes, but the crime and general deterioration of the area concerns me.
So, lemme know. I've heard so many stereotypes and generalizations about certain areas and I've trying to have an open mind. I've ruled out only a few places I would never dream of living, but I'm open on the rest.
If I've left out any info, let me know and I would be glad to clarify.
Thanks!
~josh
You have a good bit of options on your budget. Try checking out Baldwin, South Park, and Bethel Park. I wouldn't write off Ross. I think you can find a place there in your range.
Bellevue is a nice little town on the hill above Ohio River Blvd. Housing would be within your price range, they have a nice shopping district with some good restaurants, and the commute wouldn't be bad. Older housing stock and quite a few brick street.
With the way the economy is right now, there is nothing to guarentee that you will have a job tomorrow or if you lost your job that you would find another job that would pay as much as the one you have right now.
At the same time, a family illness or death in the family would be all that would stand between you and financial ruin. I would save my money until I had at least 40% of the asking price to put down on the loan. Then look for a house that you can afford, and that does not need a lot of work.
Be prepared to put some money into a house, no matter how nice it looks. That is what gets many people in trouble. They had the money put aside to buy the house, but they didn't have the money when the water tank burst or the furnace quit working or the septic system needed work. Most people don't get rid of a house when there is nothing wrong with it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
