So after the new year, DF and I are going to start the process of finding a place to live . YAY!
Let me start by saying that DF is from the South Hills and I am from the North Hills, so the lines have been drawn.
I find myself having issues with the whole situation! I think I may be putting tooo much thought into it.
Is it important to think about the school district? We aren't planning on having kids right away, but who knows the house we move into maybe our home forever.
Secondly, DF's job is not always secure. He works in sports and while Pittsburgh has a lot to offer in that regard, no one ever leaves their job, so openings are few and far between. So I'm concerned about buying a house especially if we are going to be moving in 3-5 years.
Did anyone else talk themselves in circles when it came to deciding on a "home"? Or am I just crazy?! ( Which is probably the case!)

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Planning Bio
Re: Where to Live
In terms of reselling soon, if you guys would get the tax credit, I'm pretty sure that you owe it back if you resell within 3 years.
I'm a South Hills girl though, so I obviously think you should live there. :P
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I really didn't think it would be this big of a deal! Our entire relationship we have lived in two different places, so I think I'm just so ready to live under one roof. But at the same time, I want it to be what we want/need.
Why don't they teach you things like "living after college" in school? Seriously! I would have loved a lesson on morgages, bill paying, how to save effectively.
I suppose that is part of being an adult though,
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Planning Bio
DH was from Cranberry, but hated staying in Pittsburgh, so our compromise was that we'd buy a starter home that wasnt' in the North Hills, and our forever home will be in the NH. I'll be honest, there are times that I'm absolutley miserable living in West Mifflin b/c it really is so different than where I grew up...but the price for starter homes is among the best in the nation, the school district is good (even though we'll be out of this area by the time we have school aged children), and I'm really close to work. I'm throwing West Mifflin out there b/c I think if you do need to move to a different area you'd stand a lot less to lose in resale/closing costs than if you bought a home of the same size in other areas of the city...and if you know that his job will stay in PGH, you can just start looking for a forever home in a good school district sooner and not have a huge mortgage looming over your heads. Just my two cents...the home search is exciting, but it can also be a big hastle so good luck!
E & I are in the process right now and have learned quite a lot from it. We are obsessed with school districts, to the point that I know the rankings of the elementary schools in the areas I am looking. A good SD will ensure resale value. Plus, you never know if this will end up being your forever home. Even if you plan on moving, life could get in the way of that plan, so you want to make sure you find a house that you could live in long-term.
As far as areas, I have found that the North & South Hills are VERY different! Other than going up to Wexford or Pine, the North Hills tends to be a bit more urban that the South Hills. I find that the houses are closer together and the streets are narrower. And, for the most part, the lots are smaller.
NH is a much easier commute and has great school districts (North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine/Richland, Hampton), but once you get out enough for more land, you are looking at 20mi away or so. (Again, this is in my experience from looking at houses for sale right now.)
The South Hills feels more suburban, with bigger lots and wider streets, mostly plan neighborhoods (some from many many years ago). However, the commute is more difficult.
Personally, I have found that I like the South Hills a lot better. It suits my style of living and I can find a huge yard much easier than in the North.
FWIW- These are my fav South Hills areas
-Mt Lebanon (more urban that rest of SH) and smaller lots
-Bethel Park (great SD, large lots)
-Pleasant Hills (so pretty!)
-South Park
I did not like Greentree or Scott as much as these others. And Mt Lebanon has yard that are too small for my taste, but it's a whole different style of living.
But I compeltely agree- buying a house is very scary and renting is just easier, and if you want to go straight to a forever home, then maybe renting and saving money would be the best so you can get exactly what you want when the time comes.
I'll keep you posted! In January/February we are going to start the bank process, narrowing down our scope.
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Planning Bio
We felt the same way Candice, our mortgage+utilities is close to what we'd pay to rent, possibly even cheaper. I think one of the good things about Pittsburgh's home market is that it's pretty steady so you're not going to lose a hundred thousand dollars on resale b/c the housing bubble burst, so we saw it as a fairly safe risk. Maybe when we sell we won't get what we paid for it (or maybe the improvements we made will pay off), but atleast it won't be losing $600+ for every month that we rented. On the other hand, I totally understand not wanting to deal with the upkeep and all the other "joys" of owning a home and that's one of the benefits of renting.
And I'm also partial to the South Hills. I love Bethel Park. I think it's convenient to the city - but you can find a place with a great yard, and the school's are really good. South Park is great as well, as is Peters and Mt. Lebanon.
Obviously before you really start doing anything else- you need to figure out what area of the city you want to go to, then start researching everything else.
For us - SD was not a concern since we don't plan on having kids. Plus - our house really isn't condusive to having kids, so it's doubtful whoever buys it would be worrying about that either.
I agree with Cheryl that so many people buy thinking that this will be a starter home and then end up staying there for years and years. This is because moving is expensive, a hassle, and selling/buying are not the easiest processes either. The starter home concept is a new one, anyway, because a traditional mortgage was 15-30 years, so that was as long as you were expected to stay in the home.
If you guys are renting- I would say def buy unless you plan on moving away within the year. It just makes more sense financially. As far as where- I would try to think of whether this will be your forever home or not. FI and I already have an idea what year we plan on moving, so school district wasn't an issue with our house. But if this might be your forever home- make sure its exactly what you want
I disagree with this statement. It is not worth it financially to buy unless you stay, as PP mentioned, 3-5 years in the house. That is because of closing and financing costs. Also, the first years of your mortgage are not going towards principal, but interest, and therefore, you may still owe the same amount as you paid when you go to sell, meaning you have very little/no equity in the home. Add to that home repairs/upgrades and buying a home for a short amount of time can actually cost you money if you are not careful. (This is why many companies will buy the house from a person forced to relocate, because they realize that the employee will be out thousands if they do not).
Home buying is a great financial tool. If you go to MM on the Nest, they have a lot more info, but basically, 20% down is the standard, plus a large cushion for emergencies/repairs. If you can't put down 20%, you shouldn't buy, IMO. Budget may affect where you are looking to purchase.
School districts are really important for resale even if you don't have kids. (Of course, if you are staying forever or buying a place that isn't kid-friendly, it doesn't matter as much). Also, SD's change over time/proposed mergers.
I like West Mifflin, Mt. Lebo, Pleasant Hils, South Park, etc. I even like White Oak (where several of my friends live), but the SD is McKeesport, which can be rougher. Elizabeth Township/Elizabeth Forward can be nice too. If DH and I were to buy in Pittsburgh, we'd probably look at Carnegie, Bridgeville/USC, Point Breeze, those areas because of their commute to downtown.