Thoughts and opinions of this NW PA home

[Holyoak]

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5460-Autumnwood-Dr_Cochranton_PA_16314_M45760-15844?row=2&ex=PA574991505

I know all real estate is local, just the same, what do you think, gut feeling on value ratio?  Looks like the fridge and range were removed, despite the listing notes.  Price seems OK for a super private lot (surrounded by trees on 3 sides, no one in the front, but the garage seems a bit small, and the taxes are $2600/year.  No bathrooms shown, so I wonder if they were trashed/tiny...  Figure whatta I gotta loose with a looksie.

FWIW, any home I buy, I'm pretty sure will be 100% cash.  Even with $1.35MM in pretty liquid assets, single guy in pretty good shape, I feel worried/too big a step without income, catastrophic repairs...  WTF??? 

Really appreciate your thoughts; thank you!

[margarinecat]

Nothing on the listing appears to be a red flag to me.  The big plus to me is that it has gas heat versus oil heat.

You never really know until you see it in person - I was convinced I was going to buy a house I looked at online because the pictured looked great and the location was where I wanted it.  Then I looked at it in person and it was a dump.  Take someone with you (besides a realtor) if you go look at it; I wish I had gotten an outside opinion before I bought my first house.

Is this the area you want to be in?  I don't know your work situation, but if you are commuting to Meadville, you might want to get something closer.  If you aren't working and want to be in the country, you could look somewhere that might be cheaper, like Oil City, Franklin or Sligo.

[mm1970]

I don't see any red flags either, and I'll ditto about the other areas like Oil City.

My sister lives in Greenville, and I grew up in Clarion.  It looks like a decent value.

[margarinecat]

A big advantage to living in Clarion would be Bob's Subs.

[Holyoak]

Thanks Margarinecat. 

I know what you mean about dumps, problem is SOOOOOO many are total dumps plain and simple from the listing!...  Still price them like the foundation is made from solid gold bricks.  I have kinda looked at the other areas you mention, but *think* I want to be closer than they are to Meadville.  I really have weighed the need and want for seclusion to price, but at least now it seems so few houses I see even come close to meeting my minimum requirements; sub $100k, basement, gas heat (damn right), sewer, secluded without a lot of grass to cut, etc...  Did just notice it seems like there is no A/C?

Is this where I want to live...  I really have no idea.  I have lived in so many places/states/countries, they all have something to offer or drive you crazy...  Anymore, I keep hearing Ice Cube saying "every hoods the same".  I just want to live in a peaceful area, surrounded by nature, and feel settled finally.

[hdatontodo]

What are the school taxes for that house? I have a friend in PA who pays $500/mo for theirs.

[Holyoak]

Not sure what part of the total tax burden is for just school taxes, but it seems $2600/yr is the total tax burden for this house...  One huge reason I have been considering nearby OH, is it seems OH has generally lower taxes for a given property, but it can be spendy too.  Also LOVE no state auto inspections or emission testing in OH too, unlike PA.

In my experience, they get you one way or another! 

[mbl]

Garage under a bedroom?   Cold.   
Try to find out what the electric/gas bills have been.
Is the basement dry?

[2lazy2retire]

Not sure what part of the total tax burden is for just school taxes, but it seems $2600/yr is the total tax burden for this house...  One huge reason I have been considering nearby OH, is it seems OH has generally lower taxes for a given property, but it can be spendy too.  Also LOVE no state auto inspections or emission testing in OH too, unlike PA.

In my experience, they get you one way or another!

As a percentage of purchase price the taxes seem a little high, I live in PA and pay around 1%. Are you interested in the  neighboring lot for 7k?.

[rocksinmyhead]

Meadville... Voodoo Brewing... mmmmm. :)

[Holyoak]

I'm going to look at it today, and see what's up.  I notice a lot of previous listings and delistings starting in 2010, and that makes me feel a bit uneasy...  Is the place a problem child, etc?  Back in 2010 it was listed for 112,900, then steady drops, now it seems bank owned @ $89,000.

Thanks mm1970 and margarinecat.

MBL, good catch. Yeah, I thought the same thing.  I have lived in 3 homes like this, and I actually hated the heat more...  park a hot vehicle(s), and it gets hot above.  Also thought about basement dryness, and when I see what looks like three walls above grade, I feel hopeful.

2lazy2retire.  I agree, the taxes seem high, and this area is crazy about this.  I have seen similar homes in the area have nearly $4k taxes (nearer Allegheny College), and others about $800 less.  I pulled up the GIS parcel data for the other lot, and will consider it depending on which side.  Be nice insurance not to have someone build on top of me.

rocksinmyhead.  HELL YEAH!  I also like going to Sprague Farm & Brew Works...  Pretty cool to be out with the owner last year during Hop harvest, picking some hop bud, and helping out.  Neat place!

[rocksinmyhead]

rocksinmyhead.  HELL YEAH!  I also like going to Sprague Farm & Brew Works...  Pretty cool to be out with the owner last year during Hop harvest, picking some hop bud, and helping out.  Neat place!

cool, I've never heard of it but it sounds awesome!! my boyfriend and I used to live in State College, and he's from Pittsburgh originally, so we have a lot of friends/family in central and western PA and we visit from time to time. I'll have to add Sprague to the list of places to check out eventually.

[lizzzi]

Water from private supply? What does that mean? A well? Be sure to check that out carefully. And that deck looks nice, but a screened porch would be much more useful, and also not just a moneymaker for carpenters.…Decks are out in the open, so the mosquitoes get you and the wood gets rotten. The taxes do seem high considering the price of the house. Take a look at NE Ohio, too. Taxes can be very low (like mine  : D  )  but can vary quite a bit. I agree that not having to do yearly car inspections in OH is great. When I moved down from NY, and it was time for the yearly inspection, I was getting panicky trying to find someone to do it…car places looked at me like I was insane--then they figured out that I didn't know I didn't need it in OH. Ha-ha.  Both western PA and NE Ohio are good places to live--you just have to find the right place.

[Capsu78]

Water supply and condition of the water would be worth spending to get tested in that area of the country.  As "plant manager" of both our well and septic system I know first hand that remedys for any problems are costly and unforgiving.

[2lazy2retire]

Water supply and condition of the water would be worth spending to get tested in that area of the country.  As "plant manager" of both our well and septic system I know first hand that remedys for any problems are costly and unforgiving.

A bit of fracking up that way ?. Check out the plastic pipe manufacturing plant up the road with the grave yard across the street, might be related ;). Also the guy up the street drives a Hummer - can you have a word?

[Holyoak]

Da-da-da-DUMP!  Man, that place was pretty rough for the asking price IMO...  Also saw a pretty good sized rotted out chunk of the floor below the main bath, and the garage for me was too small (18'W x 22'D) for anywhere near the price.

Thanks lizzziIt, Capsu78 and 2lazy2retire.  It did have a well, and has public sewer which I like, as it seems a LOT of properties I check out have serious septic issues, that fail a perc test.  The lot was very, very nice, and exactly what I want, but the house is a NO-GO, unless it gets priced MUCH lower. 

I have been very actively checking out NE OH too, but finding a wooded lot is harder, as it tends to be more open, on more acres to get privacy.  Funny you mention the nearby MASSIVE plastics plant (JM Eagle pipe)...  First thing I asked was "wonder if the plant detracts from the area, by smell, noise, etc?"  He suggested I ask the neighbors.  Also, yesterday while checking the area via aerial mapping, I saw to the west of the plant what looks like a lagoon, colored the exact same turquoise green as pipe...  Hmm *cough* EPA field day *cough*.

There is some fracking, but nothing like where I grew up, and just moved from; Beaver Co, and surrounding SW PA area.

The hunt continues!

[mm1970]

A big advantage to living in Clarion would be Bob's Subs.

YOU KNOW IT!!

[mm1970]

Da-da-da-DUMP!  Man, that place was pretty rough for the asking price IMO...  Also saw a pretty good sized rotted out chunk of the floor below the main bath, and the garage for me was too small (18'W x 22'D) for anywhere near the price.

Thanks lizzziIt, Capsu78 and 2lazy2retire.  It did have a well, and has public sewer which I like, as it seems a LOT of properties I check out have serious septic issues, that fail a perc test.  The lot was very, very nice, and exactly what I want, but the house is a NO-GO, unless it gets priced MUCH lower. 

I have been very actively checking out NE OH too, but finding a wooded lot is harder, as it tends to be more open, on more acres to get privacy.  Funny you mention the nearby MASSIVE plastics plant (JM Eagle pipe)...  First thing I asked was "wonder if the plant detracts from the area, by smell, noise, etc?"  He suggested I ask the neighbors.  Also, yesterday while checking the area via aerial mapping, I saw to the west of the plant what looks like a lagoon, colored the exact same turquoise green as pipe...  Hmm *cough* EPA field day *cough*.

There is some fracking, but nothing like where I grew up, and just moved from; Beaver Co, and surrounding SW PA area.

The hunt continues!

Good luck!  Even in my area of Clarion county, it seems like there is a shortage of housing, even if there is a shortage of jobs.

To give you some perspective, my dad died in 2007.  His house sold for full price ($65,000) on an acre of land, with city water/ sewer.  This is northern Clarion county.

No basement, 3 BR, one over the garage (cold). 

And the place was last updated in 1970, probably when I was born,  Maybe a year later?  It still had multi colored shag carpeting and dark wood paneling.

You probably don't need AC.  My family lives with window units.

[Holyoak]

I can relate mm1970.  My mum is constantly stressing over her home, and every possible way it won't sell when she decides to...  It's in Beaver County very near Chippewa, and the area has really taken off in the last 10 years. Her school district is great, city water, sewers went in 10 years ago, central air, newish furnace, 3BR/2 BA, 2 car attached garage, full basement, newish thermal windows, 1/2 acre flat wooded lot and very early 1970's ambiance.  I told her you price it right, it will be gone in a week like the other nearby homes.

Like so many of the area of a certain age, the  crash of the steel mills lives on, despite facts saying otherwise.  I have really come to believe, many folks of the Pittsburgh area are their own worst enemies.

[jr1029]

$66 / sq ft? This is why I shouldn't look at real estate listings in other states. The places I am looking at are $300-$350 / sq ft. Maybe I should move to Ohio.

[Zaga]

Even though this place turned out to be a dump, the area you are looking in has a ton of listings right now!  I'm helping my brother look in the Greenville area, but we have only looked at 4+ bedroom homes, so nothing we've seen would be right for you I think.

I live not too far from you, in Ellwood.  I'd absolutely hate to try and sell my house, because of the area I'm in!  It's a lovely house but because of the location we wouldn't get much for it.