The Rent's Just Too Damn High! (Pittsburgh, McKeesport: utilities, wages, tax)

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Caladium

One other option that hasn't been mentioned yet is moving back in with parents. It can be rough, but if you want to save money to buy a house your parents will probably charge a really low rent. Home prices in Pittsburgh are low enough that you wouldn't have to live with them all that long to save up enough. If you're single and don't have any kids, it might be worth trying for a short time.

As a parent, I'm not excited about this suggestion AT ALL. My door is always open to my children on a short term basis while looking for an apartment or a long term basis while recovering from an illness, etc. They are not welcome here on a long term basis simply to make life easier on themselves. Long term is for desperate need, not to save money to buy a house, especially when the lifestyle is wasteful. They can suffer without a new car, a cell phone, and TV if they need to save money. If they are low income and truly do not earn enough to save for a house, I would gift them the down payment. If they're earning a decent living and can't save due to their lifestyle, they'll have to figure it out on their own.

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Agree. Roommates suck.

Living with parents sucks more, don't you think? Every time I moved back to Pittsburgh and stayed with my parents for a month until I found a rental, I thought I'd go insane. They were awesome, but the house was so noisy. Living on my own, I liked peace and quiet. I couldn't even think at my parents' house. The TV was so loud, day and night, due to my father losing his hearing. It was like we changed roles. I wished they would be more quiet and go to bed earlier---just like they felt when I was a teenager.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Hopes

As a parent, I'm not excited about this suggestion AT ALL. My door is always open to my children on a short term basis while looking for an apartment or a long term basis while recovering from an illness, etc. They are not welcome here on a long term basis simply to make life easier on themselves. Long term is for desperate need, not to save money to buy a house, especially when the lifestyle is wasteful. They can suffer without a new car, a cell phone, and TV if they need to save money. If they are low income and truly do not earn enough to save for a house, I would gift them the down payment. If they're earning a decent living and can't save due to their lifestyle, they'll have to figure it out on their own.

To each his own, I guess. We let one of our kids move back in for a year so he could save money for a house. We had a written agreement that included some ground rules, which may have helped the situation some. I may not have agreed with some of his purchases (he bought an i-phone, which I agree is a wonderful thing but which I also think is a luxury item), but since we had an agreement as to how long he would be staying with us it didn't feel like he was sponging off us or that he might stay forever if he bought things like an i-phone. So I didn't feel it was my business. Some of our ground rules probably weren't fun for him (especially rules against getting drunk and against letting strangers stay overnight in our house; I didn't want to wake up in the morning and see someone I didn't know). At the end of the year he had the money he needed and successfully bought his own house, where he gets to make his own rules. So yes, there were some strained moments but he achieved a specific goal, which was what mattered to us.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by LIRefugee

And my point is that the entirety of Pittsburgh is affordable when compared to the cheaper parts of many other metro areas. To live in the most expensive part of the city and STILL pay less in housing than you did before means that the expensive parts of Pittsburgh are affordable. Sure, other parts are cheaper, by why trade like for like when you can live in a better relative location for less money than where you lived before?

There's nothing wrong with the rest of Pittsburgh, of course, I'd probably be content to live in much of the rest of the city and the closer suburbs and may very well move outside of the East End in the near future, but the rents in the East End are high because it is the most attractive part of the city to live in at this time, and when you move here after being used to NYC-area prices, the entire city is one amazingly remarkable bargain.

You are reasonable in that you are willing to pay top dollar to live in a top neighborhood. Others, on the other hand complain because Pittsburgh isn't as cheap as it was 5-10 years.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by Caladium

.... Some of our ground rules probably weren't fun for him (especially rules against getting drunk and against letting strangers stay overnight in our house; I didn't want to wake up in the morning and see someone I didn't know)...... .

Not getting drunk??? Cruel, cruel parents

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by Caladium

To each his own, I guess. We let one of our kids move back in for a year so he could save money for a house. We had a written agreement that included some ground rules, which may have helped the situation some. I may not have agreed with some of his purchases (he bought an i-phone, which I agree is a wonderful thing but which I also think is a luxury item), but since we had an agreement as to how long he would be staying with us it didn't feel like he was sponging off us or that he might stay forever if he bought things like an i-phone. So I didn't feel it was my business. Some of our ground rules probably weren't fun for him (especially rules against getting drunk and against letting strangers stay overnight in our house; I didn't want to wake up in the morning and see someone I didn't know). At the end of the year he had the money he needed and successfully bought his own house, where he gets to make his own rules. So yes, there were some strained moments but he achieved a specific goal, which was what mattered to us.

I had a few friends that lived with their parents in basically the same set-up. They paid a nominal amount of rent each month to teach them how to budget and what not. The real kicker that helped them out was that their parents returned that rent in full when they moved out. In my opinion that really defeats the purpose of teaching how to budget your livings expenses if you get a full refund at the end of the "lease."

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

I had a few friends that lived with their parents in basically the same set-up. They paid a nominal amount of rent each month to teach them how to budget and what not. The real kicker that helped them out was that their parents returned that rent in full when they moved out. In my opinion that really defeats the purpose of teaching how to budget your livings expenses if you get a full refund at the end of the "lease."

If you do it secretly I think the lesson may still be learned. But really, no matter what the situation, if mom and dad are your landlord, you're not getting the full experience of real world budgeting.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Caladium

We let one of our kids move back in for a year so he could save money for a house.

I might be swayed by a promise to mow the lawn.

This is a nonissue for me since my children don't even live in Pennsylvania.

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

I had a few friends that lived with their parents in basically the same set-up. They paid a nominal amount of rent each month to teach them how to budget and what not. The real kicker that helped them out was that their parents returned that rent in full when they moved out.

That's different. It's a learning tool many parents used for young adults before they leave home. Caladium is suggesting mature adults return home after living on their own. The example in this thread is an adult couple with a combined take home income of 5k. They should be able to save money for a down payment while supporting themselves.

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

In my opinion that really defeats the purpose of teaching how to budget your livings expenses if you get a full refund at the end of the "lease."

Most parents who do this don't tell the children they will get the money back. It really comes down to parents not wanting to benefit financially from their children. That's why they give the money back. They don't tell ahead of time because they don't want it to be expected, and it won't teach a lesson if the children are expecting the money.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

And now the complaining will begin

Kind of s dumb article, but it got the shock value. Pittsburgh's rents have been so cheap and now they are slowing catching up to some other cities, but not even close to as expensive as places like NYC, where you live and San Fran. They tell you about the percentage increase, which of course would be much higher in Pittsburgh considering the old rent would be bargain basement and now it is still cheap, but not as cheap as it once was. Hope the rents continue to rise to get rid of some of the riffraff. The school districts need more money and so does the city. You aren't getting that money from the super poor that live all over the city. This is a very good sign for Pittsburgh's future if the trends can continue.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

I had a few friends that lived with their parents in basically the same set-up. They paid a nominal amount of rent each month to teach them how to budget and what not. The real kicker that helped them out was that their parents returned that rent in full when they moved out. In my opinion that really defeats the purpose of teaching how to budget your livings expenses if you get a full refund at the end of the "lease."

I wouldn't give the money back, but we did charge a ridiculously low "room and board" fee. He had to take care of his own transportation and a few other such expenses, including all expenses associated with his dog. The dog was a low care, quiet, and really mellow bichon--if he'd had a noisy or aggressive dog that might have been a deal breaker.

I'm not sure if we would have been willing to help him out if he was part of a couple (married or live together). Couples talk to each other, sometimes fight, etc. All in the Family was a funny sit com, but in reality I think couples need their own apartment, unless it truly is a desperate situation. Might be ok if they were renting a garage apartment, though. Really don't know how I would feel if kids were part of the package. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge if it ever becomes a situation (but really, really hope it doesn't).

[LIRefugee]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

You are reasonable in that you are willing to pay top dollar to live in a top neighborhood. Others, on the other hand complain because Pittsburgh isn't as cheap as it was 5-10 years.

And that complaint is fair enough. Rising housing prices is good in that it reflects Pittsburgh's growing desirability after decades of steady decline, but it doesn't help for anyone who may not own their own home and do not have salary increases to match the cost of living rise. I can't be fun to be priced out of a neighborhood where one has been living for many years. I wonder sometimes how non-rich people in Manhattan get by or if whatever rent-controlled apartments remain are the only reason non-rich people still live there. I also remember hearing comments from people in Boston a decade ago remarking on how they wouldn't be able to buy their own houses at the price levels prevalent at that time. Pittsburgh is nowhere near being generally unaffordable, thank goodness, but it looks like it's reached a point where people need to be more choosy on where to live based upon their budget. At least many of the cheaper neighborhoods are quite livable as they are.