Pittsburgh, PA

This essay by travel columnist Ginny Prior - "Livable Pittsburgh steps from haze" - has been circulating since September. If you read this when snow is swirling around, this may not be the best time to head outdoors for kayaking, but it's interesting to read an outsider's perspective any month of the year:

"Name the most livable city in America. If you said ‘Pittsburgh,' give yourself a hand. The distinction by Places Rated Almanac reflects an almost unimaginable turnaround for a city once known as the Steel Capital of the U.S. Today, Pittsburgh is not only one of the 10 cleanest cities in the world (Forbes Magazine), it's a great city to explore on foot, bike, Segway or kayak."

Read the entire article.

And when you're ready for some recreational activity outside, you may want to check out REI's list of clinics on the South Side.

House hunters can scour through neighborhoods, inspect front porches, and even peek inside bedrooms from the comfort of their desktops. But while this surge of new information can help you find that perfect home, it may also make the whole process overwhelming. As reported by U.S. News & World Report, here are six ways to ensure that your online real estate search is as efficient as possible.

Know when to say when. There are plenty of ways to waste time on the Internet. When it comes to home buying, searching through properties you can't afford tops the list. So before you grab for that mouse, contact a lender and get preapproved for a mortgage.

Find the right tools... Real estate search engines are getting better and better, like Trulia.com, DotHomes, Zillow.com and Realtor.com. But don't limit your search to national search engines. It's a good idea to visit the Web sites of real estate agents in the market that you are considering as well.

...and put them in a belt. Instead of trying to pinpoint the "best" search engine, home buyers should put together a list of resources and use them in tandem. No single search engine can provide a complete picture so, by using several as a group, prospective home buyers can get a much better look at the inventory.

Don't forget the indies. The majority of Internet search tools show homes that are being sold through agents. But if you use those exclusively, you'll miss a chunk of homes being sold independently. Craigslist is a great way to find other listings that might not show up on mainstream real estate search engines.

Be alert. Some online real estate resources offer e-mail alerts or RSS feeds that provide instant notification of information for prospective home buyers. This is a great way to stay on top of the changing real estate market as your home search progresses.

Find a good blog. Find a couple of blogs that cover real estate in the markets you are interested in, bookmark them and visit them every day. The real estate blogging community understands the dynamics of today's housing market and have emerged as a wonderful resource for prospective home buyers.

Read the entire U.S. News & World Report article.

Christine Emmick - Pittsburgh, PA - November 20, 2008

With the bank foreclosures and mortgage trouble of the last few months, people are looking for affordable housing these days. Real estate listings show that home prices are falling, banks are looking to get rid of foreclosed homes and homeowners who are in over their head with adjustable rate mortgages are selling to avoid bankruptcy. People are having trouble selling their homes, and are willing to sell them for less money than their appraised value.

While these statistics may not be comforting to those going through foreclosure, the lull in the housing market provides an ideal environment for buying real estate. Las Vegas real estate has lost value to be sure, but the home market in the Pittsburgh area is relatively stable. Ron DaParma, a real estate writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says, "...that has not been the story for home prices (in Pittsburgh), which with few exceptions, have been rising steadily dating back to 2005."

The "buyer's market," as real estate professionals call it, makes an ideal situation for those looking to invest their money in real estate. Jim Toner, a Pittsburgh area real estate investor with over twenty years experience says "the time is now" for investing in the housing market. His company, Wealth Builders, specializes in giving personal training for those just getting started in real estate, or those looking to refine their strategy. His team is dedicated to providing real world solutions for those wanting to enter the "home business" while home prices are still low, and provides a service that includes a group of talented people working on the investor's behalf.

Even with favorable real estate prices, there are risks to investing in the housing market. Real estate investors can avoid these risks by knowing where the pitfalls lie and acquiring a support system. Wealth Builders can assist those new to the market by giving them a road map and the connections they need to be successful. These tools help new real estate investors avoid costly mistakes and create a virtually fail proof investment strategy.

Some of this information is covered in Toner's free real estate investment seminars. He describes what tools are necessary to be successful and gives real examples of how these tools are implemented. Wealth Builders is hosting three of these free seminars the first week of December. These seminars will be in Monroeville at the Holiday Inn, December 2, 2008 at 7:00 p.m., in Greentree at the Radisson, December 3, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. and in Cranberry at the Pittsburgh Marriott North, December 4, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. To register for any of these upcoming business seminars, please call 412-673-9800, or visit the Wealth Builders' website at www.jimtonerswealthbuilders.com. Be sure to register early, as seating is limited.

Christine Emmick is a freelance business writer and has lived in the Pittsburgh area for the past 30 years.

Kick off the holiday season on Friday, November 21, by spending the day downtown at Pittsburgh's annual Light Up Night celebration. Events will include the tree lighting, Santa Spectacular, the opening of the PPG Place ice rink, and a fireworks finale at Point State Park at 9 pm. Check out the list of scheduled events.

And don't forget that the next 6 Saturdays in Pittsburgh are special, too. Starting November 22, there will be downtown events, promotions, strolling carolers, street performers, and free horse-drawn carriage rides and trips on the Holly Trolley. For more information, visit the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership website.

Here's the list of 9 homes that sold in October on the South Side of Pittsburgh:

Related Posts:

• Pittsburgh's South Side: Which Homes Sold in August and September?
• Which of Pittsburgh's South Side Homes Sold in July?
• Home Sales on Pittsburgh's South Side for June