Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 69 posts · 19 votes
I experienced a very hostile environment for investors in western pa therefore I would advise everybody who thinks about investing there to think twice or even three times before making a decision on investing in this region
OP is referring to the entire western part of Pennsylvania. Clearly you will not find a single intelligent individual or any available deals in all the counties listed above. Thanks for the heads up!
You had one bad experience and are writing off the western half of a state?? I would understand if there was a specific city/township that you experienced some ridiculous regulations, new legislation, or terrible tax situation, but to write off a general area that a couple million people call home is a bit aggressive, don't you think?
OP is referring to the entire western part of Pennsylvania. Clearly you will not find a single intelligent individual or any available deals in all the counties listed above. Thanks for the heads up!
The environment I am talking about is not create by ordinary ppl they seem to be great it's the ppl on the top bankers realtors government agencies etc...
I mean, without further details, its hard to ascertain what problems you might be experiencing. If you came here to vent...congratulations, you vented.
If you came here seeking help, then pose your thoughts into a way others might be able to provide advice.
I dont seek any help I came here western pa to invest some serious money it is a dying region the demographic situation is serious lots of old ppl.
attorney tell me one need to notarize a sale deed even though power of attorney is given when I ask how one is going to sell a property of a dead person who has given power of attorney to a person who should handle his or her will I dont get a reply how should a dead person appear in front of an notary??
Realtor come up with funny stuff for not selling to me houses u wanted to buy a year ago are still on the market...
The attorney is absolutely correct about the power-of-attorney issue. The moment the grantor dies, the POA becomes automatically void. I'm only licensed in Pennsylvania but I would be shocked if other jurisdictions had different laws.
Western PA is a pretty big region. So generalities don't really work. For example, Pittsburgh is a pretty massive market. Places like Du Bois, PA is not (as much as I thought it was a cute down when driving to Ann Arbor for law school).
Honestly, none of what you wrote is particular unique to Western PA. Many realtors and contractors don't want to deal with strangers because they often waste time. I'm not saying you do --- but most blind calls that professional receives are often waste of time. If you want to get their attention, it is best to go through someone with a local contact.
Good luck!
Disclaimer: While I’m an attorney licensed to practice in PA, I’m not your attorney. What I wrote above does not create an attorney/client relationship between us. I wrote the above for informational purposes. Do not rely on it for legal advice. Always consult with your attorney before you rely on the above information.
How am I supposed to sell a property when in another country???
When someone creates a will and give power of attorney to someone to handle his will why does the lower of attorney becomes void? How does one wants to sell the property one is supposed to inherit??
When I buy something nothing had to be noterized... how is this possible?? I understand that power of attorney has to be notarized what's the reason of giving someone power of attorney if they can't handle anything??
I am from Germany and a stranger
They just would have to drive by the address I provide to them to see that they won't waste their time in fact they will notice there is money to be made
how are you going to make money ey if you think you waste your time.
When I started my business I wasted a lot of time writing quotations this is the way works...
Not for nothing...isn't MISTAKE ONE yours for trying to invest in a "dying region"?
You might also be dealing with a singular bad attorney or a singular bad realtor. Just because some has achieved a prestigious title, doesn't mean they have the requisite knowledge. Everyone is an individual -- there are good cops and bad cops, good doctors and bad doctors, good lawyers and bad lawyers...and their status could be affected by a multitude of reasons. I think most contractors are bad (haha, just kidding for all of our contractors), but I know of a couple of contractors with me, personally, who started quoting me higher numbers than normal because I wasn't worth THEIR time anymore for the work I was requesting.
Western Pennsylvania has a share of residents who are proud to be ignorant, insular, xenophobic, racist, and short-sighted. Many if not most of the residents are strongly attached to the region and reluctant to accept criticism from outsiders. The region is, indeed, dying. While Florida is the oldest state, Pittsburgh is the oldest Metropolitan Statistical Area in these United States. As for the racism, all of you might remember that recently, a man walked into the main synagogue of my city, Pittsburgh, and started murdering Jews according to his neo-Nazi beliefs. I was about two miles away. I invest in that area. I am honored to have a number of friends among the Jewish community here. I will not pretend this was a pure aberration of capricious fate, that there were zero indications beforehand that racist white trash that hates Jews, black people, and immigrants has a widespread presence in my area. Let us all at least have the decency to admit that Mr. Stoll's disgust with the region and common local attitudes may have at least some small basis in fact, rather than pure bias.
Yeah I mean we’re now talking about racism and xenophobia?
Where did this come from? These forums are getting worse and worse. Just stick to real estate investing please.
Wow. OK, Nick, I own one brick, slate-roofed foursquare city home on one side of Pittsburgh's Mon River that is valued at $220K. I own another brick, slate-roofed foursquare city home of the same size, age, and condition on the other side of the river, less than 1.1 mile away, valued at $25K. Can you guess which one is inside the Pittsburgh eruv and which one is in a predominantly black neighborhood?
I suggest you stop lying to yourself about the importance of understanding xenophobia and racism when it comes to real estate investing.
Lol I’m the racist after you just made that comment? I don’t know? I manage plenty of properties that are in the inner city which white poor white people live in, who cares and why does that matter what race they are? Calm down it’s a forum for real estate investing not whatever you’re trying to turn it into.
I didn't call anyone a racist. I didn't imply you were a racist. I did effectively point out that what you were saying was silly, by making an empirically verifiable statement of facts. Would you like the addresses of Houses A & B to look them up? PM me and I'll send them, along with the means to verify that I own both properties. And I'll say it again, understanding and acknowledging the presence and impact of xenophobia and racism plays a significant role in real estate investing.
Methinks the gentleman doth huff and puff and protest overmuch as he tells me to calm down.
Alrighty. Allentown is an hour from Philadelphia I live in between and manage properties in both. Philadelphia has a population of 1.1 million. The Lehigh Valley (Allentown and Greater Allentown area) collectively has a population of 600,000. Bucks county the county I live in has roughly a similar amount. So yeah I think I can make that statement with a fair amount of confidence in saying I have experience In urban areas that have a whole host of people living inside of them. Yet somehow I am delusional...okay?
I truly don’t understand what you’re trying to say when you ask me let’s play a game which property do you think the black guy lives in, ones $225,000 and the other is $25,000. I have managed properties under 50k some black people Live in them some white people live in them some Latino people live in them as do Asian. There are Asian neighborhoods black neighborhoods white neighborhoods.
What I’m failing to grasp is what your point is and why it has any relevance on this forum. Why not just take your political discussion and name calling somewhere else?
I really, really, really don't understand how any of the above post about how diverse and egalitarian the Allentown area is has anything to do with western Pennsylvania, which is the cardinal direction and section of the state that this thread is supposed to be about. I realize this is the GPS age, but @Joe P. even posted a full-color map of Western Pennsylvania above. Allentown is not on that map.
You know what's really happened? I said racism, I said xenophobia, I mentioned murdered Jews in our synagogue, and pop went the weasel. Suddenly, I'm a name-caller, I'm a racist, I'm a terrible human being with anger management issues. What's next? Are you going to call my wife a thespian of wicked Pittsburgh and accuse me of habitually practicing celibacy before I was married?
If the owner dies, the heirs must open an estate and follow the procedures there. It's called administering an estate. If you want to avoid some of that, the person needs to do plan their estate.
I know very little about German law except what I learned about its old bankruptcy law (which was crazy). But I would be shocked if German law allowed power of attorney to continue after the death of the grantor. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't know any modern legal system that allows such a thing. It's an unworkable system for many reasons.
Perhaps you are thinking of trusts and the powers that trustees may have. But that's very different from a power of attorney.
Disclaimer: While I’m an attorney licensed to practice in PA, I’m not your attorney. What I wrote above does not create an attorney/client relationship between us. I wrote the above for informational purposes. Do not rely on it for legal advice. Always consult with your attorney before you rely on the above information.
Alright no point in this continuing this conversation for some reason you’re not answering any of my questions. I say again what is your point and why are you trying to accomplish? Thats what I was trying to ask?
Also when did I call you a racist? Anger management issues? Or any of those things. I’m pretty sure you pointed the racial card at me and Said I was delusional and then questioned my experience when I said I live in Allentown which is not an urban area.
Look just agree to disagree I don’t know where you’re going with this. It’s without a doubt the strangest conversation I’ve ever had on BP.
Alright no point in this continuing this conversation for some reason you’re not answering any of my questions. I say again what is your point and why are you trying to accomplish? Thats what I was trying to ask?
Also when did I call you a racist? Anger management issues? Or any of those things. I’m pretty sure you pointed the racial card at me and Said I was delusional and then questioned my experience when I said I live in Allentown which is not an urban area.
Look just agree to disagree I don’t know where you’re going with this. It’s without a doubt the strangest conversation I’ve ever had on BP.
What exactly are you asking? There's been a lot of babbling to date, but few tangible question. You keep on asking me "what I hope to accomplish." That question is a lot like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" I'm not trying to accomplish anything. I saw a foreign guy writing about how insular western Pennsylvania is and a number of people treating what he said like it had zero merit, and I felt compelled to mention that I've had a good taste of how racist and xenophobic western Pennsylvania is recently, after all, this neo-Nazi just shot up a synagogue here last October.
And then you pop up from nowhere (well, Allentown in eastern Pennsylvania) and start repeatedly telling me to calm down and not turn this into a thread about racism and xenophobia and this board's for real estate investing and I should stick to that. Then I mentioned that racism and xenophobia have a great deal to do with real estate investing, and I own two very similar houses that show that quite clearly.
That's when you really went off the rails and lost the thread, Nick. You started beating your chest about how great Allentown is (I'm sure it's a lovely, lovely place) and you asked me how I could call you a racist after I made a statement of fact about my two very similar houses and then you accused me of playing games...looking at it from my end, Nick, this conversation has been like watching someone with some sort of primitive taboo desperately trying to unsay and unsee that which has been said and seen.
Maybe real estate in the US isn't for you OP. Nothing you mentioned is unique to western PA. Everything you mentioned is absolutely normal. Maybe your not built for REI. It's not meant for everyone.
If you think western PA is hard, don’t bother with all the primary markets in America.
No it's not a mistake I do it on full purpose its were prices are low and have lots of upside potential I think the whole region can be turned around I would not have come here if I did not think it would be possible for turning it around or having it put up side down.
I would be happy if it would only be a few bad actors.... I also keep fighting I just want to point out to others investors that's quite hard here and they should be prepared to hit some walls...