First-Time Investor Looking for Advice and Connections in Pittsburgh!

Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote

Hi everyone!

I’m excited to take my first steps into real estate investing and have decided to focus on Pittsburgh for my first property.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on:

*Neighborhoods or areas in Pittsburgh that are good for investment and typical price ranges I should expect.
*Any red flags unique to the Pittsburgh market.

I’m also hoping to connect with fellow investors, agents, or property managers who are familiar with the local market. If you’re based in Pittsburgh or have experience investing there, I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks in advance for any tips or advice you can share :)

1 Reply

104 views

Most Popular Reply

Jeremy TaggartBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2014 · 850 posts · 646 votes

@Noy Rivlin Most single family homes that make sense as rental properties are about $125k-$225k. Multi family can range from about $60k-$125k/unit. Once you go above $125k/unit you start to get into the high end areas that won't have very good rent/price ratios and are under the 1% rule mark for turnkey stuff.

Neighborhood wise in the city the "East End" is where the most expensive real estate is since that's where the universities and a lot of the hospitals are located. So I'm a fan of buying in the path of progress from here since it's starting to expand outwards into cheaper neighborhoods. Think across the river or highway from the East End, or south/north of downtown in neighborhoods that have easy access to the city and walkable downtown areas. Those tend to be the neighborhoods that are gentrifying.

Unique stuff to Pittsburgh I would say is don't go based on zip codes since one zip code can be composed of multiple different areas/neighborhoods. We have zip codes that have lower and and higher end areas within the same zip so not a good marker to use.

Going along with that a lot of the neighborhoods are very street by street or change pretty quickly by block, so you have to be aware of that. You can have two houses within a quarter mile of each other with vastly different ARV and rent amounts. The hilly terrain is a main reason for this and you can't really see that on a map so knowing the areas is key.

We have old housing stock as well so big things like plumbing and electrical can vary cost wise if they have or haven't been updated. A lot more important compared to newer construction homes where you don't have to deal with certain things when it comes to either of those.

Many other nuances but those are just a few that come to mind. Pittsburgh is a good market to make money in now cash flow wise and has good upside as well if you know what you are doing.

DHRE- The Jeremy Taggart Team590 Reviews

View Page

3 Reply

See this reply in the discussion

16 Replies

Jump to latestLatest

Sort by

Jeremy TaggartBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2014 · 850 posts · 646 votes
1y
@Noy Rivlin Most single family homes that make sense as rental properties are about $125k-$225k. Multi family can range from about $60k-$125k/unit. Once you go above $125k/unit you start to get into the high end areas that won't have very good rent/price ratios and are under the 1% rule mark for turnkey stuff.
Neighborhood wise in the city the "East End" is where the most expensive real estate is since that's where the universities and a lot of the hospitals are located. So I'm a fan of buying in the path of progress from here since it's starting to expand outwards into cheaper neighborhoods. Think across the river or highway from the East End, or south/north of downtown in neighborhoods that have easy access to the city and walkable downtown areas. Those tend to be the neighborhoods that are gentrifying.
Unique stuff to Pittsburgh I would say is don't go based on zip codes since one zip code can be composed of multiple different areas/neighborhoods. We have zip codes that have lower and and higher end areas within the same zip so not a good marker to use.
Going along with that a lot of the neighborhoods are very street by street or change pretty quickly by block, so you have to be aware of that. You can have two houses within a quarter mile of each other with vastly different ARV and rent amounts. The hilly terrain is a main reason for this and you can't really see that on a map so knowing the areas is key.
We have old housing stock as well so big things like plumbing and electrical can vary cost wise if they have or haven't been updated. A lot more important compared to newer construction homes where you don't have to deal with certain things when it comes to either of those.

Many other nuances but those are just a few that come to mind. Pittsburgh is a good market to make money in now cash flow wise and has good upside as well if you know what you are doing.
DHRE- The Jeremy Taggart Team590 Reviews
View Page
3 Reply
Noy Rivlin
OP
Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote
1y
@Jeremy Taggart
Thank you some much Jeremy for the detailed answer!
I did some research and saw reasonable prices on following neighborhoods, after I read what you wrote I understand that the good prices might have been on the less good side of the neighborhoods but not sure how to check.

if you could let me know if it is better to stay away from some of them I would really appreciate It:
Mount Washington
verna- out side of Pittsburgh
Brookline
Larimer
Lincoln Place
Carnegie
Wilkinsburg
Hazelwood
Sherade
0 Reply
Jeremy TaggartBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2014 · 850 posts · 646 votes
1y
@Noy Rivlin
Mount Washington: Pretty much all good. Desirable first ring city neighborhood. Nicest sections are closer to Grandview Ave/Duquesne Heights.

verna- out side of Pittsburgh: I think you meant Verona if so it's a C+ area pretty good school district in Riverview. Good rental area.

Brookline: Solid throughout city neighborhood with its own business district. Still decently affordable.
Larimer: Bit gritty there still currently but right beside very high priced neighborhoods and commercial business district of East Liberty/Bakery Square so could see it turning sooner rather than later would not be surprised.
Lincoln Place: Still somehow in city limits but more suburban neighborhood. It's nice there. No complaints.

Carnegie: Solid suburb of Pittsburgh in between downtown and airport. Right where interstate 79 and 376 meet so great location. Has its own business district. Decent school district in Carlynton.
Wilkinsburg: Depends on section. The Regent Square side of Wilkinsburg west of the MLK Busway is a borderline A class neighborhood. Once you cross the tracks into downtown Wilkinsburg it gets a lot rougher. In between would be the blackridge section which is more suburban as you go further east.
Hazelwood: Similar to Larimar. Located close to the East End/Oakland where the universities are. They are developing along the river so a lot of upside here (look up hazelwood green). I think it will start to gentrify soon.
Sheraden: Nicest the closer you are to Middletown Road which is up the hill. Then tends to get not as nice as you go down the hill closer to the river. West of the park is nicer than east of the park. Close to downtown.
DHRE- The Jeremy Taggart Team590 Reviews
View Page
0 Reply
Noy Rivlin
OP
Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote
1y
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer :)
sent you a message, would love to work with you.
0 Reply
Karolina Powell
Member since 2021 · 107 posts · 82 votes
1y
Hi there!
I don't invest right in the city but I do invest south of there so if you end up looking at places there feel free to reach out if I can offer any insight.
Jeremy is very correct - zip codes won't give you a good idea of price. I just looked at a place that would be worth double if it was a street over even though it's in the same zip code for example.
Welcome!
0 Reply
Noy Rivlin
OP
Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote
1y
@Karolina Powell
Thank you!
Why did you choose to invest in the South and not in Pittsburgh itself?
Is it related to prices or having more options?

I heard that the north-west side has some good neighborhoods for investors like Penn Hills and verona.

In the south I heard about Dormont, Brentwood and Bridgeville. did you invest in them?
I am starting with a small budget(100k-120k) so trying to understand which neighborhoods I should focus on, would love to get recommendations if you have :)
0 Reply
Karolina Powell
Member since 2021 · 107 posts · 82 votes
1y
Quote from @Noy Rivlin:

@Karolina Powell
Thank you!
Why did you choose to invest in the South and not in Pittsburgh itself?
Is it related to prices or having more options?

I heard that the north-west side has some good neighborhoods for investors like Penn Hills and verona.

In the south I heard about Dormont, Brentwood and Bridgeville. did you invest in them?
I am starting with a small budget(100k-120k) so trying to understand which neighborhoods I should focus on, would love to get recommendations if you have :)

I live south of the city and only like to go about 30 minutes away from home. Out of the ones you mentioned I would invest in Bridgeville if the right deal presented. I'm mostly in the south hills and in washington county. I think you can find the right deals throughout the area. I have several single "hip (do they say that nowadays?)" friends who moved into Dormont so that seems to be an area on the rise.
0 Reply
Noy Rivlin
OP
Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote
1y
@Karolina Powell

Thank you!
I would love to speak with people that have experience in the area.
If one of your friends would like to talk to me and share some advices it would be great :)
0 Reply
Jonathan Soto
Lender · Newark, NJ · Member since 2016 · 695 posts · 252 votes
1y
welcome!! best of luck on journey
0 Reply
Ryan Harrell
Memphis, TN · Member since 2023 · 100 posts · 24 votes
1y
Hi Noy, I'm not active in the Pittsburgh market, but just wanted to drop in to say good luck!
0 Reply
Noy Rivlin
OP
Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote
1y
Thank you :)
0 Reply
Alex HilemanPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2023 · 225 posts · 147 votes
1y
Welcome Noy!
Jeremy posted some great insights. Another thing to look out for is the sewers. Here in Pittsburgh, the homeowner owns the sewer line from the house to the sewer main tie in. A lot of the sewer pipes here are old terra cotta and they can easily crack or shift over time. You can elect a camera sewer inspection to check for this. If the pipes haven't cracked, a plumber can usually re-line the existing pipes. If they've collapsed, they will need to be dug up and replaced. It's a very expensive repair (ballpark $15,000) and the cost depends on how long the sewer line is.
A lot of municipalities here require dye tests and occupancy inspections. Usually the seller completes these before closing, but for the "as-is" sales or foreclosures, they tend to put that responsibility on the buyer. These requirements are posted on the municipality websites and you can look them up or call the municipality to find out what's required. If the house doesn't pass the occupancy inspection before closing, the municipality can usually issue a temporary occupancy permit. If the dye test fails, then the municipality may make require the funds for the repair to be escrowed in order to give a temporary permit. These inspections are common, but they're also the most common reason that I've run into for closing delays. It's important to get started on these as soon as the offer is accepted because the municipalities can be slow to respond and schedule the inspections.
[email protected]412-804-1171
3 Reply
Gary Swank
Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2014 · 822 posts · 255 votes
1y
Hi Noy, Pittsburgh is a strong market for investors. Buy-in is often more conducive than other more saturated markets and there's such a wide variety of options to choose from. Neighborhoods to invest in is a more subjective topic as that is often dependent on the type of investment you're interested in, your price point and even the type of tenants, if that's the route your going, that you are trying to attract. I've been active in the community for many many years. So feel free to reach out to me with specific questions you may have. Thanks, Gary
0 Reply
Noy Rivlin
OP
Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 1 vote
1y
Thank you so much Alex and Gray!
Very appreciate the help :)
0 Reply
Keri Cor
Pittsburgh, NYC, & Long Island · Member since 2024 · 10 posts · 3 votes
1y
Be aware some Pittsburgh homes have foundation problems. In google, lookup pictures of “foundation problems types of cracks to look out for”.

A foundation crack can really affect your resale value.

Repairs can cost serious $$$$$.

Take a good look at *all* the basement walls in any properties you view.

1 Reply
Keri Cor
Pittsburgh, NYC, & Long Island · Member since 2024 · 10 posts · 3 votes
1y
Also unique to Pittsburgh: Definitely buy mine subsidence insurance. It’s dirt cheap to buy for the peace of mind.
0 Reply

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.