Testing to see if OP shows up. My OP does not seem to be posting??

I am not sure why my post did not post?? Maybe the link is the problem? Trying again. Listing

I truly feel for young people trying to buy in this market!

The house looks fantastic! Do they love vintage MCM? If not, they’ll want to change everything which will be expensive. Built in 1960 means it’s probably very solid construction but impossible to tell from pictures.

My three offspring purchased homes during the pandemic. DH and I were not comfortable given inflated pricing etc of the market then. Now we look back and are soooo glad they didn't wait. At least they got the low interest rates. A good home inspector would be the one to answer your quality questions. #1DD had to let two homes go after their inspections. Everything you hear stand alone homes are at a premium. It would be hard to go wrong if the home is sound. This one has a ton of positives. I would say it's a 'safe' buy as far as resale. Someone spent $$$ on that bar but let other cabinetry go... Have they checked if the railing is to code? Since they are thinking about upgrading the kitchen I might suggest they think about the MCM look and if they can be true to it or if they will remove it's charm in the end? We aren't fans of tuck under garages....car sharing walls with living space, storage lost etc. Great lot!! Definitely more plusses than minuses from what can be seen in the pictures.

If they like MCM - then put in an offer, otherwise they should not even go to the open house.

It's a nice looking house with beautiful hardwoods. IMO the kitchen needs to be gutted but can be lived in while they develop a plan for it. I would remove the eat-in part of the kitchen since the dining room is right there.

I really like the main living area, tons of potential there and beautiful hardwoods, lots of natural light, open space and what looks like good use of space in lower level. What I really don't like and would be a hard no for me is the stairs to enter from the garage.

In my neck of the woods bi-levels or split-levels get the least amount $$ per sq ft, so if and when they make an offer, they should know the going rate for splits in your area.

Wow, here in Massachusetts that house would be listed at 2-3 times that price. It looks well kept and completely livable without jumping into any changes. Most I know bought their first houses in the 80's when interest rates were 16-17%. We lived with the homes as is for many years and loved and enjoyed them It makes me crazy all this talk about renovating before moving in and even knowing how the house lives for you.

Nice house. Kitchen isn't original but it's ok. Ask what utility bills are. All that glass which could be single pane.

What does the D stand for in DS/DH etc? Anyway, why pressure them to buy if they aren’t feeling it? There are many reasons for them being “conservative “ that maybe they have not shared, including concern about financial matters, concern about their relationship, concerns about location, etc. Buying a house is a huge commitment and I would never try to influence someone one way or the other. If they really want a house right now, they will make a good enough offer to get one. If they will be stretched thin, it’s better to not buy since it would be a burden instead of a home.

“D” is for dear, darling, devoted …

Also, at that price, a lot of people can come in and offer cash. And that is what makes it hard for first time home buyers to even get a foot in the door. I like how some parents are helping their kids by actually giving them the cash and then setting up the house loan themselves. my only concern in looking at that house is that it looked like the bedroom windows were high, which is an old style. However, if you have children, the egress challenges in a fire are significant. That is why code has changed now.

Lovely house. Make sure you get the fireplaced checked/inspected. There's some discoloration of the brick and rippling of the ceiling right there that might indicate some leaking of the chimney sealing. It might be something that was already sealed back up and that's just a leftover- or it could indicate an ongoing problem.

There already seems to be significant interest in this hose based on the # of saves on Zillow. It will probably go beyond asking and beyond their budget. They do both like the MCM vibe.

My sister's daughter and my brother's two sons all bought their first homes in the past 3 years.

The one who bought a home outside of Boston lucked out. They were thinking about buying when someone where my nephew worked got a great job offer in another city. They bought his house without it ever going on the market. The house was only 2 years old and perfect for them. My nephew and his wife are both Engineers and their budget wasn't an issue.

The other two struggled to find something they could afford and fit their needs.

My niece, (sister's daughter) single and a nurse who works swing shifts didn't want something with yard work, but was also more limited in her ability to pay a mortgage on a single income and was really concerned with proximity to the local hospitals, feeling safe in the neighborhood, finding something where she could have a roommate and both people would have decent sized bedrooms and some level of privacy. It took over 2 years for her to find a townhome that fit her needs and budget and learn that you had to offer a fair amount over ask to get the house. Like your DS & DIL she lost out on a few homes that she bid on. The very first home she looked at was just around the corner from the one she bought, but had been fully renovated. She kicked herself in the a** a few times for not offering more when she bid on that home, but it was the first home she looked at and she just hadn't seen enough houses to know what it was going to cost and was too unsure to offer more than ask. Buying your first home comes with a huge learning curve and in this market it has become steeper and higher than ever.

Sadly my other nephew and his wife had to overcome not only his learning curve, but his parents learning curve as well. His parents built and lived in the same home since they got married over 40 years ago. They thought my nephew should just do what they did and buy a lot and build a home. Expressed that he needed to have a single family home and that he doesn't want to take on someone else's problems (ie - buy an older home). He and his wife are not both engineers and couldn't afford to build or buy a new home. They looked at everything in their price range and were really disappointed in what they could afford. When they finally understood the market and what they could afford they put bids in on a few homes and someone else outbid them. They needed to push the envelope a bit and offer more money if they wanted one of these homes. Just last month they finally put in an offer and got the house. It isn't new, it isn't everything they wanted, but it is nice, well maintained and has enough space for them and the baby that is due in August.

This home looks like it is in an established neighborhood of 1960s homes. It probably has some issues, but it looks like it was well maintained and well cared for. It is probably listed under market and will be sold quite a bit over ask. If your DS & DIL have gotten to the top of the learning curve and the house fits their needs and is within their grasp they will get the house. If not they will need to take more time to find the right home.

Two things that really helped my niece and my 2nd nephew was having the right realtor. We have an absolute gem of a realtor that has helped our family buy or sell 8 homes over the past 10 years. She is great with educating first time home buyers, has never led any of us down the wrong path, knows her stuff and because of our long history, she has earned our full trust.

Second thing that helped in the past few years is her back pocket home inspector. She has a home inspector that will walk through the open house or viewing with her and the buyers and verbally tell them anything he sees that raises concerns. Yes - their is a charge for this service, but most of the sellers won't allow a written home inspection prior to the offer and won't accept an offer with a home inspection contingency and this walk through gives some level of confidence that your not making a huge mistake.

I wish my best to your DS & DIL. Sorry my realtor is in Central PA and not the Pittsburgh area or I would offer you her contact information.

Some houses built in the 60s and early 70s have little insulation. The sellers probably have to list heating bills. I'd look at those carefully. You can compare to on-line calculators for the zip and square footage. Of course, looking at pictures, you'll never know. I'd also look at the age of the systems --- heating, A/C, hot water. Quality and tightness of windows, etc.

The layout of the house is fine. Obviously, none of us here know what the neighborhood is like and whether that is a good value for the location.

Whatever is going on around the fireplace looks like a giant red flag to me. What is behind that? How bad is that damage? Roof, structural supports?

The home is great. But MCM is really hot with younger buyers, and I believe it will get multiple offers -- especially with that back yard. Very nice.

Your kids seem like they're saying they want to buy a house, but by their actions they're saying something different. Is it possible that they want to move other financial goals forward (paying down debt, or saving up an emergency fund, building 401K, etc) that might be derailed or delayed once they take on a large house payment? Also, sometimes younger people may just not be ready to be tied down to a certain geograhic area yet, or ready to give up their weekends or spare income to renovations or upkeep? From my own experience with my two Millenial children, I can say that when it comes to buying a home, sometimes what a parent wants is not always aligned with what our kids want most. :-/

Most starter homes in my area are townhouses, not sfh. It’s critical as young adults to stay on sound financial footing. They actually need to be saving for retirement at this time as well as building careers. The housing market is a questionable investment right now due to price and interest rates.

They are most definitely wanting to buy. The house they rent now is very small and the owner is always saying she may move back to that house. They have been M-t-M for 2 years now. They know the area they need to live in to make it convenient for both of their jobs.

My DS is a Journeyman electrician with the IBEW so his career is set and the Union has wonderful benefits. They are both in late 30s and will not be having children so none of those variables are up-in-the-air. They have no debt, are not partiers, and have been together for 20 years.

In any case, I think this house will go for well above asking and fro more than they are willing to spend.

The listing now says "under contract". Did they get it?

They didn't even put an offer in. It will be interesting to see how much over asking it when for.

Wow, that’s too bad they missed out. What a nice house, and the lot is nice with a lot of potential. The nice thing about photos taken after a good rain like that is you can see the trouble areas, and this looked not too bad.

If they are serious about buying, then they need a new mind-set and an aggressive realtor that they will listen to. Period.

I saw the price of the house and couldn't believe it. I couldn't buy a buildable lot for twice that amount here. If that is their price point, it is so low, even with high interest right now, they should have been all over that house.

On the other hand, looking at the map, the power station is awfully close. I image you can hear it from the house. and its closeness probably has something to do with the pricing.

Something was up with the pricing, something wrong with the house? Looking at other listings in the area, they are not as nice, their lots aren’t as nice, but they are priced over $50k more. At least one has been ”flipped” which I would take with a grain of salt. I’m kind of curious now.

In this market you can be serious about buying and take 2 years to buy. I have a niece and a nephew that bought homes in the past year and they both took 2 years to find the right home. My niece actually found the "right" home on her first viewing, but didn't know it. Then looked for 2 years a bought a home in the same neighborhood and was quite similar to the first one she looked at.

In our market, they'd have paid at least 10 or 15% more and have higher interest rates, than if they had bought 2 years ago.

@ sushipup2 - It is true. I wish I had a crystal ball and would have bought a few properties before Covid and resold last year. I could be swimming in money, but who knew?

I know rhis area. The school district is just okay