HOW MUCH DID THAT HOUSE GO FOR?
Sellers and buyers found lots to love in 2023
Western Pennsylvania’s housing market in 2023 was a story of ups and downs, with interest rates increasing, housing sales bouncing around, and, in many cases, prices rolling down.
While 2022 was a seller’s market, with houses being scooped up at crazy prices at times, 2023 leaned toward a buyer’s market. Here’s a look at some of the homes featured in Buying Here this year from Pittsburgh’s suburbs and surrounding counties:
O’Hara
Mark Wolper, who flips properties for a living, was intrigued by the location but not thrilled with the interior of 104 Saint Charles Court in O’Hara. The interior was dark and dreary, or as Wolper put it, “The place felt stodgy and it felt like you walked into 1994.”
On the upside, the townhouse is in The Cove at St. Charles, which stretches along the banks of the Allegheny River with great riverside views and a small boardwalk with canoes and kayaks docked at one end.
A fresh coat of white paint, new 7inch-wide luxury vinyl plank flooring, matte black fixtures and LED lighting brought the place out of the ’90s.
The townhouse hit the market priced at $599,900 in April and sold in June for just under its asking price at $585,000.
McDonald, Washington County
Some house shoppers know as soon as they walk into a place that they’ve found their new home. That was the case for Jake Wheatley, who began planning where he would put his Christmas tree as soon as he walked into 143 Fourth St. in McDonald, Washington County.
The four-bedroom, 2½-bath Queen Anne-style Victorian home has a great front porch, a steep roof with cross gables and a polygonal tower. No wonder the house he priced at $300,000 in August quickly sold for right under the asking price at $298,000.
Ligonier
Not a fan of the cold and heading to Florida’s sunshine and warmer temperatures, Katherine Valencia listed her century-old wood-frame house at 326 E. Church St. in Ligonier for $250,000 in January.
A location close to Ligonier’s Diamond and a borough park surrounded by quaint shops and restaurants drew interest and the property sold for $215,000 in early February.
Swissvale
1420 Pocono St. is one of Swissvale’s oldest houses and has a rather colorful past. It was once a speakeasy where bootleggers would smuggle barrels of liquor up a set of wooden steps that used to stretch down to the banks of the Monongahela River.
The three-bedroom, one-bath house had been home for Carol Palangio since 1986. She meticulously maintained all of its glorious character while adding modern conveniences over the years. Originally listed for $476,200 in February, the home sold for $382,000 in November.
Aspinwall
The stone carriage house at 717 Center Ave. in Aspinwall was ignored and forgotten by many of its neighbors, yet revered by architectural historians around the world.
That’s because it was designed in the early 1900s by German immigrant and architect Fredrick Sauer, who was responsible for St. Mary of the Mount Church on Mount Washington and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in the Strip District.
The solidly built stone and concrete house has just under 2,000 square feet of living space, a private, brick-paved driveway and is within walking distance of shops and restaurants in Aspinwall. It was listed in February for $235,000 and sold in late November for $175,000.
Mt. Lebanon
The stately stone Tudor at 1440 Pueblo Drive looks like it was transported from the Cotswolds in England to the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon by magic. Actually, it was a wedding present to its first owner.
The cherished home base of Carolyn and Bill Byham sits on 1.1 acres, nestled between two streets with an in-ground pool, a koi pond and exceptional gardens that have been featured on the Mt. Lebanon Public Library Garden Tour.
Fifteen years ago, the Byhams added a large first-floor master suite that includes a bathroom, laundry and two deep, walk-in closets.
Listed for $2.95 million in June, the six-bedroom, 6½-bath home is still on the market with a new price of $2.5 million.
East Bethlehem, Washington County
Over the past two centuries, an old stone house has stood on the banks of the Monongahela River. The building has been a home, a tavern and the parsonage of First United Methodist Church.
With retirement in mind, owner Bonnie Hall put the four-bedroom, one-bathroom house at 539 Front St., East Bethlehem, Washington County, on the market for $80,000 in February.
The new owners, who bought the house at the beginning of March for $75,000, are looking forward to using a new park directly across the street with a splash play area.
Ligonier
Saying you live in a log home in the middle of a pristine forest could raise a few eyebrows. Not so for Paul Kovacs
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and his wife, Judy. Their three-bedroom, four-bath home at 1390 State Route 271 offers rustic luxury surrounded by nature on 121 acres.
The main room has a tall, vaulted ceiling, large, stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows, all framed in logs with two long ones acting as ceiling joists.
From the start, the Kovacs have been preservationists, ensuring their home didn’t negatively impact its surroundings.
The property was listed in August for $2.75 million and is still on the market for that price.
Ross
During the pandemic, we were all looking for a hobby. Many people took up knitting, some learned to bake sourdough bread, and the Cernoch family worked on their house at 130 6th Ave. in Ross.
Tucked away in a wooded lot that measures a little more than a quarter-acre, the property features a pizza oven, a hand-stamped concrete patio, a pergola and a raised planting bed for vegetables.
Inside they added a wallpaper mural on the living room wall — a forest scene in muted shades of blue and gray — and new stainlesssteel appliances in the kitchen.
The home was listed at $239,900 when it was featured in August and sold quickly for $255,000, above the asking price.
Clarion County
Pennsylvania is dotted with old houses with great history and the need of love and attention. The 1840-built, three-story structure at 18805 Route 68 in Monroe Township is one such house.
Owner Barb Frampton grew up dreaming about taking on the challenge of bringing the wooden frame home back to its original glory and gave it a go for 30 years.
She took on several of the most challenging parts of the rescue by restoring the foundation, removing the asbestos siding and adding a new roof. She also replaced and repaired the front and rear porches, installed new windows and cleared out as many out-ofplace updates from over the years as she could.
She loved the house and wanted it to shine as it did in the past. Featured in Buying Here in early November, it’s still on the market for $18,500, and Frampton is looking for the right person to continue her work.
“My goal is to find someone who will continue the restorations, not tear it down,” she said.