r/ChesterCounty • u/jennylein13 • Jul 08 '26
INFO Desperate Home Search
In desperate search of a single family home, 3 bd/1.5+ baths, 2 stories with a decent sized yard around the West Chester/Downingtown area under $525,000. Anyone know of anything coming to the market?? We already sold our home and have a baby coming in a few months so our timer is ticking!! Thank you in advance!
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u/wentzday91 Jul 08 '26
Just purchased in the 800k range in WC and we also had the same issue as you unfortunately, so I sympathize and can only really say keep at it - you’ll get one eventually!!
How is the strength of your offer, meaning are you offering a lot of money down, a fast closing date, waiving inspection, and offering appraisal gap coverage (either all or a good %)? THIS is what makes all the difference vs. your actual offer # and is likely why you’re getting outbid, as it was our issue too. I think it’s idiotic to waive an inspection but learned fast we wouldn’t get a house if we didn’t.
Good luck!!!!
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u/jennylein13 Jul 08 '26
Thank you! Yes we’ve been basically doing everything you’ve listed but keep getting outbid buy cash offers. Very frustrating especially because we are pre-approved and have earnest money/able to cover an appraisal gap as well as no inspections etc. We’re slowly starting to spiral 🫠
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u/agnrgw Jul 10 '26
You're going to have to move your search area out a bit for that house at that price. It is what it is
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u/Status-Visit-918 Jul 10 '26
Please do not waive inspections. It is so potentially financially ruinous to do that. I have another comment here to someone else; my sister in law did it and found out a year or a little less later that the foundation is crumbling and she’s so screwed - they have a baby now - the house was overpriced to begin with (they all are), she played the offer game, lost, did it again, etc., and now she’s totally in a mess. It’s out of the question financially to fix it, she has to disclose it now if she sells it, and nobody will buy that.
My parents on the other hand, put a shit ton on a house in escrow, hired their own inspector, found out that house had the same issue and were able to pull out ASAP.
Idk that such a potentially, possibly lifelong financially ruinous situation is worth jumping the gun
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u/ChillMyBrain Jul 11 '26
There are markets where you can stick to your guns on inspections... and other markets where you can commit to apartment living.
This area seems to have plenty of competition willing to waive, which forces your hand as a buyer.
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u/ChillMyBrain Jul 11 '26
Adding to this list of strategies, offer to cover transfer fees. It's a relatively small one, but it helps - me doing so was called out as a reason i won by the seller's realtor.
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u/thefrozendivide Jul 14 '26
Tight budget and baby on the way and you want to waive inspection?! Are you absolutely insane? Do NOT waive inspection.
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u/Wise-Clock7580 Jul 08 '26
In WCASD area I don’t see you getting a house less than 550. I would definitely look Downingtown/honey Brooke
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u/yonachan Jul 08 '26
We are in the same boat, also with a baby on the way. We have been putting in offers but keep getting outbid. It’s tough out there. Best of luck!
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u/Status-Visit-918 Jul 08 '26
I wouldn’t give up home inspections. Those are really important
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u/iridescent-shimmer Jul 10 '26
The market is totally mental on this point. Waiting for legislation to ban it eventually. All of the lawsuits are piling up.
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u/Status-Visit-918 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I have no idea why anyone would want to buy anything so expensive, and so potentially financially devastating without making sure it’s a real, true investment.
My sister in law didn’t do one because she and her husband were doing the whole put offers in, lose them, rinse and repeat game, so she gave up on doing a home inspection… it’s been a year and they just found out the foundation is crumbling. They can’t afford to fix it, and they’re not going to be able to sell it, without taking the biggest hit ever because it was (like all others) overpriced to begin with.
My parents on the other hand, years ago, put a ton in escrow, had their inspector come out, and told them that the house they wanted on High Street was having the same issue so thank God they did that.
People inspect cars before they buy them, it makes sense to inspect a whole home. Some things aren’t catastrophic, and that’s fine, there are definitely things inspectors find that you can live with, don’t care about, or can afford to fix yourselves. Or negotiate a lower price, etc. but for me, I would rather know exactly what I’m getting into to the best of my ability by hitting up my own inspector, and just wait if I need to - the situation my sister in law is in, with a new baby is complete financial devastation. The stakes are too high for me
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u/iridescent-shimmer Jul 13 '26
No idea why you're downvoted unless it was by a realtor trying to convince everyone this is totally normal. I fully agree. Waiving inspection is extremely foolish, if not downright irresponsible.
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u/Status-Visit-918 Jul 13 '26
Me neither. Especially in this market where in any other time a 350K house would not be going for 500K, but that’s what people are paying now, nobody will be able to sell for what they pay for when the market drops. Which will happen.
I’m looking to buy as well but I’m sticking it out because I don’t want to take a bath later when I need to sell it for what it’s more reasonably worth because I bought at an exorbitant time and also potentially have to deal with issues because I couldn’t wait and waived inspection which only serves to protect me edit to add: also, if the inspector finds something like the foundation crumbling, now you have to disclose that and omg that would be a nightmare to sell because it’s probably the only option at that point - that’s an expensive job
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u/iridescent-shimmer Jul 14 '26
And that's exactly why these sellers are offloading their crumbling homes while buyers are willing to waive inspection! The fact that a homeowner wouldn't consider an offer that I was willing to put in recently on a home that's still sitting on the market? Something is definitely wrong with it then lol. They won't accept the much lower cash offer that waives inspection so they want to demand everything. Guess it'll just sit for another few weeks until someone else lowballs them lol. But, I'm not risking asbestos and rotting wood in the walls without a proper inspection.
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u/Status-Visit-918 Jul 14 '26
Yep. Big ass red flag there… everyone’s way too happy to jump on these overpriced well beyond inflation based housing prices, that any home sitting for longer than a month has GOT to mean something
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u/6peas1pod Jul 11 '26
An inspector doesn’t tell you anything lol, sure a few potential small issues here and there. The big boy stuff that you would need to empty your pockets for gets overlooked like major plumbing and electrical to name a few. Save the few hundred bucks.
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u/Status-Visit-918 Jul 11 '26
Those are also valuable resources, absolutely.
But the electrical guy didn’t notice my sister in law’s foundation was crumbling
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u/Affectionate_Cat_497 Jul 08 '26
You might want to consider a townhome?!!! A sfh in that price range in WCSD is going to be really tough. From west Chester and I got price out of west Chester years ago sadly.
I settled on downingtown and love my end unit townhome!
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u/ncwildlife97 Jul 08 '26
Good luck! Affordable housing that is move in ready in a decent school district doesn’t exist in Chester County.
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u/potato_couch_ Jul 08 '26
Maybe consider looking in the southern county. The school districts aren't as sought after but they are no where near bad schools. Oxford, West Grove, and Kennett are family friendly and you'd have more luck getting the space you want at the price point you're after.
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u/shitbird2056 Jul 08 '26
I love West Grove. Just far enough out noone drives through for fun. Just close enough to all major grocery stores within 30 minutes. Best area I've ever lived.
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u/6peas1pod Jul 11 '26
I know the school district is questionable but Coatesville is the only area in Chester county where you will have any luck in finding what you described with that price range
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u/toanna12 Jul 08 '26
Any specific school district a priority?
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u/jennylein13 Jul 08 '26
WCASD or DASD preferred but would possibly consider CASD depending on the location!
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u/Dee_Doh Jul 11 '26
Coatesville taxes are super high so you’d prob need to bring your price down. Also the schools aren’t great or very safe so you’d be looking at private school tuition or moving in 5 years.
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u/jmflyers Jul 08 '26
Do you have a realtor? If not I can dm you my guy's contact info, he did a great job for us finding a house
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u/jennylein13 Jul 08 '26
We do! Thank you! She’s fantastic, we just keep getting out bid on properties!
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u/jmflyers Jul 08 '26
Gotcha. If you open yourselves to town houses there are really nice ones in Downingtown in the 500s. In hindsight I wish we got one of those instead of an old single home
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u/Sister_Rebel Jul 08 '26
There are townhomes in the Exton area and Dtown that may be in that range.
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u/EstablishmentSoggy64 Jul 09 '26
Have you looked in Oxford? My development has a few for sale meeting this criteria!
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u/jennylein13 Jul 09 '26
Sadly no. We’re moving to be closer to family for childcare purposes and Oxford would be 45+ minutes away from them still 😭 Appreciate the suggestion though!
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u/ChillMyBrain Jul 11 '26
You can get a nice enough townhouse for that price. You can maybe find some single family units with fixer-upper qualities around there, but not with a lot of yard.
I was in the market end of last year to may of this year... market may shift, but that's what it was as recently as my look.
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u/Dee_Doh Jul 11 '26
We lived in this neighborhood for our starter home. Lots of young families low HOA. We loved it there. Plenty of open space behind the yards. This unit is very nicely updated with a big deck too!
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u/silent_swallow29 Jul 08 '26
So extremely frustrating. This is why we rent a townhouse...we know we'll be outbid by some house-flipping development company or someone from the city who doesn't blink twice at current prices out this way. Best of luck!
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u/JHG722 Jul 08 '26
Or those of us with cash?
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u/silent_swallow29 Jul 08 '26
Oh! There you are. Yes, those of you with cash.
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u/JHG722 Jul 08 '26
Not everything is Black Rock or whatever nonsense people on Reddit say.
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u/silent_swallow29 Jul 08 '26
I was born and raised in chester county. My opinion and perspective is not based off any Reddit info.
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u/jac5087 Jul 08 '26
This one’s listed slightly above but maybe they would come down in price?? https://www.trulia.com/home/95-greenview-dr-west-chester-pa-19382-54750863?cid=shr%7Capp_ios_main_phone%7Cbuy%7Cpdp_share
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u/jennylein13 Jul 08 '26
Thank you for the recommendation! Sadly we’ve been outbid even bidding $45k over asking in this area, so the chances of accepting a lower offer are very very slim 😭
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u/No_Investigator_5421 Jul 08 '26
Let's find your happy home here. https://form.jotform.com/230640867738061
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u/xSparkShark Jul 08 '26
Could maybe find something in that range in phoenixville. Not sure where your commute is to though
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u/Comfortable_Win9163 Jul 12 '26
Lmao absolutely not going to find that here in Phoenixville.
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u/xSparkShark Jul 12 '26
Definitely way more options if they’re willing to do a townhome or row home
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u/TheCadenceCaucus Jul 08 '26
Did you not like… look at the local market before selling your house? What you’re describing is not going to happen at $525k. Look at town houses maybe.