Westmoreland County, for example, has a relatively high rate of home ownership with three out of every four households being owned by the buyer. Builders are also flocking to the area, not only because it’s a great place for prospective residents to put down roots, but because there is plenty of land on which to build.
“We find that clients like communities with more open space and more of a rural feeling,” said Colleen Ruefle-Haley, vice president and co-owner of Suncrest Homes. “Rails to Trails routes have extended into Westmoreland County into Murrysville, Export, Delmont and Penn Township, and Murrysville is also known for having a number of conservation areas, as well as community parks.”
“There is land available in the eastern suburbs to build on, but it’s not so remote that residents can’t find easy access to the city, or go into town for a Steelers’ game or Pirates’ game; it’s still very doable,” said Ryan Powell, sales manager, Ryan Homes. “There are a lot of shopping developments outside the residential space as well as beautiful parks. And it’s under an hour to the Laurel Highlands for outdoor activities.”
The Laurel Highlands offers a wealth of recreational opportunities ranging from whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny and Stonycreek rivers to bicycling on the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage to trekking the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. The region features more than 110,000 acres of publicly accessible land, with eight state parks and two state forests.
“Obviously, Western Pennsylvania has a great park system, but it also has cute little towns that hold great events like outdoor concerts and other fun activities year-round for people to enjoy,” added Jason Corna, vice-president, Residential Division, KACIN.
Even though it may feel rural, Pittsburgh’s eastern counties still provide easy access to the city, as well as to the rest of the nation. Major travel arteries include Interstate 70, US 30, US 22, and US 119.
This access is one of the factors that attracted KACIN to the area. The company, whose office is in Murrysville, calls the eastern suburbs its backyard and considers it a great place to work, live and play.
“We know the area very well and we’re bullish on future growth here,” said Corna. “When we build, we primarily look for proximity to travel corridors, schools, and amenities like shopping, entertainment, parks, outdoor recreation and more. And we’re not alone in that.”
Slower Pace, Lower Costs
According to Jack Pellis, owner of Pellis Construction, the pace of life in eastern communities is a little slower, and the cost of living also provides for less stress as historically, taxes have always been lower than those in neighboring Allegheny County.
“This is definitely something that our clients look at,” added Corna. “A lot of our customers are retired or soon-to-be-retired and are looking to lower their monthly costs. They still want to build new but want to move into an area with significantly lower taxes. A house that on average might cost $15,000 in taxes in Allegheny County might only cost half that in Westmoreland County.”
“Westmoreland County has an average effective property tax rate of 1.47, and Allegheny County is 2.0, which makes the eastern suburbs more affordable,” agreed Darlene Hunter, vice-president, regional new homes manager, Howard Hanna Real Estate. “The cost of raw land is often less than in other markets, which helps the affordability of new home construction. The sales tax is also slightly lower.”
Younger buyers are especially attracted to the area for its quality school districts, which include Penn-Trafford, Kiski, Hempfield, Franklin Regional, Latrobe and more.
Even though parts of the area are semi-rural, there are also numerous amenities that make living east of the city attractive. “You can go to Latrobe, Ligonier, and Idlewild Park or go to Murrysville to enjoy the hustle and bustle,” said Hunter. “There are all sorts of activities here, including Westmoreland Live Casino in Greensburg, and it’s much less congested. Why travel to the city of Pittsburgh?”
Homes for Every Type of Buyer
Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs attract a mix of people from young families to couples downsizing to retirees ready for one-floor living. And while the area does attract buyers from other areas of Pittsburgh and out-of-town, many of its newest residents are those who are familiar with all it has to offer.
“Primarily, I find that people are moving locally within Westmoreland County,” said Hunter. “People who have lived in this area want to stay here. They often want to right-size in some capacity with younger families buying their first homes or young couples buying townhomes, moving up or rightsizing into different floor plans.”
She adds that there is also a diversity in employment, including farming, quarry mining and different manufacturing businesses that provide a variety of job opportunities.
Howard Hanna works with Suncrest Homes to market higher-end, single-family homes, ranging from $850,000 to $1.2 million. Projects include Siena Ridge, a sidewalk community off Hills Church Road in Murrysville, and The Acres, a million-dollar home community that currently has four lots left.
The Siena Ridge Community has its own community park, which is unique for Murrysville,” said Ruefle-Haley, a second-generation builder. “Our average clients at The Acres have children and are often move-up buyers looking for larger lots. That community is unique because there are only 10 lots, and all are over two acres.”
Suncrest builds homes in Sterling Oaks in the Penn-Trafford School District, which is a mixed-use community of carriage homes and single-family homes. There is currently one completed carriage home available with more single-family and carriage homes under construction.
“Soon there will also be two ranch-style units that include three bedrooms on the first floor,” added Hunter. “This is a great, walkable community with more mature landscaping.” An HOA provides grass cutting, snow shoveling and maintenance, and while the community is not restricted by age, most residents there are over 55.
Suncrest also has Allegheny Woodlands in the Kiski Area School District, a mixed community with carriage homes and single-family homes that has attracted young families, move-up buyers and single-family homebuyers.
Howard Hanna will also represent Suncrest’s new project in Wilkins Township, The Villas at Heritage Estates, that will include 26 units of patio-type homes. Suncrest also has a piece of property in Penn Township with approximately 20 lots where they will construct either carriage homes or townhomes in 2025-26.
Howard Hanna also works with Ricciuti Enterprises, who are currently building Miramar Landings in O’Hara Township. The development will include 38 townhomes overlooking the Allegheny River. Development work was completed a few months ago, and the sold model home is now under construction. Additionally, Brooks & Blair Waterfront Properties, LLC is now in the final phase, offering waterfront shoreline homes and urban-feeling brownstone townhomes.
“We also work with Parry Custom Homes, which has a different business model where clients build Parry Homes or their own designs on their own lots,” said Hunter.
KACIN specifically targets empty-nesters looking for one-floor living or first-floor master bedroom options. The company is currently working on North Meadow in Washington Township in the Kiski Area School District that includes a mixture of patio homes and semi-custom to custom single-family homes. A second development, Hillstone Village in Murrysville in the Franklin-Regional School District, includes a mixture of semi-custom carriage homes to fully customizable single-family homes.
The Siena Ridge Community has its own community park, which is unique for Murrysville,” said Ruefle-Haley, a second-generation builder. “Our average clients at The Acres have children and are often move-up buyers looking for larger lots. That community is unique because there are only 10 lots, and all are over two acres.”
Suncrest builds homes in Sterling Oaks in the Penn-Trafford School District, which is a mixed-use community of carriage homes and single-family homes. There is currently one completed carriage home available with more single-family and carriage homes under construction.
“Soon there will also be two ranch-style units that include three bedrooms on the first floor,” added Hunter. “This is a great, walkable community with more mature landscaping.” An HOA provides grass cutting, snow shoveling and maintenance, and while the community is not restricted by age, most residents there are over 55.
Suncrest also has Allegheny Woodlands in the Kiski Area School District, a mixed community with carriage homes and single-family homes that has attracted young families, move-up buyers and single-family homebuyers.
Howard Hanna will also represent Suncrest’s new project in Wilkins Township, The Villas at Heritage Estates, that will include 26 units of patio-type homes. Suncrest also has a piece of property in Penn Township with approximately 20 lots where they will construct either carriage homes or townhomes in 2025-26.
Howard Hanna also works with Ricciuti Enterprises, who are currently building Miramar Landings in O’Hara Township. The development will include 38 townhomes overlooking the Allegheny River. Development work was completed a few months ago, and the sold model home is now under construction. Additionally, Brooks & Blair Waterfront Properties, LLC is now in the final phase, offering waterfront shoreline homes and urban-feeling brownstone townhomes.
“We also work with Parry Custom Homes, which has a different business model where clients build Parry Homes or their own designs on their own lots,” said Hunter.
KACIN specifically targets empty-nesters looking for one-floor living or first-floor master bedroom options. The company is currently working on North Meadow in Washington Township in the Kiski Area School District that includes a mixture of patio homes and semi-custom to custom single-family homes. A second development, Hillstone Village in Murrysville in the Franklin-Regional School District, includes a mixture of semi-custom carriage homes to fully customizable single-family homes.
The North Meadow development was built in two phases; the first with 25 homes and the second with 31 homes. There are currently eight patio homes remaining and 26 single-family home sites available in the second phase, with prices ranging from $430,000 to the $700,000s. Hillstone Village has a total of 42 homes with six houses remaining in prices ranging from $620,000 to over $1 million.
“Our prime customer is someone looking to downsize or right size,” said Corna. “They have typically had a two-story home, and now that the kids are gone, they want to focus on useable, livable space. With us, they get open floor plans, one-floor living, low to no maintenance products, high-end finishes, and the ability to customize the floor plan; that’s a really important factor for our buyers.”
KACIN is also in the engineering and design phase of a development in Hempfield Township that will consist of 41 low-maintenance patio-style homes.
Pellis Construction has spent the last 20 years developing land for single-level living patio home buyers, though owner Jack Pellis says that they have recently seen a resurgence for very high-end single-family homes costing seven figures and beyond.
“The challenge is where do we put them?” he asked. “There are a lack of single-family lots at this time, which is why most developers are busy filling the niche for the baby boomers and empty nesters that we have.”
While looking for single-family lots, Pellis is currently working on a handful of infill lots at The Village at Palmer Place in Latrobe, and working on the Ravenwood community in Hempfield Township.
“Ironically, we have two large custom single-family projects going on now, one for $2 million and one for $3 million,” Pellis said. “The homes will feature 10-foot ceilings, French country design, custom kitchens—even multiple kitchens, white oak flooring, and high-end finishes.”
He said that while some baby boomers are opting for single-level living, others still want custom homes designed for entertaining, or that have room for families coming home. He notes that with higher interest rates, his company has also seen a lot of cash buyers for both single-family and patio-style homes.
The company is also in the process of creating a more affordable line of products where it prepackages home designs that still offer some customization. “There will be a preselected list of amenities that we offer in this new product, which we hope to bring out next year,” said Pellis of the homes that will be built on an owner’s lot or property.
Ryan Homes’ inventory includes a good mix of townhomes, both traditional two-story units and main-level bedroom models. “We are also excited about plans to offer a new lifestyle product in the future for the traditional move-down buyers who wants single-level living ranch products,” said Powell.
Ryan Homes serves a lot of different demographics, from first-time homebuyers looking for townhomes to older buyers going through changes in their family situations. Traditional two-story single-family homes attract move-up buyers, as well as second home purchasers. But what’s most important of all, according to Powell, is location.
The company has two active selling communities in Penn Township including a townhome community called Wellington, consisting of 60 townhomes of which half are already sold. Prices start in the mid $300s. Blackthorne Estates includes 10 larger single-family homes, both traditional two-story and first-floor masters that start in the high $400s.
“We have two new communities coming online as well; the seventh phase of the Tuscan Hills community in North Huntingdon will open in July, with prices starting in the low $400s,” said Powell. “This well-established community located only seven minutes from the high school is in a very popular area and people take pride in living there.”
This fall, Ryan Homes is opening Spyglass Trails, a lifestyle ranch community in Hempfield on the site of the old Cherry Creek Golf Course, across from Westmoreland Community College.
“There’s a lot of need there, and there’s been pent-up demand for this product,” said Powell of the mix of single-family ranches and duplex ranches. The company expects to build roughly 200 homes.
In addition to local builders, Hunter says that Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs are attracting national builders as well, which will enable even more people to move to the growing area.
“There’s no need to go elsewhere; there are so many great things here, right at your fingertips,” she said. NH
