According to the June 2025 Rental Report from Realtor.com, “Renting a starter home continues to be a more affordable option than buying one in 49/50 metros, with an average monthly savings of $908.” Also, “Only one metro, Pittsburgh, saw buying remain cheaper than renting, underscoring how rare that balance is in today’s market.”
This column has long stayed agnostic on the renting vs. buying question; it depends on what you want out of a place to live, how long you want to live there, and so on.
Buying a house worked for me, personally. I’ve made some dumb financial decisions, but that wasn’t one. (Now, neglecting to sign up for a 401K right out of college because I didn’t know what it was — I wish I had that one back).
Some other big-picture national data of note, from the same source:
- June 2025 marks the 23rd straight month of year-over-year rent decline for 0-2- bedroom properties). Asking rents dipped by $36, or -2.1%, year over year.
- The median asking rent in the 50 largest metros registered at $1,711, up by $6 (0.4%) from last month and $48 (-2.7%) lower than its August 2022 peak.
- Median rent declined in all size categories: studio: $1,422, down $33 (-2.3%) year over year; 1-bed: $1,587, down $42 (-2.6%) year over year; 2-bed: $1,899, down $40 (-2.1%) year over year.
So, a lot to digest here, but maybe — just maybe — the Great Post-Pandemic Housing Inflation Demolition Derby is over. Maybe the light at the end of the tunnel is finally in sight for renters, and maybe for homebuyers too at some point in the near future.
Then again, perhaps we should ask: Why is this happening? Probably not for a good reason; our nastiest recent recession started in the housing market, after all, and an even worse roster of hucksters, suckers, sycophants, and scam artists is running things right now.
For sale: 912 Baldwin S., Castle Shannon, $265,000.
In this column, we have only scratched the surface of Pittsburgh suburbs; the older, inner-ring neighborhoods like Castle Shannon have a lot of nice homes for still-decent prices. This one is typical — some nice hardwood floors, some great stained-glass windows, some updated bathroom finishes mixed in with the usual out-of-date cabinetry. For fans of weird colors, the dark blue-green walls in the dining room are pretty distinctive, and not unpleasant.
For rent: 967 Davis Ave., Brighton Heights, $1,250/month.
I hypothesize that most people have no idea Brighton Heights exists, and those who do find Bellevue next door to have a similar suite of amenities and convenience, without the drawbacks of city taxes/schools/etc., so that’s where a lot of them end up. But I’m a big fan of Brighton Heights because it’s a city neighborhood with prices that remind me of the early 2000s. Though it’s on the wrong side of a mountain or two if you’re trying to get Downtown or all points east, Brighton Heights does have a real old-school butcher shop (Tom Friday’s), a good coffee shop (California Coffee Bar), and access to great, seldom-crowded parks (Riverview, Jack Stack).
For sale: 2126 Lautner St., Troy Hill, $215,000.
Three bedrooms of 1927 rowhouse in Troy Hill for $215K — not bad at all. It’s kind of hard to imagine, but when this was built you could look down on the flames belching forth from the mills along every river in sight. Now, you can look down on the people stuck on Route 28, I guess. If you’re not afraid of heights, this is a nice perch.
For rent: 7908 Westmoreland Ave. #3, Swissvale, $950/month.
It’s amusing to think that Pittsburgh once had enough immigrants from Switzerland to beget the names of multiple neighborhoods, like Swissvale and Schweizer Loch (Swiss Hole) on the North Side. I guess they couldn’t resist the pull of toiling in the cheese mines of Western Pa. instead of the sun-dappled ski slopes of the Alpine highlands.
For sale: 4015 Shoreham St., Brighton Heights, $269,000.
A 1948 brick Cape Cod with a garage and 2,400 square feet just dropped in price by $20K. Is that a one-off thing, or a sign of further reductions to come? This is in walking distance to Jack Stack Park, one of the city’s nicest pool/playground/ballfield complexes, way off the beaten path.
For rent: 1100 Coal St., Wilkinsburg, $1,650/month.
Who likes wood paneling? Drop ceilings? Hexagonal-shaped rooms? I expect a nostalgia-fueled wave of excitement for these formerly obsolete bits of character very soon, once the minimalist-greige obsession runs its course. Objectively, these aren’t good elements to have, but some of my happiest memories were in a wood-paneled basement as a kid, and I know I’m not alone. This unit is located on Coal Street, which is almost too on-brand for a throwback Pittsburgh apartment.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2025.
