Since the 1960s, Silicon Valley has been known as the tech hub of America. According to Realtor.com, there are ten cities that are currently bringing on tech professionals at a faster pace than Silicon Valley, which has seen a 27% drop in the number of people moving to the area from 2012 to 2015. 

The reason for these up and coming cities attracting new residents faster than Silicon Valley? The fact that they are bursting with opportunities, things to do, and most importantly, affordability. So, while tech workers may get paid slightly less in these new tech hubs, the cost of living is much lower, which translates to a better experience overall for homeowners and renters.

Realtor.com's data team decided to rank to 500 largest cities in the U.S. by tech-savvy factors such as percentage of employment in the tech industry, number of startups per capita, real estate and rental affordability, and came up with the top ten cities where technology-based jobs combined with affordability to come up with their list.

Pittsburgh, PA ranked as top tech town number five for a few reasons. The median home price was reported at $179,900 and the average salary of engineering jobs was found to be $74,800. Along with the affordability of living in Pittsburgh, the city has brought in many high-tech jobs in the past few years. 

Uber notably chose to test its robot-drive taxis on the streets of the Steel City. Why would Uber choose Pittsburgh to test its new invention? Because Carnegie Mellon University is home to where the technology for the autonomous taxi is currently being developed. 

Tech giants Intel and Google have offices in the 'Burgh, and German software company SAP, along with reality headset maker Oculus are also putting roots down in Pittsburgh. 

Needless to say, Pittsburgh has a lot to offer in terms of the job market for tech careerists, entrepreneurs, and startups. It also features affordable housing, which makes it and up and coming tech mecca. If you're looking to rent or buy in the Pittsburgh area, please get in touch with us, as we would love to help you find your home in this exciting and innovative city!

Pittsburgh dwellers will often tell you that the Steel City is a wonderful place to live. According to Niche.com, a website that provides comprehensive rankings and profile for every K-12 school, college, and neighborhood in the U.S., there are ten neighborhoods in Pittsburgh that stand out above the rest. 

The list was based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. The ranking of each neighborhood was based on data from the U.S. Census, BLS, CDC, FBI, and other sources. 

If you're looking to move in or around Pittsburgh, get in touch with us. We would love to help you find the perfect home in the right neighborhood for you!

Looking for a home to buy can be an intense process, from attending open houses, choosing a neighborhood, and making an offer. There are tons of real estate apps, but which ones are the best? We've curated a list of the five best apps for house hunters. 

Zillow's app allows users to search for millions of homes for sale and rent across the U.S. and includes photos, videos, and the ability to contact a local real estate agent or property manager. 

Special feature: Zillow's "Zestimate" feature provides home values for more than 100 million homes nationwide as well as "Rent Zestimates," which are estimated monthly rental prices, on most homes and apartments. 

The Trulia app shows detailed listings, has a search function, features interactive maps, provides crime reports, school ratings, and information on local restaurants and shops. The search function allows users to search homes for sale or rent and apartments for rent by location, feature, price, size, keyword, and more. 

Special feature: Trulia can send real-time updates about listings, including price reductions, new properties in the area, open house schedules, and when houses sell. 

Redfin's app allows users to see nearby homes for sale or draw their own custom search area. It also has the ability to book tours of homes with local agents and listings are updated every 15-30 minutes. 

Special feature: Because Redfin is powered by the local MLS (multiple listing service), it helps house hunters save time by showing which homes are already under contract.

The realtor.com app has more homes for sale nationwide than competing apps, and includes custom filters for home searches such as map drawing and iMessage integration. The app also showcases homes' sales history, property tax, and school information.

Special feature: Listing agents can add 3D home tours to their listings for users to view. 

Dwellr's app was created by the U.S. Census Bureau and provides statistics powered by the American Community Survey. This allows users to view information on more than 40 topics for every single neighborhood in the nation, ranging from topics like education, commuting, and landscape.

​Special feature: The app uses house hunters' preferences to create a list of the top 25 places and provides information for each one. 

We hope the top five apps we listed will provide you with valuable information during your search. If you're looking for a real estate agent, we have a team of knowledgeable and hardworking PA licensed real estate agents ready to help you find your dream home. We look forward to serving you!