Inventory inside the city limits has dropped to a 1.3-month supply—well below the balanced 6-month mark—yet prices remain tame because Allegheny County’s aging population keeps downsizing, freeing up sturdy brick homes built in the 1920s–1950s. Tech transplants tend to rent downtown condos for the first year, then migrate east toward Shadyside and Squirrel Hill where walkability meets top-rated Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Key stats to know:

• Median days on market: 18 city-wide, 9 in hot ZIP codes 15201 (Lawrenceville) and 15206 (East Liberty)
• Price per square foot: $142 city average, $225 in 15232 (Squirrel Hill)
• New construction premium: $325k–$400k for attached townhomes in SouthSide Works

Because Pittsburgh straddles three rivers and 90 distinct neighborhoods, a two-mile move can shift your flood-zone status and insurance premium. NMHL automatically pulls FEMA maps and runs elevation certificates before you waste a weekend bidding on a charming but uninsurable property in flood-prone Washington’s Landing.

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) offers two power-plays:

• Keystone Home Loan—Conventional 30-year fixed at 0.25 % below market with no monthly mortgage insurance if your income is under $91,100 for a two-person household in Allegheny County.
• Purchase Improvement Loan—roll up to $35,000 of renovation costs into the same note at rate parity, perfect for Lawrenceville fixer-uppers needing new plumbing.

City of Pittsburgh’s Assist the Assister grant gives city employees (police, fire, EMT, teachers) $5,000 toward down payment anywhere inside city limits. Allegheny County’s First Front Door matches your $1,000 with $4,000—free money on a $100k starter home.

NMHL pairs every grant with a Grant Calendar so you know when each program opens (many are first-come, first-served) and pre-underwrites your file so you can submit the grant application the morning it goes live.

If your score is stuck in the 500s thanks to medical debt or past foreclosure, NMHL’s Fresh-Start FHA manually underwrites each file and allows:

• Non-traditional credit: 12 months of rent, utilities, cell phone bills
• Higher debt-to-income (up to 50 %) when residual income exceeds $1,000
• One-year seasoning after Chapter 13 discharge with trustee letter

We maintain relationships with three local non-profit credit counselors—Advantage Credit Counseling in downtown Pittsburgh, ClearPoint in Monroeville, and Urban Affairs in the Hill District—who will build a 90-day action plan for free. Average client sees a 62-point boost, enough to drop PMI bands and save $120 per month on a $200k loan.

Quick wins we recommend: Pay down credit-card balances to under 30 % utilization before the next statement date, and dispute any collection older than your last two years of rent payments—Allegheny County courts dismiss 38 % of these disputes automatically.

With Pittsburgh’s booming film-tax-credit productions and autonomous-truck startups, more residents are 1099 workers who can’t show rising W-2 income. Our Bank-Statement Advantage uses:

• 12 or 24 months of business bank statements
• Expense factor of 20 % (adds back depreciation and one-time equipment purchases)
• Loan amounts up to $1.5 million with 10 % down on primary residence

Example: A drone-videography owner in the Strip showed $92k in deposits; after 20 % expense factor we qualified him at $73,600—enough for a $425k loft conversion with 10 % down while his tax returns claimed only $41k after write-offs.

We also offer 1099-Only for gig drivers and Profit-and-Loss statements signed by your CPA if you’ve been in business at least two years. No tax transcripts required, so your return strategy stays intact.

Western PA hosts more than 72,000 veterans, yet only 14 % used their VA benefit last year—leaving an estimated $1.2 billion in buying power on the table. NMHL’s VA zero-down program covers:

• Purchase up to county loan limit ($726,200 in 2024) with no monthly PMI
• Funding fee waived for veterans rated 10 % or more disabled by the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in Oakland
• VA IRRRL streamline refinances drop your rate with no appraisal or income docs

Because Pittsburgh prices are modest, many veterans buy multi-unit properties: a duplex in Bloomfield at $275k can be financed with zero down; live in one unit, rent the other for $1,350 to cover most of the mortgage.

We partner with the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania to provide $1,500 closing-cost credits for vets who complete a free two-hour homebuyer class at their facility on the South Side.

Allegheny County’s assessed value rarely equals market value. The millage rate totals about 22.5 mills inside city limits—so a $200k assessed home incurs $4,500 annually. But the county permits an abatement on new construction or substantial rehab: pay only on the land value for three years, saving roughly $3,200 per year on a typical Lawrenceville new-build.

Pennsylvania imposes a 1 % Realty Transfer Tax statewide; Pittsburgh adds another 1 % for a total of 2 %, customarily split between buyer and seller. On a $225k purchase that’s $2,250 from each side. NMHL routinely negotiates seller assists of 4–6 %, enough to cover your half plus most closing costs.

Homestead Exemption: Knock $18,000 off your assessed value if you occupy the home, saving about $405 per year. File once; it renews automatically. Veterans rated 100 % disabled can eliminate property taxes entirely via the PA Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption—our processors complete the paperwork at no charge.