As the ripple effects of the national housing crisis continue to shatter lives and credit ratings nationwide, Wilkinsburg has quietly bucked those trends with a surprising surge in its home values.

According to local real estate data company RealSTAT, the average sales price of a home in Wilkinsburg last year was $62,062 - 24.8 percent higher than 2008's average price of $49,738.

The median price of homes increased 46.8 percent, from $27,250 in 2008 to $40,000 in 2009.

And while total home sales in the borough decreased from 194 in 2008 to 150 in 2009, officials, residents and real estate brokers say the trends are an opportunity to promote the town in a new light.

"People in Wilkinsburg have known for a long time there are a lot of good values here," said council Vice President Jason Cohn. "You get a lot of house for your dollar. Sounds like the trends show that people on the outside of Wilkinsburg are recognizing that."

"There's a revitalization in that area, which is really going to put a new face on it," said Howard Hanna Real Estate broker Deborah Kane, who said the company's sales in Wilkinsburg went up 37 percent from November 2008 to this past November.

Wilkinsburg resident Richard Bradford, a quality control analyst for the lender processing service company LSI, partially attributed the rising values to general recovery from severe decreases in 2005 and 2006, as well as a smaller number of foreclosures in the area than anticipated.

And although a high number of homes were sold out of the more affluent Regent Square and Blackridge neighborhoods, Mr. Bradford said interest has been high throughout the borough due to the quality of the homes available.

"I don't think there's anywhere else in the area where you could buy a brick, three-story house in average to good condition for $60,000 to $75,000," he said. "That's a lot of house for a steal."

Ms. Kane said Howard Hanna made 94 sales in Wilkinsburg from Jan. 1, 2009, through Tuesday. Of those, 57 homes were sold for less than $100,000; 29 went for $100,000 to $200,000; and eight sold for more than $200,000. Howard Hanna holds 18.8 percent of the neighborhood's market share.

With houses selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars in a community that also has dozens of vacant structures, often with substantial tax liens, Mr. Cohn said the borough must find ways to sell off its problem properties to make a complete revitalization.

"We don't want to promote only one part of the market. We have to make sure we're selling to an influx of people at all income levels."

He mentioned the borough's Willing Seller Program, which abates outstanding real estate taxes for eligible buyers looking to purchase properties with outstanding debts.

He also said the borough and the Wilkinsburg School District have been meeting as part of the Joint Committee on Administrative Processes to Reclaim Vacant Properties, and are discussing an idea to abate taxes on vacant properties by having eligible buyers purchase them through sheriff's sale.

But despite the potential for change that comes with the rising values, Wilkinsburg must still contend with public safety concerns, 35 percent real estate millage rages and a school district that is in warning status with the state Department of Education for failure to make Adequate Yearly Progress.

District Superintendent Archie Perrin was unavailable for comment in time for this article. School board President Karen Payne could not be reached.

Recognizing the uphill battle ahead, Mr. Cohn said he's glad at least one more thing seems to be working in the borough's favor.

"Obviously, we have a lot more work to do as a community to send a message out that Wilkinsburg is a good place to live," he said.

"A lot of times, people feel all they read about related to Wilkinsburg is bad stories. So it's great to get the [rising values] out there."

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