Poconos Real Estate Blog

A Pocono Vacationer's Perspective

As if you need convincing...

I thought you'd enjoy this blog post by one of my Twitter buds, a New York runner and book promoter who regularly vacations in the Poconos at her property in Pocono Lake, PA. Her perspective is an interesting departure from my usual 'oh it's so great' and 'come check it out for your-own-self' sales-speak (not that I don't think you love me :) But TK does a much better job describing the Pocono rhythm and difference in atmosphere that attracts so many second home buyers from the big cities and surrounding areas of New York and Philadelphia.

Read: At Vacation Pace from the Pigtails Flying Blog

If you like that one, check out other articles where she waxes poetic about her runs in and around the mountains of Pennsylvania...the scenery, the people and even the weather (go figure!) seem to inspire her: Peaceful and Frosty Five(-ish).

Oh one more thing...TK, if you are reading this, it looks like Matilda and my Cinnamon (pictured above) have that pace thing in common :))


Ready to start researching your future Pocono vacation home purchase?

Check out my free MLS/IDX search tool to find properties in Lake Naomi, Arrowhead Lake, Pocono Farms and all the other great vacation communities in the Poconos!

Sham-Wow Your Home Listing To Sell

Staging your house to make it easier to sell doesn't have to cost a fortune. Watch this video and learn some easy and inexpensive tricks to make your home stand out from the competition.

(A big thank you to Lani at AgentGenius for the video!)

A Few More Staging Tips

If you are looking for even more home staging tips, use this checklist of thoughts as you go through your house to get your staging juices flowing!

• 1st impressions are critical so start out at the curb and work your way in to the property and home. What stands out?
• Engage all your senses when going through your home and planning changes: sight, smell, sound, mood, etc.
• Imagine how your home would be displayed in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, or if it were a model home. Of course you must be realistic but these kinds of images are helpful comparisons.
• Simplify, simplify, simplify.
• Renting storage space is cheaper than your listing languishing on the market.
• Accentuate the positive, downplay the negative.
• You are selling a lifestyle so make sure your home speaks the lifestyle language to your perfect buyer.
• Think clean lines, utility of space & functionality, and lots of light.
• Try to let go of thinking of your home as your home. This will help as you contemplate changes to the decor and in the de-cluttering process.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to improve your home's show-ability.

For more information on turning your home listing in to a product that Pocono home buyers want to buy, contact me via email info@lisasanderson.com or call 570.421.8950 ext. 394

Welcome to Golf Paradise!

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I just ran across this article online that gives a beautiful overview of the myriad golf offerings in the Pocono Mountains. Interesting to me is the almost 100 year golfing history the Poconos boasts...the East Course at Pocono Manor dates back to 1912! Read this eloquent ode to golf in our area of Northeastern Pennsylvania and be inspired!

Here is a list of golf courses in the Poconos, located all over from Blakeslee to Delaware Water Gap to Kresgeville and more. If it ever stops raining, you might wanna try a few holes! ;)

Golf Courses in the Southeastern Poconos

Evergreen Golf Course
Golf Shawnee
Cherry Valley
Fernwood Hotel & Resort
Great Bear Golf & Country Club
Country Club of the Poconos
Glenbrook Golf Club
Water Gap Country Club

Northern Pocono Golf Clubs

Buck Hill Golf Club
Golf at Pocono Manor
Jack Frost National
Skytop Lodge Golf Course

Golfing in the West End

Hideaway Hills Golf Club
Indian Mountain Golf Course

For information on homes and land near golf courses in the Poconos, please contact me via email info@lisasanderson.com or by phone at 570.421.8950 ext. 394

You may also want to try searching my MLS / IDX property search page for an overview of our Pocono Mountains real estate market.

Things To Do Over The Fourth Of July Holiday

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There's always plenty to do here in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, in every season, rain or shine. And if you are watching your budget, there are even many things to do that cost very little or are free! Enjoy your holiday!!

Fireworks in the Poconos

There are fireworks displays happening all over the Poconos on July 4th...at Dansbury Park (American Freedom Festival) in East Stroudsburg, Lake Wallenpaupack, Camelbeach/Camelback in Tannersville, Mount Airy Casino, Shawnee Mountain and Fernwood Resort in Bushkill. Visit the Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau for a full calendar of events for the 4th of July holiday and beyond.

Note: As you may know, the weather in the Pocono Mountains has been very rainy this summer, so be sure to check the calendar for rain dates!

My family usually keeps the Fourth low key - the last couple of years we picked up some Rita's (mmmm mango!) and found a spot in the vicinity of North Fifth Street in Stroudsburg with a decent view of the fireworks display. That way we beat the crowds home afterwards!

What About The Rest Of The Holiday Weekend?

• Try out some shopping at The Crossings Outlet Stores during their big July Fourth Sidewalk Sales July 2-July 6, 2009
• PoconoWhitewater.com...enough said! (river rafting, canoe rides and more)
• Free Brewery Tours & Tastings at Barley Creek Brewing Company at 12:30pm on 7/3/09, 7/4/09 & 7/5/09
• How about some Hibachi, Sushi & Dance at Shiro, the latest addition to the Poconos dining and nightlife scene?
• You haven't seen the real Poconos if you haven't hiked our greatest resource, The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area!
• The Pocono Community Theater offers a great selection of independent and art films to intrigue and delight.

What are you doing this summer in the Poconos? Please leave your suggestions in the comments!

Higher Down Payment Requirements For Vacation Home Mortgages

Photo Credit

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Breaking Mortgage Financing News!

The minimum down-payment required for second homes or investment properties is now 20% of the purchase price. The reason for this is that PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) is no longer available for 2nd / vacation homes, or for properties purchased for investment purposes. This information was given to me by Andy Williams of Abacus Regional Mortgage 610.837.1616, who has checked with 5 major PMI companies to find one that offers the insurance to lenders, to no avail.

This is breaking news...remember, you heard it first here on The Poconos Real Estate Blog! I have tried to locate some websites to link to about this, but have not found anything useful. As more information becomes available on this change, I will post it. And if you know anything about it, please share what you know in the comments!

What Is PMI?

Private Mortgage Insurance premiums, commonly referred to in the real estate business as PMI, are a mandatory part of mortgage payments for loans made with less than 20% down, and insures the lender against default. The idea behind it is that the less money that borrowers put in to a transaction via their down payment, the more likely they are to default on their mortgage payments. So PMI is there to alleviate the risk and allow these lower down payment loans to occur.

Since summer homes and investment properties are not 'owner occupied' or 'primary residences', the risk to a lender is even that much greater, as borrowers are more likely to default on a mortgage that is not their main home. Combine this with low personal investment on the lower down payment loans, and it makes for just too much risk for the PMI companies to take on.

Another bit of credit tightening as a result of the recent mortgage foreclosure problem....