Within the gates of Saw Creek Estates, there are, as of today, seventy-nine homes for sale through the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service, ranging in price from $29,000 - $273,000. That is a wide range of values but not unusual for communities in the Poconos which have a variety of housing options, home sizes, locations, etc.

Saw Creek Estates is made up of single family homes but it should be noted that there are two separate townhome Associations inside of Saw Creek, Mill Pond and The Falls, that share some of the amenities of SCE but have their own rules and fees. There really is something for everyone here in this gated, amenity-rich community in the Eastern Poconos. 

Here is some interesting home sale data for Saw Creek Estates (not including the townhouse areas). See how the average sale price and the number of homes sold has played out since 2006. Prices have definitely taken a hit due to the national housing decline, and foreclosures and short sales continue to put downward pressure on values. However, we have reached a point where some of the buys are just too good to pass up, and many buyers are finally jumping in and buying that dream home or vacation property. 

              Average        # Homes
  Year         Sale $          Sold   

2013        $82,570            32
(Year-to-date)

2012        $79,080            88
2011        $86,120            78
2010        $106,400          75
2009        $128,200          61
2008        $137,800          73
2007        $172,200         108
2006        $169,040         145

Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions about any of our beautiful Pocono Communities. ~L

Search for homes
via the Pocono Mountains
Association of REALTORS
MLS/IDX here
(click to view for free!)

All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The listings on this site are displayed courtesy of the IDX program of Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS and may not be the listings of the site owner 

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Take A Cue From Investors And Vacation Home Buyers

"For Sale By Owner" Is Not The Best Way To Sell Your Home

It is tough to be a listing agent in the Poconos these days. With home values in some areas reaching almost 10-year lows, advising clients about selling their properties is not always pleasant. The realities of the marketplace mean there are many tough decisions to be made, including whether to take a loss on a sale or to even move at all, or to rent out the house so you can move on with your life. My job is to help you to weigh the pros and cons of selling and/or renting your home, allowing you to make the most well-informed decision possible.

The rental market here in Monroe County and surrounding areas is very good right now. There are many potential tenants looking for homes to move in to, so lease prices have been increasing. There are some drawbacks, though, as tenant applications show the effects of a tough economy - low credit scores, bankruptcies, foreclosures, job insecurities, etc, all require thorough screening of potential renters. And, while monthly rental amounts may be higher, in many cases the rents collected may still not be enough to cover mortgage payments, taxes and homeowners' association fees. Sometimes it is a matter of minimizing losses rather than eliminating these financial obligations altogether.

All this is not to say that renting out your house is a bad idea, however. Every situation is different and you need to evaluate the benefits and risks of doing so. I am happy to discuss any of this in detail with you if you'd like, as well as describe the process of marketing your rental, screening tenants, document preparation, and even managing your property after the lease is signed. I can be reached at 570.421.4693 x 4006, or lisa.sanderson@realpocono.com.

If you would like to see what homes are currently available for rent and what kind of rental amounts owners are asking for, click here: Homes for Rent in the Poconos

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

Pocono Listing & Sales Updates

Are you a homeowner who is interested in what houses are selling for in your neighborhood or community these days? Looking to keep tabs on what homes are on the market near yours? Your Pocono real estate education begins with data and I can provide you with it easily, right to your computer.

Or are you a potential buyer, not quite ready to make the move but interested in keeping tabs on your favorite areas in the Pocono Mountains? It's very easy to gather all of the important market data you need to make smart decisions about your future real estate purchase. Additionally, you can be among the first to know when the 'good listings' come on the market. As things get busier and prices begin to shift upward, this becomes increasingly important.

Personalized Neighborhood Portal

With just a few pieces of information from you, I will create a personalized neighborhood portal that will continually update you on listing and sales activity in the areas you specify. This is real-time, accurate MLS data, not the stale and out-dated information found on so many of the 'big' listing aggregator sites out there. Real estate markets are local, and real estate statistics are much more meaningful when they come directly from the local source. So if you are looking for information on property values in areas of Monroe, Carbon & Pike (ie Tannersville, Stroudsburg, Brodheadsville, Saylorsburg, Pocono Lake, Bushkill, Albrightsville, etc) let me help you by setting up one of these great tools according to your personal search criteria.

To get your Personalized Neighborhood Portal, simply send me an email requesting one! info@lisasanderson.com

Alternatively, you can create a home or property search yourself and save your favorite listings by checking out my Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS MLS / IDX Property Search.

As always, feel free to call me at 570.421.8950 ext 394 to discuss real estate in the Poconos!

As I wrote in Part I of this series, the Attorney Panel that gave this year's presentation to us members of the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS was excellent. Attorneys William Cramer, Louis Powlette and Jane Roach Maughan enlightened us on many timely topics. It is always interesting to hear about the real estate business from another point of view, and with all of the hot topics boiling around in our business these days, it's even more riveting. Part I of this series addressed Attorney Cramer's presentation about common pitfalls in real estate transactions. This installment will discuss Attorney Powlette's discussion of Title Insurance Issues and Short Sales:

Seller-Paid Title Insurance

It is very common for bank- and relocation company- sellers to offer a paid title policy to a home buyer in a transaction. This seems, at first glance, to be a pretty good deal...it can save a buyer a substantial amount of money if they don't have to pay for title insurance themselves. The catch is that the seller chooses the title company, which is not standard practice. Buyers have the legal right to choose their own title insurance company, and usually do this based on recommendations by their real estate agent and/or their attorney.

Attorney Powlette says, "Accepting a title policy from the seller is not a good idea," and he gave several reasons why a buyer should say 'no thanks' and purchase their own title search and title insurance.

• These banks and relocation companies buy their title work in bulk and the overburdened companies that are doing the searches and issuing title policies do a sloppy job. Also, these title insurers are almost never local companies and so they are not well versed in the intricacies of the local public records, closing procedures, etc.
• There are myriad examples of properties being sold with title defects that were overlooked because of shoddy title work. Large real estate liens and previous owners who have not relinquished their claims to properties are some of the things that could threaten a buyer's standing as the true owner of the property after closing. Attorney Powlette cited a specific example where he did title work that revealed a federal tax lien. The prospective purchaser canceled the sale. After the property was put back on the market, a second buyer tried to buy (coincidentally using Powlette too!) and the same lien was still present. The seller was hoping to sell without a buyer questioning their title policy!
  
• Another reason to decline the seller's offer of 'free' title insurance is, a real estate purchaser should have some assurance that the title policy underwriter is sound and stable. Should the underwriter ever go out of business, the title insurance policy becomes worthless. This is a great reason for a buyer to retain control of this aspect of the transaction.
  

Negotiating a Short Sale

These days many sellers are hoping to negotiate a short sale, that is ask their mortgage holder to accept less than what they are owed in order to allow the seller to sell the home at today's prices. Unfortunately, some owners who have their homes listed for sale through the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS MLS owe more than what they can currently get in today's market.

Attorney Powlette's recommendation is that a seller facing a short sale situation retain legal counsel to assist with the process. Yes, it sounds a bit self-serving of him to say that, but that's just not Lou's style :)...AND there are good reasons for his advice. A seller who tries to negotiate a short sale on their own, or a real estate agent who does it on the seller's behalf, assumes a lot of risk and liability. There are tax implications to selling short (shortfall can be considered income and therefore is taxed, for instance), and there are many legal issues surrounding the balance of the mortgage and the mortgagors remedies. A seller pursuing a short sale should have proper representation to be sure that their interests are served in the process.

One other caveat from Attorney Powlette: If you must cancel an Agreement of Sale because of unsuccessful short sale negotiations, a seller could be held liable for the buyer's expenses related to the transaction if the documents for the sale are not drafted properly. Always be sure to include the right contingencies when selling a property.

Contact Attorney Powlette at:

Louis D. Powlette Law Office