There are 10 Steps to Buying A Home in The Poconos of PA; Step 10 The Closing Process   Step 10: The Closing ProcessThe Day of ClosingThe final step in buying your home in the Poconos. You and your Realtor will do a final walk through of the home approximately 1-2 hours before the scheduled closing.  You want to confirm that the home has been emptied out of all the Sellers possessions as well as the fact that the seller has left the home “broom swept” and in the same condition as it was when you agreed to make the purchase.To prepare for The Closing:First, remember to bring your Government Photo ID with you to the closing.  One of the first things that the Title Company/Attorney will ask you for is your ID.  It has to be a Photo ID and issued by a Government entity; your drivers license... 08/27/2012

Just Sold in Pocono Real Estate is the Lovely home located at 9 Stephanie Way, Stroudsburg PA  18360   Stop and say Hello to the New Neighbors! You'll be glad you did.  Wonderful people whom I am sure are going to love their new home. There are so many wonderful attributes of the Poconos. So much to do, So much to see.  We wish them well and hope the transition to their new home is an easy one!                  SOLD IN 58 DAYS BY BOBBIE AND DAWN! MLS #12-4863 Listed for $159,700 and Sold for $151,000.   Looking for Local Experts to help you sell your home in the Poconos too?  Look no further.  Call Dawn and Bobbie. WE CAN HELP. Homes in the Poconos for sale View Larger Map 08/24/2012

 Stroud Township Market Summary in Pocono Real Estate YTD up to July 31,2012.   In looking at the Market Summary for Stroud Township in Pocono Real Estate, let's look at the Summary Statistics listed below. We see that the potential to sell your home is improving with the Absorption Rate dropping and the Average CDOM (cumulative days on market) dropping however, that list price needs to be at market value for sure as the average list price continues to drop also. Summary Statistics                                         Jul-12               Jul-11         % Chg       2012 YTD         2011 YTD       % Chg Absorption Rate            15.43             -20.7         -25.46           15.17             17.4         -12.82 Average List Price      $184,793         $193,096        -4.30        ... 08/14/2012

Here is a look at The Market Summary for Hamilton Township Year To Date as of July 31, 2012   The Number of Listings in 3 categories (Active, Pended and Sold) for the Hamilton Township Market Summary are depicted in our first chart.  The Stats clearly show a Buyers' Market as the number of Active listings is far above the number of pended or sold listings.  Notice how the number pended and sold goes up and down and does not necessarily reflect the belief that most people hold true - "summertime is the best time to sell."   Our next chart shows the Listing Prices for the above Active, Pended, and Sold Listings. As our prices continue to drop and have been dropping for years, to see the Active Listings priced so far over the sold price may be one of the reasons why the Number of Pended an... 08/08/2012

Arbor Woods - One of the No Dues Communities of the Poconos. Arbor Woods is located in Bartonsville, PA, Stroud Township.  They are an Executive Community with an ideal location. They are located in between Target and Lowe's, off of Route 611, and very close to the Bartonsville exit off of I-80 and Route 33. The annual dues for Arbor Woods are $0.00 therefore they offer no amenities.  The roads are public and maintained by the Township. The Real Estate Market Summary for Arbor Woods is that there is currently 1 home for sale, 0 are pending, and 0 have closed this year.  The Community must be a "keeper." The homeowners stay put, however it is a relatively new community also.     When looking to move to The Poconos of PA contact the Local Experts with 30+ years of experience in finding ho... 08/03/2012

High Terrace in Stroud Township, Stroudsburg PA is one of our NO dues Communities (placed under LOW dues communities) High Terrace Community is located off of Schafers Schoolhouse Road, just off Route 611 in Stroudsburg, PA.  This is a No Dues Community in the Poconos of PA.  Since they are a No Dues Community there are no amenities offered. The location of High Terrace makes them an ideal Commuter location or an ideal Retirement location as they are very close to Target and Lowe's and the I-80 Bartonsville exit. The Real Estate Market in High Terrace shows that there are 2 homes currently on the market for sale; 0 are pending; and 1 has sold within High Terrace this year.   The sold home was listed for $295,000 and closed for $281,350 on a 2755 square foot home built in 1995. Most of t... 07/30/2012

Are you a Gardener? Do you love to stroll through your yard and enjoy your flowerbeds and gardens? Gardening is a passionate hobby of mine.  It does require time.  Plants and veggies need tending and lots of love shown to them.  The rewards of this passion are great, especially at this time of year. I got my gardens in a little late this year and did them smaller and fewer than usual but the rewards are still fabulous.  Of course there is the occassional snake who crosses my path or curls under one of the bushes I want to weed around but you have to take the good with the bad, right? Right! I love to take Abby outside for a stroll througout the day (to clear the work cobwebs out of my head and get her moving a little bit)and admire the flowerbeds.  Everything is in bloom right now.  Fro... 07/25/2012

The Ten Steps you will go through when buying a new Home In The Poconos of PA; Step Six   1) Get pre-approved. 2) Decide where you want your new home to be. 3) Find a helpful, ethical Realtor 4) CMA on pricing, Determine the fair market value offer you want to make 5) Put your offer (contract) together 6) Acceptance of your offer. 7) Select an inspector 8) Choose a title company 9) Activate your Homeowners insurance 10) The closing process   STEP SIX: Acceptance of your Offer.  The Offer you have now made on the home you fell in love with has been presented to the Sellers of the home.  In your offer you have set a deadline in which they need to reply to you on your offer.  You are presenting a Fair Market Value offer with fair contingencies. Most likely, not always, but most likely they... 07/18/2012

 Resources to help you find the right school system for you in Pennsylvania.   Realtors are not allowed to advise or recommend which school district is the best school district in the area and we do get asked this question OFTEN. As our answer always is, "You need to do research and make your own determination as to which school is the right school system for you when moving to Pennsylvania" this is the only correct answer in my opinion.  Everyone has their own guidelines/determinants as to what constitutes "a good school." Therefore, everyone should always do their own research and make their own decision. That being said I wanted to do some research to see what avenues are available out there in the world of the Internet to help with the decision of finding the right school sytem for ... 07/15/2012

The Stroud Township Market Summary Year To Date to June 2012 The Market Summary for Stroud Township year to date is best shown by graph detail.  As you can see the number of homes available for sale greatly outweighs the number of homes being sold or put under contract for sale, however this number is declining.  This shows we are still in a Buyers' Market for Stroud Township with an Absorption Rate at this point being 14.7 months, which is declining also.  These numbers are showing that fewer people are putting their homes on the market for sale, most likely due to our continual decline in listing and sale prices. NUMBER OF LISTINGS ACTIVE, PENDED, AND SOLD LISTING PRICES FOR THE ACTIVE, PENDED, AND SOLD LISTINGS THE ABSORPTION RATE FOR STROUD TOWNSHIP YTD JUNE 2012 SALE TO LIST PRICE ... 07/14/2012

Here is a look at the Hamilton Township, PA Market Summary Year To Date (June 2012) Let's take a look at the number of listings first.  The first graph shows the number of Active, Pended, and Sold listings by month for the year to date.  You can see that the number of Active listings greatly out number the number of listings that have gone pended or have sold, signifying the Buyers' Market that we are in.      The Comparison of Listing prices for the Active, Pended, and Sold listings. The Absorption rate for Hamilton Township, PA for the past year (June 2012) Our last chart gives you the Sale Price to List Price Ratio for those homes sold that Month.   Pocono Market Statistics 2nd Quarter 2012 YTD     07/13/2012

The Ten Steps you will go through for Buying a New Home In The Poconos of PA; Step Five   1) Get pre-approved. 2) Decide where you want your new home to be. 3) Find a helpful, ethical Realtor 4) CMA on pricing, Determine the fair market value offer you want to make 5) Put your offer (contract) together 6) Acceptance of your offer. 7) Select an inspector 8) Choose a title company 9) Activate your Homeowners insurance 10) The closing process            STEP FIVE: PUT YOUR OFFER (CONTRACT) TOGETHER. These are the Items that you will need to present your offer on the home you want to buy in the Poconos of PA: a) Pre-approval b) The Agreement of Sale c) Signed Sellers Property Disclosure Statement d) Deposit/Escrow check e) The Buyer Agency Contract with your Realtor f) Buyers Closing Cost e... 07/10/2012

Pocono Sold Homes by Month for 2012, Residential Sales from the MLS for Monroe County.   What a fluctuating year so far.  I needed to take a look at how the year was flowing for our area.  So many areas of the Country are seeing major upswings in home sales, some have even turned to a Sellers' market again.  Guess our Absorption Rate has to drop quite a bit before we will see a Sellers' Market again.  As I have stated in previous blog posts, we are normally 2 years behind the "average area of the Country" and some of those have been picking up for over a year now, so. . . . . .  soon for us?       07/09/2012

Olde Mill Run is a Pocono Community located in Stroud Township, PA.   Olde Mill Run is one of The Poconos of PA Executive communities.  Olde Mill Run is a small Community located just offRoute 611 in Stroudsburg, PA, close to Target and BJ's.      Olde Mill Run is a low dues community, approximately $250 per year (2012 dues) and offers no amenities.   Currently there are 3 homes available for sale within Olde Mill Run. (2012)   No homes have sold within The Community this year, yet.   Olde Mill Run is commuter friendly.  Just a few short miles off of Interstate 80 at the Bartonsville exit.   Olde Mill Run is a nicely wooded Community offering beautifully landscaped properties of mostly $200,000+ homes.   Homes for sale in Olde Mill Run     View Larger Map 07/08/2012

   You ever look at a home and wonder what the tubes that stick out of the roof are? Those are plumbing vents and there are rubber boots for the vents that are protective, and they seal the area between the vents and the roof, shielding it from the elements. Over time, the boots dry rot and crack and then could cause leaks in your home if water finds its way in. A god inspector goes up on the roof and checks the boots as part of his visual inspection of the roof, in addition to the shingles, flashing, etc. Fixing a plumbing vent boot is a job done by a roofer, not a plumber, even though it is called a plumbing vent. The cost is around $200 to replace the boot, which involves removing the shingles around the area.    For your home inspection needs in the Poconos or Lehigh Valley, call Ja... 07/05/2012

     You wouldn't think it from the name or type of establishment (bar/restaurant) that it is, but the Sarah Street Grill is one of my favorite places to eat sushi at. They have a full line sushi bar and chef. They have ample seating inside and a large outside deck as well. Great drinks, bartenders and wait staff along with a large menu, makes Sarah Street Grill a fun place to be for drinks or dining. Prices are reasonable too. visit them on the web at www.sarahstreetgrill.com.    For more great tips about the area, Pocono homes for sale and real estate information and more, please visit my website at: www.tinadamatorealty.com 07/05/2012

The Rock Musical about the trials, tears, and exhilaration of the teen years is coming to The Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania! The musical based on the 1892 German play by Frank Wedekind celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, poignancy, and passion that you will never forget! This is a classic musical that has gained much success in theater winning itself 8 Tony Awards and being voted "Best Musical of the Year"!  The musical is for mature audiences only. Tickets are $15 for seniors and $17 for adults. The Musical comes to The Sherman Theater on Main Street in Stroudsburg Pa July 6th and July 7th 2012. Come enjoy "Spring Awakening"! Another piece of theater coming to The Sherman is "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". This play... 07/02/2012

Hot Tuna Electric returns to The Sherman Theater tonight June 28th, 2012 at 8 PM! Don't miss the chance to hear the Electric Album performed by this rock band. Special Guests Steve Kimock and Bill Goodman will join the boys on stage for this performance. The Sherman Theater presents to you the band 311!  You may know some of their popular songs such as "Amber,,Love Song,Don't Tread On Me,Down,Creatures (For Awhile),Come Original,Mixed Up,Hey You, and many more top selling hits. After years of consistent touring, 311 has developed a reputation as one of the most influential and most entertaining live bands in the world! Also featuring a Alternative Rock favorite Slightly Stoopid! July 30th, 2012 at 7 PM   -Halestorm June 30th, 2012 - Brian McKnight July 28th, 2012 - Collin Raye August 17... 06/28/2012

Penn Estates - one of The Lake Communities in The Poconos of PA   Penn Estates is located off of Hallet Road in Stroud Township, between Stroudsburg and Analomink, just off of Route 191 and 447.  Penn Estates annual dues are approximately $1190.00 per year with a $1140.00 transfer fee for buyers coming into the Community and for home sellers there is a $150.00 Resale Certificate and a $485.00 First Right of Refusal fee. Penn Estates is one of the larger Lake Communities in The Poconos of PA. They have 1600+ homes and offer many amenities for their residents.  Their amenities include (but are not limited to) Pool, Lake, Playground, Tennis Courts, Clubhouse, Paved Roads, Gated 24/7 Security, Central Water, Central Sewer, Basketball Courts and a Baseball field.   Current market statistics ... 06/27/2012

   Testimonial from Jason Feinman, Realtor       As a Realtor, I am proud to have gotten to know Jason D'Amato of ComfortSpec through inspections on both homes I have listed, that other Realtors and clients searched for an inspector and utilized his services, and for an inspector that I personally recommended to buyers. It is Jason's attention to detail, getting into places that others can't or won't, and communication, both verbal and written, that sets Jason apart from other home inspectors. - Jason Feinman   If you have a need for a home inspection anywhere throught the Poconos or Lehigh Valley, such as in Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg, Allentown, Bethlehem, etc., call Jason today at 610-895-4153 or visit him on the web at www.comfortspecpa.com   06/10/2012