Pocono Real Estate Blog

Here we grow again in Monroe County

COMMONWEALTH REAL ESTATE YOUR WAY, LLC, NAMES NEW AGENTS

Mt. Pocono, Pa., — (March 4, 2010) – Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC., with offices in Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, Pa., has named three REALTORS to its team of real estate experts. They are: Marie Burkey, Agnes Diehl and Diane Hinson. Two agents are rejoining former broker, Vickie Brockelman, who had previously owned the Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate franchise before their sale in 2008.
Burkey has been a real estate professional and top performer for more than 10 years earning awards including Sterling Society for 2002 and 2006; Million Dollar Producer for 2002, 2008 and 2009; Solid Service Referral for 2002 and 2003; Above and Beyond Award for 2003; Multi Million Dollar Producer for 2003 through 2007; Company best listing sold volume and sold in units for 2006; and Accredited Seller Representative for 2006 – all major awards when she was with Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate. She specializes in Monroe, Carbon and Pike counties as well as all of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She knows the markets expertly including primary and vacation homes, investment properties, lots and land and can serve as an Accredited Seller Representative and Negotiation & Relocation Specialist.
Also a former Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate agent, Hinson has been a Realtor in the Poconos for nearly 9 years. While an agent with CBPRRE, Diane earned an award for being a Million Dollar Producer in Listings and Buyer Controlled Volume. In addition, she won an All Star Award for Exceptional Productivity. Diane was also designated as a speaker for Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate Agents on the subject matter of Professionalism and Expertise as a Listing Agent.
Diehl has been in the real estate industry for more than 2 decades and has sold properties in the New Jersey region and Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.
While living in New Jersey, she was an agent with Weichert Realty in Roxbury and sold property through the state. When she moved to the Poconos she was in client services with Shawnee Development assisting Shawnee owners to upgrade to a Wyndham resort. With personal achievements including highest in-house sales and other company successes, she was offered employment with Wyndham World Wide and became one of the highest ranking sales people in the Pocono region assisting vacation owners and new customers to purchase Wyndham properties throughout the United States.
All three are members of the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS, the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS and the National Association of REALTORS.
For more information, watch for the Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC, Web site launch coming soon at www.creYourWay.com or call or call 570-839-0411 or toll free at 1-888-333-0464.

The 33rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the Poconos

The Pocono Irish American Club was founded in 1978 to preserve and promote Irish culture. Every year since it’s founding the club has organized and produced the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade covers a distance of not quite two miles, beginning in the borough of Stroudsburg and ending in East Stroudsburg. The parade is funded through various fund raising efforts by the Club, and through the generosity of our Parade and Band Sponsors (see sponsorship info). The event has evolved into one of the premier parades in Pennsylvania and the surrounding area.

The parade is held annually on the first Sunday after
St. Patrick’s Day.
This year we are proud to present
The 33rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 1:30 PM
In the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania
The Pocono Irish American Club is honored to announce that John Riley has graciously accepted to be our 2010 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal

First-Time Homebuyers Need Guidance, Expertise

Just two weeks into the Chinese Year of the Tiger — many are wondering…Will this be the year that First-Time Home Buyers ROAR and purchase their first homes.

According to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, the answer is Yes, Yes, Yes. He says there will be 1.84 million homes sold to first-time home buyers in 2010, compared with 1.73 million in 2009. That’s good news for the economy and good news for buyers.

A few tips to those new to real estate who want to purchase a home:

1) From the National Association of RELATORS:
a. In order to take advantage of the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit, you need to close by April 30, 2010. You can apply the credit to your 2009 taxes if you close and file your taxes on or before April 15 or you can file an amended 2009 return or apply the credit to 2010.

2) From the REALTORS at Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way with offices in Mt. Pocono and Stroudsburg, PA:
a. Find a REALTOR to work with. Do not try to purchase a home without the expertise, knowledge and guidance of a REALTOR. Using a REALTOR makes sense when its time to buy (or sell) a home. Particularly with the deadline for a major tax credit looming, many new to real estate will rush to judgment and make mistakes. For first time home buyers, REALTORS can look out for your interests and have experience negotiating and walking those in a real estate transaction for the first time through the process. REALTORS adhere to a strict code of ethics, they are constantly updating their skills, and they understand the marketplace.

It’s time to buy. There’s no doubt about it. The inventory is high, the prices are right and it you qualify as a first-time home buyer, the tax incentives are incredible.

Let this Year of the Tiger be your time to ROAR!

Now is the time to buy a home in the Poconos

Buyers Who Wait May Lose a Lot
Potential home buyers who delay have a lot to lose.

First-time home buyer and move-up tax credits worth $8,000 and $6,500, respectively, expire April 30. Buyers who qualify get a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes or a cash payment if they don’t pay enough taxes to cover the credit.

Other factors that should spur buyers:

Low mortgage rates. If the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, 30-year rates will almost certainly rise to more than 6 percent.

Rising prices. About 30 percent of markets are already experiencing price increases. Prices are falling in 12 percent of markets, says Fiserv (but that only helps if you want to live there).

Source: Money Magazine, Beth Braverman (03/02/2010)
If you have been considering Purchasing your first home or A larger home, get out this weekend and take a look at all the great homes for sale in the Stroudsburg ,Mt. Pocono, Blakslee and all of the surrounding Pocono Region. Home prices, interest rates tax credits are the best ever.

What are your plans for Feb. 14th ,come to the Pocono Mountains

Couples Night to aid Haitian relief
Ris-K Lingerie is partnering with the American Red Cross to raise funds for Haitian Relief. A Couple’s Night for Valentine’s Day will take place 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11.

A door donation of $10 minimum per person will go entirely to the Red Cross to be sent to Haiti.

The event will feature pole dancers, belly dancers, zumba and hooping demonstrators, as well as ladies in lingerie. Many local restaurants will donate food and prizes for the event.

Ris-K Lingerie is at 580 Main St., Stroudsburg. For information, call (570) 422-6900.

Valentine’s Dance in East Stroudsburg
The American Legion Auxiliary Post 346 will sponsor a Valentine’s Day dance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at the American Legion, 201 E. Fifth St., East Stroudsburg.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. There will be complimentary beverages and snacks as well as a cash bar. Entertainment will be provided by The McWilliams Brothers.

For tickets and information, call (570) 897-6442.

Spring St. celebrates Valentine’s Day
Spring Street businesses have a full and varied schedule of events, contests and special offers for Pre-Valentine’s Day, Feb. 13, on Second Saturday.

Main Street, Newton, N.J., is hosting the first Newton Ice Carving Showcase in front of the Fire Museum, 150 Spring St., beginning at noon and featuring Bob Johnson from Decorative Flairs Ice Carving of Denville, N.J.; Jake Dominguez from the Lake Mohawk Country Club in Sparta, N.J.; and Brett McClain from Freehand Custom Carvings in Newton, N.J.

The carvers will begin at noon and will have four hours to complete their carvings and then the sculptures will be relocated along Spring Street in lighted displays until 8 p.m. for the Second Saturday Valentine’s Weekend Sweetheart Walk.

Other activities will include children’s Valentine’s Day crafts, a Word Jumble contest, a wedding day photo contest, a Valentine’s Day raffle and live music with singer-guitarist Omar Mendez playing love songs from 4 to 7 p.m. Several Spring Street eateries and area businesses will offer specials for the day.

For information, call (973) 940-3178.

Mountain View Vineyard Valentine special
Show that special someone just how special they are with an afternoon of sipping wines and sampling “Death by Chocolate” cheesecake and a variety of other treats dipped in chocolate from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14.

There will be an array of gift items available for purchase. This is a free event.

Mountain View Winery is at 1220 Neola Road, Neola. For information, call (570) 619-0053 or visit www.mountainviewvineyard.com.

Valentine Charity Ball
Shepherd’s Maternity House of Monroe County will host its eighth annual Valentine Charity Ball at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at Ridgecrest at Stroudsmoor Country Inn, Stroudsburg. All proceeds will benefit Sherpherd’s Maternity House.

Featured will be a social hour with hors d’oeurves and a cash bar. During the social hour, Susan Spannagel, a local harpist, will provide entertainment. A four-course dinner will be served at 5 p.m. Throughout dinner and the evening, DJ Mike Carmella will present music for listening and dancing. A silent auction will offer a variety of items donated by local businesses.

Cost is $75 per person or $750 per corporate table of eight, and includes a full-page display in the evening’s program. For information or to make a reservation, call Pat Stys at (570) 730-1163. Reservations must be made by Saturday, Feb. 6.

Music of bygone era at Valentine’s concert
Most people are unaware that Valentine’s Day had its origins in the 19th century, when young men left their homes to join the battle in the Civil War. Much of their longing and despair was expressed in the music of that era, which is the focus of Lehigh pianist Helen Beedle’s show, “A 19th-Century Soiree,” which she brings to Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe on Sunday, Feb. 14.

A professor of music at Lehigh for more than 20 years, Beedle has carved out a niche for herself at concerts and music festivals across the country with an emphasis on the salon music of the Civil War era.

A benefit for the Jim Thorpe Chamber of Commerce, Beedle’s performance begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.MauchChunkOperaHouse.com or by calling (570) 325-0249.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Booklovers’ Ball
For the fifth consecutive year, the Booklovers’ Ball will be take place at Skytop Lodge on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, Feb. 14. Barrett Paradise Friendly Library in Cresco will be the beneficiary.

The night will begin at 5:30 p.m., with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. A four-course dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m. The eight-piece Doug Smith Band will play contemporary and classic dance numbers for most of the evening.

The highlight of the night will be a live auction. Among the “lots”— all donated by the community — are an original watercolor by John James, an original watercolor of Stroudsburg’s “Sweet Creams Café” by Tim Weaver, a night with Broadway’s “Mamma Mia” on March 24, a Penn State Football Weekend and more.

In addition, a silent auction will offer a variety of special treats, including gift baskets, golf packages, spa treatments, signed Penn State sports memorabilia.

Also, the drawing for the 2010 Heart’s Desire Car Raffle will be held. The holder of the winning ticket will get to choose one of three brand-new 2010 vehicles. Only 500 tickets will be sold, at $100 each. Tickets are available at the library.

The cost is $75 per person, $150 per couple, or $750 for a table of 10. Black tie is optional.

For information or to make a reservation, call Marion Weidman, at (570) 595-8909 or Cindy DeLuca at (570) 5957171 by Sunday.

Visit the paranormal on Valentines Day
“Haunted! Mind Mysteries & the Beyond” with supernormalist Dick Brooks will have a special Valentine’s Day showing at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at The Houdini Museum Theater.

This Psychic Theater presentation tells the tale of hauntings at 1433 N. Main Ave., Scranton, that were connected to the tragic murder/suicide/electrocution that occurred in the building.

Photos and newspaper articles of the happenings are on display. From notes found in the attic, participants are taken through the seven steps to a successful seance in the haunted building that’s more than 100 years old. Much of the story is based on real people and events including infamous area spiritualist George Valentine, “the man who challenged Houdini,” of Wilkes-Barre.

The performance includes experiments with audience members in mind control, telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis, psychometry and sightless vision. The story ends with a dark seance.

The presentation features paranormalist Dick Brooks and psychic investigator Dorothy Dietrich.

The show begins at 8 p.m. Reservations are required and should be purchased in advance. Tickets are $35 by reservation only. The presentation takes three hours or longer.

The Houdini Museum Theater is at 1433 N. Main Ave, Scranton. For information, visit www.Houdini.org or www.PsychicTheater.com or call (570) 383-9297.

Feb 14th has Tradtionally been a day for Lovers.  Start your own Tradition.  Say I love you to all your family and Friends.  What happened to the Secret Valentines?  Enjoy and Have Fun in the Pocono Mountains. 
Happy Valentines Day from the Staff at Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LCC

The history of Valentine’s Day.

History of St. Valentine’s Day

St Valentine’s Day was supposedly started in the time of the Roman Empire. In Ancient Rome, the date of February 14 was a holiday to honor the Queen of Roman Goddesses and Gods, Juno. Juno was known as the Goddess of women and marriage. The next day February 15 was the first day of the Festival known as the Feast of Lupercia.

On February 14 is was said that the young boys and girls of the villages would write down the names of every girl and place these names in a jar of which each young man would have to draw a name of a girl and this particular maiden would be their partner for the duration of the festival. Sometimes these parings would last a year and end up in marriage.

These rituals under the laws of Claudius were banned as the Emperor believed that the reasons why men would now go to war were because they did not want to leave their lovers or families. As a result all marriages and engagements were canceled as a result Saint Valentine a Roman priest was said to have married these couples in secret and for this he was executed on the 14th day of February.

While St Valentine was in jail it is said that he fell in love with the jailers’ daughter. By a miracle or some say by the prayers of Valentine she gained her sight and as a last farewell in a note he was to “From Your Valentine”.

Another story as to the origins of Valentine’s Day was that he was a priest who was also a physician and would cure the sick. He was also said to have tried to cure the jailers blind daughter, but, was arrested and on the day of his execution he wrote a note as a final farewell saying “From your Valentine” which some say is what caused her to gain her sight.

It is also said whilst he was in jail awaiting execution that he was sent little notes and flowers from the children whom he had helped when they were sick. This also may have been one of the reasons why he sent a farewell note to the jailers’ daughter and why we send valentines.

St Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 of each year; the reason why it is celebrated on this day is because this was the day that the Patron Saint of Lovers “St Valentine” was supposedly executed on. On this day lovers all around the world mark this occasion as a day for sending poems, cards, flowers or candy, etc. They might also be a social gathering or ball to mark the occasion.

Another Interesting origin is that St Valentine was the patron Saint of Epilepsy reason was that he was supposedly a sufferer and took a keen interest in those who suffered from this affliction and also that those who suffered this disease were suffering from Valentine’s sickness.

To buy now or buy later in the Poconos, that is the Question?

Those Who Wait Will Pay Thousands More This Spring
Waiting a few extra days or weeks to purchase a home this spring could cost buyers thousands of extra dollars as the office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implements several changes for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

Coming just weeks before the April 30 deadline for the Home Buyer Tax Credit and just days after the March 31 expiration of the Federal Reserve Board’s mortgage backed securities purchase program (which has kept home loan rates artificially low for over a year), these FHA changes make it even more important to act now to save big.

Here are a few reasons why:

On April 5th, the cost of required up-front mortgage insurance for loans guaranteed by the FHA will increase from 1.75% to 2.25%. For a borrower purchasing a $200,000 home with a $7,000 down payment, the up-front mortgage insurance will increase by $965. Up-front mortgage insurance is typically financed in the final loan amount so the impact to a monthly payment will be minimal but overall, the increase is still borne by the borrower both upfront and monthly.

Later this spring, the amount of money that a seller can return to the buyer from their sale proceeds will be reduced from 6% to 3%. The reduction in these “seller concessions” can increase the amount of cash a buyer will be required to pay at closing by $6,000 for a home purchase of $200,000.

There is only one way to avoid being affected by all of these costly changes that lie ahead – submit all FHA mortgage applications by the last week of March.

If I can answer any questions you may have about how these changes could impact you, call me. I appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

Sharon & Bill Weiner
Gateway Funding
(610) 691-0412
bweiner@ptd.net

BROKELMAN NAMED LIFETIME MEMBER OF WHO’S WHO

Mt. Pocono, Pa., — (January 22, 2010) – Vickie Brockelman, broker/owner of Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC.,  with offices in Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, Pa., was named a Lifetime Member of the Cambridge Who’s Who Registry for Executives and Entrepreneurs for her innovation, leadership and achievement in the area of real estate.

            Lifetime inclusion in Cambridge Who’s Who is an honor bestowed by The Cambridge Who’s Who selection committee based on accomplishment, professional achievement, leadership and service. The mission of Cambridge Who’s Who is to ensure that Cambridge members receive recognition, support and credibility to advance their careers.

            During the last 3 decades, Brockelman has been a real estate sales professional, associate broker and broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate, an eight office agency that she built into a powerhouse in the Pocono Mountains area.

As a broker/owner, she strategically managed unprecedented growth increased the REALTOR agent staff from 35 agents to 80 agents average with 100 at peek periods and expanding company gross commission income from $1 million to $9 million annually; a 75 % increase from time of purchase. In 2007, after 15 years as owner, Brockelman sold her franchise at its peak.

Today, Brockelman runs Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC., a popular agency committed to innovating the real estate marketplace in the Poconos by applying the Platinum Rule (of treating clients as they wish to be treated)  to all transactions and offering customized solutions for every client. In 2009, she was named among the top 10 area business women in the Pocono Business Journal’s recent “Women in Business 2009.”

COMMONWEALTH REAL ESTATE YOUR WAY, LLC, NAMES NEW AGENT

Mt. Pocono, Pa., — (January 22, 2010) – Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC., with offices in Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, Pa., has named REALTOR Nancy Craig of Bartonsville, Pa., to its team of real estate experts.

            Craig earned her real estate license in 2004 and was an agent with Jayne Albert Realty in East Stroudsburg followed by RE/MAX of the Poconos. She holds the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation from the National Association of REALTORS and is a member of the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS^®, the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS^®, and the National Association of REALTORS^®. Having worked with  the group at Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way in marketing her own home, she decided to pursue a career with the group.

            “I wanted to work with a group of professionals with the highest sense of integrity, professionalism and a group that is constantly thinking outside the box,” said Craig.

            “Her past record of service to clients, of accommodating the feelings of others and her experience as a nurse combined with her marketing background makes Nancy a perfect fit for Commonwealth Real Estate and our customers,” said Vickie Brockelman, broker/owner of Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC.

Prior to establishing a successful career in real estate, Craig was a licensed practical nurse and worked in geriatric nursing. She was health care manager at Pocono Lutheran Village in East Stroudsburg when she retired from nursing. Earlier in her career, Nancy working in New York and New Jersey in publishing and marketing.

            Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC., offers flexible options to buyers and sellers in terms of marketing plans, commission structures and levels of support. For more information, visit us at  www.creYourWay.com or call 570-839-0411 or toll free at 1-888-333-0464.

6 Surprising Facts About the Buyer Tax Credit

Daily Real Estate News | January 22, 2010
The homebuyer tax credit is not as simple or straightforward as you might think. Here are some nuances that will affect homebuyers who plan to use it.

To qualify for the move-up tax credit, a home owner must have occupied the same principal residence for five of the last eight years consecutively.
Buyers can elect to claim the credit on either their 2009 or their 2010 tax return, whichever is best for them.
Buyers who claim the credit in 2009 can’t file electronically because the Internal Revenue Service hasn’t put the required forms on line. The wait for a refund is three or four months.
The home can be a mobile home or travel trailer that is fixed to land owned or leased by the home owner. A mobile home or travel trailer that is actually mobile doesn’t qualify.
The home can’t be purchased from a close relative, including a parent, spouse, child, grandparent or grandchild.
A buyer who earns no taxable income or doesn’t owe any federal income tax can qualify for the tax credit and file a tax return just to claim it.

The tax credit has had a positive effect on the real estate market in the Poconos.  Buyers who would have waited until spring are now looking to buy to take advantage of the credit.  Move up  buyers should place their homes on the market now.  Waiting until spring will miss this great opportunity.  VMB

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