2230 Greenwood Road

PRICE REDUCED!
Salisbury Township Real Estate ~ 2230 Greenwood Road – It’s Like a Dream Come True…A Truly incredible Victorian home in the elegant Lehigh Parkway. This custom home offers both indoor and outdoor heated pools w/safety & energy efficient electric covers. Great for pool parties, back yard is professionally landscaped and fenced in. Custom awnings to keep you cool. Inside you will find a gourmet kitchen with new stainless steel Kitchen Aide appliances, just perfect for entertaining. There are three bedroom suites, with the master offering a custom designed master bath, and private loft. Need office space? On the first floor you will find a large office area with built in cabinetry and a separate entrance. The lower level is completely finished into a game room with wet bar and full bathroom. 3 car detached garage w/ propane heat & basketball court. This is the kind of home that you need to come and see as the list of unique features and custom upgrades just go on and on. Call Sue McShane 570-972-0114 and ask about MLS# 348924.

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The future of real estate . . .Pocono Mountains

They say ”the best predictor of the future is the past.” And in real estate, that couldn’t be truer.

According to the stats of the Pocono Mountains Association of Realtors Multi List Service (MLS), we did see a decline in sales of residential properties in Monroe Country for 2009 versus 2008. (reviewed on 12/29/09)

2009 Average Sale Price:  163,376   Total Sales: 1,556

2008 Average Sale Price:  186,760   Total Sales: 1,720

Looking back to 2005, sales of residential homes have been on the decline every year.

In 2005. total sales:  3490

2006-3118 (difference of 372)

2007 – 2348 (difference of 785 sales)

2008-1720 (difference of 623 sales)

2009-1556 (difference of 174)

So what does this mean, I believe based upon the real estate cycles I have experienced during  the last 20 plus years, 2010 will be a year of stabilization. All things do come to an end.  We will see the end of the large reduction of sales and the prices will stabilize and perhaps in mid spring, will be see a small increase.  We have seen the last of the large declines in the sale of residential homes. 

The mortgage companies have been hit pretty badly and have made financing extremely difficult even for those with excellent credit with mountains of paperwork and last minute loan declines because home appraisals and purchase prices do not match. This too shall come to an end. They will be looking for your business this year.

2010 promises to be the best year we have had seen since 2005.

If you are a renter, now is the time to buy.  With the decline in new homes being built, there will be a shortage of rentals and the monthly rents will most likely increase.  Take average of the tax credit being offered and invest in your future.  http://www.creyourway.com/3087/homebuyer-tax-credit-extended-and-expanded

If you are a current home owner wondering when is the right time to move up.  NOW – DO IT NOW!     What you think you may lose by selling now will be gained in the new purchase as well as the tax credit being offered.http://www.creyourway.com/3087/homebuyer-tax-credit-extended-and-expanded

I realize you may be concerned about unemployment, the economy and the gloom-and-doom-sayers. But keep in mind, employers are going to have to hire soon to replenish their over worked employees to meet the supply and demand.  Unemployment figures in the region for November plummeted. There will continue to be bank foreclosure, but that may be to your advantage when looking at properties to purchase — let’s face it someone loss is another’s gain.

There is a saying in the real estate industry – “Buyers following the listing.”  If you list your home, the buyer will come.  Right now the biggest obstacle in getting the market moving is the lack of good homes for sale.  There are buyers out there, but since their choices are limited, they aren’t making offers.  If you are a home owner thinking about when is the best time to sell, the answer is right now.  By adding to the inventory of good homes, you will practically be assured of buyer interest.  The future of real estate looks promising.

 As far as the future of real estate for the Realtors at CREYourWay.com – considering we have been open for 9 months and have transacted more than $7 million plus in business, I’d say it looks promising too. We have experienced, dedicated, goal-oriented Realtors with a superb edge in Internet marketing and the World Wide Web. Our customers benefit from this high-level of experience. We started with an empty pipeline and are filling it up and expect to increase our numbers by 100 percent.   Combine a growing market with the Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way team and you are sure to achieve your real estate goals.

From All The Realtors at Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, We wish you a Happy and Safe New Year.  My all your dreams come true.  Regards, Vickie Brockelman

SOLD! 1015 Meadowlark Drive, Effort

Effort PA home for sale ~ 1015 Meadowlark Drive – Potential Galore. 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Bi-level with 2 Car Garage, Lower Level Family Room, Cul-de-sac Lot. Needs some loving care. Call Connie Foland 570-972-0140 and ask about MLS# 09-11301.

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5032 Hounds Ear, Tobyhanna

Tobyhanna home for sale ~ 5032 Hounds Ear – **PLUSH, LARGE, LEVEL CORNER LOT** Located in prestigious Pocono Farms Country Club is this lovely lot with seasonal views of the Golf course, the 6th hole. You’ll be surrounded by quality homes, many of them golf front homes. Hours of enjoyment will be yours when you build in this community full of great things to do like the new recreational facility that will be opening in the spring, and MORE Call Bobbie Smith 570-972-0129 and ask about MLS# 09-11270.

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COMMONWEALTH REAL ESTATE YOUR WAY, Realtors Celebrate 2009 Triumphs in Style

 

COMMONWEALTH REAL ESTATE YOUR WAY, LLC, NAMES SPIRIT WINNER AND TOP SALES PERFORMERS

Mt. Pocono, Pa., — (December 28, 2009) – Several agents of Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC., were honored for their successes and achievements in 2009 during the company’s end of year celebration.

Connie Foland was named into the Commonwealth Multi-Million Dollar Club. Karen Wagner was named into the Commonwealth Million Dollar Club and received the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award. Bobbie Smith and Jeff Peterson were also recognized as top company performers.

“These four individuals always serve the customer well and by doing are successful for the company and themselves,” said Vickie Brockelman, broker/owner of Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way. “They are experts in their fields, they are committed and professional and are considered among the best real estate agents in the region.”

  Foland   adds this award to numerous awards and accolades throughout her stellar career including membership in Coldwell Banker’s International President’s Elite, the International President’s Circle,

the Six-Million Dollar Club, and the Diamond Society. In addition, she has been recognized for highest company totals for listings taken, listings sold by volume and also by units and buyer controlled sales by units and she was presented with the Positive Income Growth Award recognizing outstanding production increases. Foland is a certified buyer’s agent and e-marketing specialist. She specializes in relocation, corporate and foreclosure properties. Foland earned her real estate license in 1986 and moved to the Poconos in 1988. She has worked for some of the top names in Pocono real estate and for the past 12 years, she was an agent with Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate. 

      

       

 

Wagner  was recognized with the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award for her professionalism, positive attitude, a willingness to serve the community and the customer and make them the priority each and every day. The award, which honors the memory of Keith Gilpin, a former colleague, also recognizes excellence, team spirit and creativity.  Wagner has been marketing residential real estate in the Pocono region since 1995. She is an award-winning, full-time realtor whose specialties include e-marketing and new construction. Prior to joining Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, she was an agent with Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate. Her customer focus includes first-time and single home buyers and older adults. Karen is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, where she graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis. She and her family moved to Pennsylvania from Pensacola, Florida. Prior to real estate, Karen had a successful career in advertising and marketing.

 

 

Smith     has been a REALTOR for 6 years and is always a top performer. She is a Pennsylvania native and has been a resident of the Pocono Mountains region for more than 30 years. Prior to joiningCommonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC, Bobbie was an agent with Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate’s Mt. Pocono office. Smith holds the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation, a highly prestigious designation from the National Association of REALTORS earned by the best residential real estate seller agents in the country who have proven they have the experience, training and commitment to be among the best in the profession.

           

 

 Peterson has been a Pocono resident for 14 years. A member of the US Marine Corps for four years, Jeff later earned his real estate license in 1989 and worked for several area agencies. For several years he managed his own construction company where he remodeled and completed home improvements. In 2005, he returned to real estate. Immediately prior to joining Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC, Peterson was an agent with Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate. During that brief time, he earned designation into the Multi-Million Dollar Club and the Sterling Society, a club honoring those individuals who achieve $110,000 closed adjusted gross commission income or 25 closed units. The distinction was achieved by only 18 percent of sales associates worldwide in the franchise group’s system.  In addition, Peterson earned “Company Best” honors for listings sold by volume, for listings sold by units, for listings taken, for buyer controlled sales by volume and for buyer controlled sales by unit. He was also Rookie of the Year in his first year of being an agent and received the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award recognizing his excellence, team spirit, creativity, professionalism, positive attitude, and willingness to serve the community and the customer.

9073 Idlewild Drive, Tobyhanna

Tobyhanna Real Estate ~ 9073 Idlewild Drive – 3 Bedroom Contemporary, wrap around deck, oil heat,living room fireplace, needs work. Call Connie Foland 570-972-0140 and ask about MLS# 09-11183.

Keith Gilpin Spirit Award

Three years ago a friend and real estate colleague, Keith Gilpin, passed away.
At first, it seemed like such a horrible time to go. It was right before Christmas. But on reflection, we realized that Christmas seemed the most appropriate time for Keith to pass – a time of great giving, joy and peace. When better to celebrate a life lived for giving, joy and peace?
Not long after his death, I renamed what was then known as the Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate Spirit Award (I was broker of the region’s Coldwell Banker offices) to the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award. The award recognizes professionalism, positive attitude, a willingness to serve the community and the customer and make them the priority each and every day. It also recognizes excellence, team spirit and creativity.
Although we didn’t call it the Platinum Rule three years ago, the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award recognizes efforts of working within the Platinum Rule, which is one of the founding principles of Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC. The Platinum Rules says to treat the customer (and everyone else) the way they wish and need to be treated……It’s amazing to me how far ahead of his time Keith was. He personified the Platinum Rule long before it became a popular business and lifestyle model.
Keith taught us that life is to live and embrace every day, and most importantly, he taught us being a real estate agent and helping people find the place where they will lay deep roots and live is humble and important work.
Keith had an amazing passion for life. He would start projects and assignments strong — with creativity and fresh ideas, intent and energy and he would finish strong – - getting things done, delivering what he promised, giving more than was expected and he did it with energy, integrity and professionalism. For all that he was …. Keith remains the embodiment of the Award.
Commonwealth Real Estate Your Way, LLC, will continue to recognize an agent each year at this time with the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award.
We are honoring this year’s recipient on December 21, the anniversary of Keith’s death. This individual is always on, always at the ready to serve, whether community, customer, friend or colleague. This individual is diligent in the practice of real estate; will try new ideas with gusto and courage; always chooses to see the positive and understands that to accomplish great things, we must act, dream, plan and believe. With a great attitude and passion to serve, this individual has “Keith Gilpin’s style”; is a strong finisher and is the living personification of the Keith Gilpin Spirit Award.
This year’s recipient is Karen Wagner.  http://www.creyourway.com/about/karen-wagner-e-pro

304G W. Country Place Drive, Tobyhanna

Tobyhanna house for sale ~ 304G W. Country Place Drive – NEW CONSTRUCTION! This 4 bedroom center-hall colonial provides a wealth of elegant upgrades – bamboo flooring, stainless steel appliances, brushed nickel Kohler fixtures, custom tile, private owner suite, handy second-floor laundry, plus ample storage. Wooded property adjoins a scenic greenbelt – all in a gated community with full amenities including public water & sewer! Call Karen Wagner 570-972-0112 and ask about MLS# 09-11176.

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734 Edgewood Road, Tobyhanna

Tobyhanna real estate ~ 734 Edgewood Road – Large Contemporary with nice floor plan. Large Living Room, Lower Level Family Room, Master Bedroom with Full Bath, Rear Deck, Shed with electric. Needs Heating System. Call Connie Foland 570-972-0140 and ask about MLS# 09-11159.

Teach the Children

As the holiday season approaches and the activity begins of baking cookies, shopping , trimming the tree I wonder do we teach our children the real meaning of the season. I found this story and wanted to share it with my friends and clients in the Pocono region, and my sales associate in Mt. Pocono, Stroudsburg as well as folks thought-out the world that happen to come upon our website. May the blessings of this season be many. Vickie Brockelman

Teach the children…
Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired but content, into my easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn’t help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn’t long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep.
I don’t know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn’t alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the “jolly old elf” of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed, and there were tears in his eyes.
“Santa, what’s wrong?” I asked, “Why are you crying?”
“It’s the children,” Santa replied sadly.
“But Santa, the children love you,” I said.
“Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them,” Santa said, “but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It’s not their fault. It’s just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children.”
“Teach them what?” I asked.
Santa’s kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. “Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent.”
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. “Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind’s thoughts should turn heavenward as well.”
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. “The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him.”
“Red,” said Santa, “is the first color of Christmas.” “He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God’s greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift.”
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. “Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep.”
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. “The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God’s son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ’s foot steps…to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God’s precious children, their light shining for all to see.”
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. “The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God’s promises. The candy cane is in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd’s crook, which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
“Teach these things to the children.”
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. “The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ’s love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children.”
I asked, “But where does that leave you, Santa?”
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa’s face. “Why bless you, my dear,” he laughed, “I’m only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I’ll ever be forgotten.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand.”
“That’s why I came,” said Santa. “You’re an adult. If you don’t teach the children these things, then who will?”
(Author Unknown)

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