March 18, 2010 - By Larry Olmsted Special for, USA TODAY
Twenty years ago, the Poconos vied with Niagara Falls as the USA’s honeymoon and tryst capital. Today, this mountainous region in northeastern Pennsylvania has traded indoor activities for outdoor recreation and now competes with New York’s Adirondacks and the Jersey Shore for vacationers and second-home owners.

The Poconos are vast, encompassing four counties and about 2,400 square miles. A four-season destination, it’s anchored in the winter by eight downhill ski areas, 14 cross-country centers and even two indoor water parks. From spring to fall, the options include 150 lakes, nearly 200 miles of rivers, 35 golf courses and the Delaware River.

“The majority of second-home owners and visitors are coming from an urban environment and seeking a more natural experience,” says Carl Wilgus, head of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. Increased flight service from Florida also attracts seasonal “snowbirds” in search of an escape from the summer heat.

“A number of resort areas with vacation real estate have developed around the ski areas and lakes,” Wilgus says. “In winter, we compete against other ski destinations, and in the summer, our lakes are an alternative to the Jersey Shore.”

Man-made Lake Wallenpaupack is geographically near the center but lies at the north end of the tourist sector. “North of the lake is more agricultural,” Wilgus says. “The second homes are at the lake and to the south.”

The Poconos’ second-home market is primarily free-standing houses rather than condos, “but the vast majority are in development communities with attached amenities and year-round activities,” says Thomas Wilkins, head of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates. “There are several pockets within the Poconos that appeal directly to second-home buyers, but there’s not much price difference between them. You can get a really nice vacation home for between $185,000 and $259,000. A crazy lakefront mansion can be had for under a million. We are definitely not the Hamptons.”

A look at three Poconos neighborhoods

• Southwestern Lakes: There are three popular lakes in this corner of the Poconos: Lake Harmony, Pocono Lake and Lake Naomi, convenient to I-80 and the turnpike from Philadelphia. Lake Harmony appeals mainly to buyers from Philadelphia; the other lakes farther east also attract New Yorkers. Three ski resorts, Jack Frost, Big Boulder and Camelback, are in the area. “There are resort communities on the lakes with homes from the $200,000s,” Wilkins says.

• Lake Wallenpaupack: The biggest single draw in the Poconos, this large lake sits near I-84 and attracts buyers from New York City and farther upstate. It is surrounded by residential communities in a wide range of price points, including Woodloch Pines, a golf and spa resort community with a hotel, The Lodge at Woodloch. Wilkins says Woodloch houses start at about half a million, though other Wallenpaupack communities are in line with other lakes in the region.

• Bushkill/Saw Creek: This area lies on the southwesternmost part of the Poconos, on the banks of the Delaware River and the New Jersey border, near the Shawnee Mountain ski area. “There are a lot of larger developments there, and its proximity appeals to buyers from New York and New Jersey,” Wilkins says. The town of Bushkill sits on the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. There is a varied second-home development at the Shawnee Mountain resort.

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By Thomas R Wilkins

February 05, 2010 For Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates 5 Part Blog Recruit Series

Stroudsburg–Text messaging, email, IPods, Facebook and being mobile as ever is a part of the new generation, the Millennial.  The Millennial are the young workers ranging in age between 21 to 29 years old.  They have the potential to create a lasting change in the real estate workplace because of the way they live, communicate and more importantly, the way they view their jobs.

Managing the Millennial as a Broker or manager can be challenging.  Millennials are more productive and work more efficiently than they were initially perceived by employers.  Because they differ from other agents in the workplace, they can sometimes stand out and be a bit “different”.  They may not be like those mature or “old dogs” you have in your office.

The Millennials are very goal oriented and ever critical of their own performance.  They are very interested in making their career in sales.  This generation’s performance is equal to or greater than that of other generations.  They are immediate in looking for a return of their labors and are not afraid to make that known.

Other general characteristics of the Millennial generation include them being very mobile, likely to live within 3 miles of the central business district and have a feeling of autonomy and independence rather than being part of a team.  They always want to win, are collaborative, confident and embrace diversity.  Don’t expect to see them at the water cooler, instead, expect them at your local Starbucks®.

As a Broker, it’s important to recognize the positive attributes of the Millennial generation and make sure that we prepare for them.  Appreciate that close to 100% of buyers start their search online so it’s important to have the tools readily available to the Millennial worker so that they can efficiently do their job online.  That means social media, a popular and tracked internet site, the proper tools to produce contracts, listing agreements and other documents online and other online marketing all become important in retaining that Millennial agent.

One thing is for certain, the Millennials are here to stay and will in fact become the New Face of Real Estate.  –  I say, “Welcome aboard!”

Thomas R. Wilkins is CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associate.  He has been actively involved in the real estate industry as a Broker for the past 22 years.  WARE has 5 offices and 107 Realtors®.  Their offices operate in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

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By: Lisa M Flory Assoc Broker

January 22, 2010

For Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates 5 Part Blog Recruit Series

Thanks to the current trend towards home shows on cable television like House Hunters, Property Virgins, etc., some people are questioning the opportunity of jumping into a real estate career. Have you ever wondered if part time real estate would be a good career for you? Depending on who you talk to, you will get a lot of opinions both for and against the idea. Some things to consider if you choose to go down the road towards a real estate career are the flexibility of your current job and hours. You will need both the time to attract prospects to work with and then availability to show them properties when their schedule permits. You will also need time to obtain the education involved for a real estate license and training to handle real estate transactions in order to be successful. Another thing to consider are the start up costs involved including the above mentioned licensing classes and testing, joining a local board of realtors and agency, and obtaining the job training necessary to be successful. If you are able to commit to these requirements, you will find that real estate itself is a fairly flexible career and allows you possibilities not met by a 9-5 job. As a second career, it can give you an income boost without having to commit to another time clock job and if you’re lucky enough to have a full time job that provides you with a successful prospect base, you will really benefit. The possibilities are endless for a committed realtor in any market place.

Lisa Flory is an Associate Broker and Sales Manager for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates. She has been a realtor for 10 years and has experience in both residential and new construction. For more information on Lisa Flory visit www.wilkins1.com.

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For Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates 5 Part Blog Recruit Series

Brodheadsville- Choosing a Real Estate Brokerage is the first and possibly the most important decision you can make when starting your real estate career. Unfortunately, most agents base their decision on commission splits without taking into consideration the most important contributions that a Brokerage can offer to a new agent’s career. Before making a decision on a Real Estate Brokerage you need to ask and receive an answer to the following questions.

Real Estate schools only prepare you to take and pass the real estate exam; they do not teach the skills needed to list and sell real estate. These skills are taught by the Real Estate Brokerage, which is why it is important to find out what kind of training you can expect to receive. You need to ask about structured training such as in office training classes, online training, mentoring programs and what kind of support you will receive from the sales manager on a daily basis. Without the proper training you will have difficulty getting and maintaining listings and buyers.  

As a new agent without a client database, the next question that needs to be addressed is lead generation. Ask the Broker how they obtain leads and how the leads are distributed to the agents. You also need to ask about the availability of floor time or opportunity time. A 70% commission split and no leads mean zero dollars.

Finally, when starting a real estate career there are expenses that are incurred before you close your first transaction. You need to know the cost of doing business as an agent for the Brokerage. Does the Brokerage have office fees, do you have to pay for signs, lockboxes, advertising, and supplies. As a new agent you want to minimize your out of pocket expenses.

When you interview with a Real Estate Brokerage you need to consider everything in order to make a decision that will help you launch your real estate career and make it successful.

 Patricia Blank Toombs is Vice President/Sales Manager at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates. She has 8 years fulltime experience in the residential real estate field and currently managers the West End Office and Vacation Rental Department. For more information on Blank Toombs visit www.wilkins1.com

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Presented by: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates           
Dominick J. Sacci, Vice President/General Manager            
Prepared on:   January 5, 2009        
     
The overall Property Value Picture by year…           
Average Selling Price in 2003 was     $138,739  2003       
Average Selling Price in 2004 was     $157,802  2004       
Average Selling Price in 2005 was     $179,231  2005       
Average Selling Price in 2006 was     $193,972  2006       
Average Selling Price in 2007 was     $197,057  2007       
Average Selling Price in 2008 was    $179,794  2008       
Average Selling Price in 2008 was    $156,372  2009    

The property value increase in years 2003, 2004, and 2005 was up approx. 14% each year.           
2006 was up 8%. 2007 was up 1.6%  2008 was down -8.8%  2009 was down 13%     
           
The average monthly sales prices for the last two years are as follows:           
Sep-06  $200,004 Jul-07  $218,353 May-08  $176,828 Mar-09  $155,121  
Oct-06  $199,697 Aug-07  $199,397 Jun-08  $197,288 Apr-09  $155,634  
Nov-06  $187,951 Sep-07  $200,457 Jul-08  $189,134 May-09  $158,422  
Dec-06  $192,015 Oct-07  $194,037 Aug-08  $174,646 Jun-09  $160,483  
Jan-07  $191,442 Nov-07  $192,835 Sep-08  $184,173 Jul-09  $157,454  
Feb-07  $188,559 Dec-07  $180,558 Oct-08  $174,482 Aug-09  $152,477  
Mar-07  $202,357 Jan-08  $182,259 Nov-08  $161,679 Sep-09  $158,479  
Apr-07  $190,742 Feb-08  $181,406 Dec-08  $169,470 Oct-09  $157,298  
May-07  $203,667 Mar-08  $178,903 Jan-09  $162,127 Nov-09  $154,624  
Jun-07  $202,287 Apr-08  $187,264 Feb-09  $142,571 Dec-09  $161,775  
                 
DAYS ON THE MARKET

           
We want to stress here that PMAR data is not historical when it applies to (DOM), what that means is while the average DOM’s are below, this           
does not take into account when a home is listed with broker A for 6 months and does not sell, then lists with Broker B and sells in 90 days. The real            
DOM would be 9 months. In theory you may be able to add 6 months to the following numbers, starting with 2006.           
   
2003 The average time on the market was 95 days.          
2004 The average time on the market was 87 days.          
2005 The average time on the market was 80 days.          
2006 The average time on the market was 84 days.          
2007 The average time on the market was  96 days.          
2008 The average time on the market was  110 days.          
2009 The average time on the market is  113 days.          

This report is run on a monthly basis and will be upated accordingly. The information contained in this report is taken from our MLS system and in house computer programs

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