Sorry To Burst Your Bubble, But..., The Blunt Truth About Pocono Real Estate

I am honest, opinionated and like the adage goes: "The truth hurts", so when I got a lead from my website from a potential buyer today, I lost this person as a client but did not care one iota. Why?, because unfortunately in this information age people are thinking they know more about the real estate market than we as Realtors, do. Especially when they cite things like national statistics when we as Realtors®, know that all markets are local. So this "lead" goes on to describe everything he wants in a home and more (I am changing the name and e-mail to protect said party).

Name: John Doe

E-mail: john.doe@gmail.com

Phone:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:

(Notice no phone number to discuss the plethora of things he states)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOVE

Where are you moving?
City: Stroudsburg area
State: PA
Zip:

When do you anticipate purchasing your new home? No date set


INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOME YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

Type of home: Single Family
Approximately priced between: 10000 and 500000

Number of bedrooms: 3
Number of bathrooms: 3

Interior Features & Preferences:
Living Room: Yes
Family Room: Yes
Fireplace: Yes
Hardwood Floors:
Den / Study: Yes
Laundry Room: Yes
Other Important Interior Features:
We like high ceiling, open feeling to a home. We need a truly open floor plan.
House no older than 10 years. 21/2 baths. 3-4 bedrooms. Rear patio or deck.
Large country kitchen with modern appliances. Floors of tile, stone, hardwood,
etc.

Exterior Features & Preferences:
Swimming pool:
Spa:
Waterfront: Yes
Garage: Yes
Tile roof:
Fenced:
Other Important Exterior Features:
1/2 lot size minimum, but we want very little lawn. we like lakes and we like
wooded lots. We really are interested in only looking at homes that are well
kept inside and out. We will not overpay in a down market. We see that many
people in the area have not faced fact that their home value is much lower than
what they are asking.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Have you ever been pre-approved or pre-qualified for a mortgage? Yes

Do you have a down payment? Yes

Have you had a credit report done lately? No

Any other comments or questions:
You are NOT authorized to do any type of credit check. We will likely not have a
mortgage unless we decide it's best to take advantage of low rates. It would be
our choice. We will buy when we find the right situation which could in a month
or in 3 years. When the right situation presents itself, we will buy.

Whoops. Ok, the guy failed to realize several things. 1. Stroudsburg is a lovely area and it actually encompasses several townships and sections that also contain a Stroudsburg zip code including the Borough of Stroudsburg, Stroud Township, parts of Hamilton and Pocono Township, however it isn't the largest area in terms of homes with waterfront. Next, and this is the funniest line I have ever heard is: "We will not overpay in a down market. We see that many
people in the area have not faced fact that their home value is much lower than what they are asking." On what information could he possibly make this generalization on? Active listings? A Zillow "Z-estimate" which Zillow admits can be off as much as 30% in rural markets such as the Poconos? Certainly not closed data going back several years when home sales in the area were routinely fetching well in excess of $100 per above grade finished square foot while now it is more like $85 (give or take a few here or there) if you are talking strictly the Stroudsburg area (which pricewise has held up better than most Pocono areas due to its prime commuter location and town center attractions). So while I bluntly pointed how I in fact had a "bidding war" on a short sale with a client on a home in the South part of Stroudsburg back in December where my clients full price cash offer was the won that won out, and that each negotiation is particular to each seller, he obviously wanted to have a yes man blow smoke in his ear and possibly jerk an agent around for up to three years when the time to buy is actually right now (If he really had good information).

For the honest, straight talk you can depend on when it comes to Pocono real estate (feel free to talk to me about taxes, especially on new construction and HOA fees - I guarantee you won't find to many agents touching those subjects with a 10 ft. pole.), call me, Jason Feinman of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins and Associates at 570-242-0299. Find out why this type of honesty is why almost all of my clients (serious buyers who became my friends) have rated me a 5 star "Incredible Agent" on such unbiased websites as www.incredibleagents.com, www.thepoconos.com, www.zillow.com, and more. Here are just some of the things my clients have said about me:

5 stars- Highly likely to recommend

Bought a Single Family home in 2011 in East Stroudsburg, PA.

• Local knowledge: 5 stars
• Process expertise: 5 stars
• Responsiveness: 5 stars
• Negotiation skills: 5 stars

Summary: If you want a home buying experience that goes quickly, smoothly, and in your favor, we recommend using Jason! Thanks to him, we are now in our dream home and absolutely love it! We couldn't have been more satisfied with his informative and quick responses to any questions or concerns that we had during the process. He is extremely knowledgeable about the area and will lead you in the right direction!

Posted by HappyInOurHome on 06/04/2011

Excellent Realtor

Jason made my experience as a first time home buyer wonderful. One of the benefits of having Jason as a Realtor is that you can reach him 24/7. He is willing to take time out of his personal life to answer questions or meet with his clients. He definitely makes you feel like you're his only client. I'm happy to have chosen him and now have a beautiful home thanks to him.

This review has been confirmed by the reviewer

Overall Satisfaction 5 Stars
Neighborhood Knowledge 5 Stars
Courtesy 5 Stars
Communication Skills 5 Stars
Effectiveness of Realtor Website 5 Stars

We worked with two agents before Jason, and had to stop dealing with them. They just did not listen. Jason got us exactly what we wanted. He showed us seven properties and we were ready to make consecutive offers on four of them. Jason was very proactive in addressing all our concerns and helping us with all matters in regard to the transaction and the move. We would definitely deal with Jason again.

This review has been confirmed by the reviewer

Overall Satisfaction 5 Stars
Neighborhood Knowledge 5 Stars
Courtesy 5 Stars
Communication Skills 5 Stars
Effectiveness of Realtor Website 5 Stars

rated on: 03/23/2009 Jason made our dreams come true "I love my home thank the Lord. Jason listened to us and showed us the best homes and took care of everything. He made it so easy. We love Jason and we recommend him to anyone looking to buy a home. God bless you Jason." REVIEWER RATING: 5 Stars

Outstanding Customer Service

It was a pleasure working with Jason Feinman! Being that we are NY residents Jason was very informative and knowledgable with everything we needed to know. It was a smooth transaction from beginning to end. I would definately recommend him to family and friends.

This review has been confirmed by the reviewer Overall Satisfaction 5 Stars
Neighborhood Knowledge 5 Stars
Courtesy 5 Stars
Communication Skills 5 Stars
Effectiveness of Realtor Website 5 Stars

rated on: 01/26/2009 He is a Fine man! Pros: professional, courteous, hardworking "Jason lives up to his name. He is honest, hardworking, professional and more. Jason found is our dream home and saved us thousands. We are happy to recommend Jason to anyone buying or selling a home
Sincerely, J Russell" REVIEWER RATING: 5 Stars

rated on: 12/16/2008 More Than A Realtor Pros: Everything "Jason is an incredible agent and person. He not only helped us throughout the whole buying process, but he updated us every step of the way. He was prompt, professional and delivered incredible results. We got our dream home thanks to Jason and we consider him like family, so much so that we said he should change his last name to Byfield." REVIEWER RATING: 5 Stars

I look forward to helping you and being your trusted resource and friend in the Poconos!

Sincerely,

Jason Feinman