I was looking through our Pocono Mountains MLS system and taking notes on some numbers that are sticking out at me. Although the number of CLOSED residential sales in Monroe County has decreased from December 2008 to January 2009, the average sold price of these transactions has INCREASED almost $10,000. Additionally, the average days on market from December 2008 to January 2009 decreased from 122 to 103. This means that homes are beginning to sell quicker! If you are looking in the Pocono Mountains area for a home, my suggestion is not to wait any longer before making your decision...the home you are "waiting" for may very well be sold by the time you decide to jump on it!
CNNMoney.com reported on Tuesday that the number of home sales contracts signed increased in December 2008. This number rose 6.3% after dropping 4% in November 2008. This means that the decreasing home prices and the low mortgage rates are luring buyers back to the market! Though this is a national average, it also affects the Pocono Mountain region as well! Though the market is not nearly what it was 2-3 years ago, certainly things appear to be turning around. If you are looking to buy or sell in the Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg, Delaware Water Gap or anywhere in the Monroe or Northampton County area, please give me a call!
I was reading a story in the Pocono Record this morning about foreclosures in Monroe County. It is a terrible thing that so many people across the country, not just in the Poconos, are losing their homes and having a foreclosure on their credit report. We recently had a home listed for a person who could no longer afford to make the mortgage payments on the home. We worked closely with the bank when we received an offer on the property. It hadn't yet gone into foreclosure, so it was a short sale. With a lot of hard work, we were able to successfully close on this property, preventing a foreclosure on this person's credit report. It was a great feeling to have helped even one person in this terrible time. If you have any questions about foreclosure homes or short sales, please feel free to call me! Or if you're looking for a list of bank owned homes in the Pocono Mountain area, call me or drop me an email!
So, the other night I decided to head to one of our local restaurants in Marshalls Creek, Alaska Pete's, for some dinner. An easy drive on Route 209 from exit 309 off Route 80, it's a great steakhouse and seafood restaurant. The atmosphere is very inviting, and the nice warm fire took the chill out of the air, since it was a breezy 10 degrees in the Poconos that night!! I enjoyed a delicious NY Strip Steak, perfectly prepared, and all the meals come with the salad bar. On the other side of the restaurant is the Moondog Saloon, which is a great place to relax and enjoy a cocktail. They even have a nice selection of Alaska Pete's souveniers...pick something up on your way out! Check out their website for menu and souvenier selections, and read a little history while you're visiting too! http://www.alaskapetes.com/new/index.html I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Freddie Mac's weekly survey states that the fixed-rate home mortgages started to slide up last week. Last week's average was 4.96%, versus the week ending Thursday at 5.12%. Additionally, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.80% this week, up from 4.65% last week. Since these are national averages, they are applicable to our area here in the Pocono Mountains. Those of you waiting to see if the mortgage rates were going to go even lower, they are starting to trend upward. So don't miss out on an opportunity to purchase a home in Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg, Delaware Water Gap, or anywhere here in our beautiful Pocono Mountain area!
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Bob Kelly offers all Professional Real Estate Services in the Monroe and Northampton Counties of Pennsylvania. Bob is a Corporate Relo Specialist & Member of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
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