Mr. & Mrs. Buyer, I am very pleased that you have picked my client's home out of all the other choices available in the county. It truly is a nice piece of property.

However, after speaking with my seller, they've asked me to tell you that we just can't accept an offer that is more than $100,000 below asking price. Just can't do it...this home is not listed at a grossly inflated price. The sellers are certainly willing to negotiate, but not like this.

I know the market is not the best right now, the economy is, well...it is what it is. But my clients aren't that desperate.

They do want to sell, but not at any cost.

The housing market here in Wayne and Pike County is considerably slower than it was last year - all of the real estate offices have seen their sales volume go down. Some buyers see this as an opportunity to "lowball."

But, there are lowball offerss, and there are lowball offers. Trying to get a good price is one thing...

Sellers ARE willing to negotiate. Many sellers may be more flexible now than they were in the past. But that doesn't mean that buyers should expect to get homes for pennies on the dollar.

Here are a few tips for buyers:

• Research the market before making an offer. Ask your agent for recent sold comparables to help guage the value of the home you are going to buy against other recently sold properties.
• Check the tax records and look for the sale history. Chances are, unless there is a serious defect in the home, the seller probably isn't going to sell his home for less than he paid for it. Of course there is always that possibility, but except for special circumstances, this is unlikely.
• Only look at houses you can seriously afford to buy. Don't get your heart set on something that is waaaay out of your price range, with the hopes of making the deal of the century. If you only have $150,000 to spend, then don't look at homes that are nearly twice that price.

I belong to a message board for real estate agents. Occasionaly, new users sign up and ask for "new" marketing ideas. With the real estate market being as slow as it is, I can understand that.

First thing I suggested was to re-evaluate the price and make sure it matches the market. If the price is lowered then it could automatically alert those who have been looking for a home in a lower price range.

I offered some feedback on this person's website (i.e., I couldn't find any listings without having to register.)

She did remove the registration requirement but then said "I really wanted some different ideas besides the website, MLS, brochures, etc."

But buyers are looking online...more than 80% of buyers are conducting their home search online. Shouldn't that be our main focus?

I revisited her website to see her listings. Hmm.

• Most of her listings had five pictures or less
• Some of the pictures were very small
• Most pictures were poorly exposed

My opinion: rather than look for new gimmicks to market your listing, why not go back to basics and take better pictures?

Buyers have told me, time and time again, that if they don't like the pictures online, they are going to ignore the listing.

Buyers who bought homes I had listed for sale told me that the pictures were what sold them, before they even saw the house in person.

This Wallenpaupack Lake Estates home on the right is a perfect example. It sat on the market for 18 months when the seller contacted me and asked me to list it.

The two previous agents had taken a few uninspiring pictures of this unique contemporary home...one listing had six pictures; the other had seven pictures and a tax map.

There was nothing in the listing or the pictures to say to buyers "I'm unique, I'm interesting...buy me!"

In a community dominated by chalet homes and typical raised ranches, this home stood out and was unusual. But the pictures didn't show that at all.

My marketing plan for this house included more than 20 pictures, showing different angles from outside as well as two or three photos per room.

The buyers told me "We fell in love with the pictures you took of this house. We were calling it 'our house' before we even made an appointment to see it. When we visited the house, it was just as we expected."

Folks, the pictures are the most important part of your listing next to price*. Especially when the market is oversaturated with homes for sale - your home needs to stand out from the crowd in many ways.

*Nothing will sell an overpriced listing - even if Ansel Adams did the photography.

Yes, Virginia... There Are Cheap Houses in Pike & Wayne County PA....

BUT.... "How much work does it need?" That's one of the first questions asked when considering cheap homes for sale. Some are surprised at the home prices - even for fixer-uppers- in the Lake Wallenpaupack region of Pike and Wayne County.

Why home values are the way they are:

• Pike County is the fastest growing county in the Northeast U.S. (not just PA.) Supply & demand at work.
• Lake Wallenpaupack is a major attraction & is the largest powerboat lake in Northeast PA. It is the 3rd largest man made lake in the state (maybe the 2nd largest - more about the controversy here.)
• The Poconos offers year round recreation.
• Something for everyone: golfing, skiing, boating, hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, museums, great restaurants, waterfront homes, rivers, lakes, woods, waterfalls...you get the idea.
• Close to major metro areas; convenient location for commuters.
• Lower real estate taxes than New York & New Jersey.
• Good school districts (list of schools.)

In a nutshell, there's a lot to love. Even though we're in the mountains and many areas are rural, you'll find the expected modern conveniences: indoor plumbing, electricity (okay, ignore my sarcasm! ) High speed internet and cable TV is available in most areas. Ample health care and shopping is within a 20 to 45 minute radius of Lake Wallenpaupack.

Folks looking for a 2nd home in Pike or Wayne County don't want to spend "too much." They want something "cheap." Doesn't everyone?

"Cheap" is subjective; what's cheap to you may not be cheap to someone else. I define a cheap home as "low priced compared to similar or neighboring homes."

"How much work does it need?" is also quite subjective. To some, "a little fixing up" means applying a fresh coat of paint. To others, it means new carpets, new fixtures, and replacing paneling with drywall.

Everyone has a different perspective.

My husband and I bought a doozy of a fixer-upper 13 years ago, for one reason and one reason only: it was the cheapest home available in an area we wanted.

It had a working roof, furnace, and bathroom. The windows kept out drafts and let in the sun. The house was cheap.

We looked beyond the ugly burnt orange carpeting. The house was cheap.

We looked beyond the hideous purple & black 1950's bathroom tiles. The house was cheap.

We ignored the paneled walls and ceilings. The house was cheap. You may have to decide what you want vs. what you need. Everyone wants a cheap house - but homes are priced according to market value.

Homes that need work are priced at the lower end of the market; those needing less work are priced higher. Typically, the lower the price, the more work is needed.

Either you want a cheap home, or you want a home that doesn't need much work. It's rare to get both in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, watching HGTV for insights into real estate is like reading Harlequin romances for insights into love & marriage. The two have very little connection to the real world.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Paupack Group Independently Owned and Operated

Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania's most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.

Pike and Wayne County PA - Cheap Houses © 2008 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved. Originally published by the author on PikeWaynePABlog.com - "Needs vs. Wants & Pike and Wayne County Cheap Houses"

I just finished creating this real estate show for this Saturday's "Fall Festival" of Open Houses at Wallenpaupack Lake Estates.

Stop by and see us (12-4pm) - we've got some new listings since our July Open House Extravaganza. I'll be the host at 5 Beaver Lake Drive - a brand new, lakeview chalet!

Here's a map in case you don't know how to get to WLE - someone will meet you at the West Gate (corner of Lakeland Dr. and Goose Pond Road) to give you directions and a map. Hope to see you there!

Is Lake Wallenpaupack the largest man made lake in PA?

In a word, no, even though you may see it stated as such on local Wallenpaupack real estate websites. Some sites say it's the 2nd largest man made lake in PA, but it's not quite that either.

Lake Wallenpaupack is the 3rd largest man made lake in PA...unless you disqualify the largest lake due to the fact that part of it is shared by Ohio.

Here are some facts:

Pymatuning Reservoir claims to be the largest lake, period, in the Commonwealth of PA...but part of it is also in Ohio.

Constructed in the 1930s (a CCC Project) is 17,088 acres in size. Pymatuning seems to have the market cornered on "the most" - it is the largest State Park in PA, has the most campsites in the PA state camping system, and hosts more visitors than any other state park in PA.

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Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County claims to be the largest man-made lake that is entirely within the Commonwealth. It is 28 snake-like miles long and is made up of 8,300 acres.

It was created in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the US Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control project.

Like Lake Wallenpaupack, Raystown Lake has part of a village beneath its depths. Maximum depth is about 200 feet.

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Lake Wallenpaupack is 5,700 acres, 13 miles long, and has a maximum depth of about 60 feet. As you probably know, PPL (Pennsylvania Power and Light) owns the lake.

The lake was created in the late 1920s into the 1930s as a hydroelectric project. The lake still generates electricity during high energy demand times.

So, Lake Wallenpaupack is not the largest man made lake in PA, and unless you really want to argue details about borders, it's not even the 2nd largest lake in PA.

Oh well...Lake Wallenpaupack can still be the BEST even if it's not the BIGGEST, right? It is the largest lake in northeast PA, and the nicest powerboat lake around.

I'm sure there's a dock with your name on it - call me to claim it today!

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Paupack Group Independently Owned and Operated

Lake Wallenpaupack: Largest Lake in PA??, © 2008 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved. Originally published by the author on PikeWaynePABlog.com

Lake Wallenpaupack