Universal Funding Partners

We live in America, the land of choice. We can choose our elected officials. We can choose whether to use a small mom-and-pop shop or a big store like Walmart. What we haven't had here in Scranton is a choice of newspapers.

One person, one company, one organization could never fill all our needs in NEPA. There are too many of us and our population is diverse. Could you imagine having one grocery store in town? One hardware store? One news show on TV? There are people who are ademant about their news shows, whether it's 16, 22, or 28. There's no reason to not have that excitement about our city's newspapers.

When I first heard about it, I thought what some of you may be thinking. What's the big deal? The news is the news. You either read it or don't, no matter who wrote it. It's factual so there can't be much difference between two newspapers.

Ted Brunelle put me at ease. He explained that The Scranton Post will have a different viewpoint. They are going for a more local feel and staying away from content that you can see anywhere. The Associated Press releases stories for local news media to use. The Scranton Post is going to get a locally written article about this content so that we can share our views, not the views of a national news service.

They also encourage readers to submit your own stories and announcements. The tagline of The Post is "The People Of Scranton's Newspaper" and I believe that is what it will be based on my conversation with Ted.

You may want to pay special attention to a certain section of the paper. There seems to be a section with a Q&A about Mortgage and Credit Issues. Brilliant! It's about time someone answered the concerns that have affected people's lives so much lately. Oh, wait. That person is me! Ted and Barbara have been kind enough to allow me to lend my thoughts to their newspaper.

I think the Scranton Times is a good paper. I'm just glad that there will be another option in town. I, personally, will be reading both. I suggest everyone do this to give a new viewpoint a try. It promises not to be too political while offering plenty of local content.

And don't forget about the guy giving free mortgage and credit advice! Email me to see your question in the paper.

Here we go! Scranton is transforming.

I can still remember watching "The Implosion". A long row of businesses on Lackawanna Ave were blown up from the inside. My brother and I watched as the buildings folded into themselves and came crashing to the ground. In what felt like a moment, the Steamtown Mall was upon us. The transformation of Downtown Scranton was in full swing.

Here we are again. We're back on Lackawanna Ave, but this time there are no explosions. Just celebration for the ongoing renovation project. You can expect to see restaurants with inside and outside seating along the street. The area will be inviting for pedestrians that can stop for a bite during some shopping or after a movie.

Perhaps the more important aspect of the new buildings are the condominium units above. To turn the city around, we need to bring people Downtown. If they live here, they will work here, shop here, and eat here.

So let's toast the improvements here in Scranton. The accolades from national media, the medical school, the train line to NYC... these are all reasons to believe that Scranton is improving and will only become a more desirable place to live as time goes by.

The job of a Realtor can be quite difficult. There are many facts and figures you've got to keep at the top of mind at all times. A talented and successful Realtor is a person with an outward personality. Most of your day is spent talking to all kinds of people. You've got to relate to buyers, relate to sellers, and then be skilled enough to bounce between the two to create an agreement that satisfies everyone. A Realtor's day can be truly exhausting!

Relating to people isn't the only skill you need. A thorough knowledge of your market area is a must. You'll memorize, not only your own inventory of homes, but also the ever-changing inventory on the MLS for Scranton and all of NEPA. You'll need to keep Real Estate laws and regulations in your mind at all times. Clients will also expect you to stay on top of both national and local news regarding the Real Estate Industry.

There's one big piece of the Realtor puzzle missing here. It may be the MOST important piece not yet mentioned! You must constantly market your listings.

This may be done for you by your Broker to a limited degree. You may get some exposure on newspaper inserts and magazine ads. You may use your own ideas to market, like postcards or working your farm face-to-face. What many agents are missing in this mix is the use of Internet Marketing.

Your Broker may be taking care of you here as well. They may have a website with a link to the MLS or to the company's listings. They may even have pleasing virtual tours set up. Unfortunately, many Real Estate Brokers do not have just these simple things.

I have spent much time and energy trying to find ways to bring attention from internet users to NEPA Realtors. I believe I've found a winning method. No matter who you work for and what they do for you, your listings can ALWAYS use more exposure. I will market your listings online for free.

Well, they say that there's no such thing as a "free lunch", so I'll put a very small price on it. I will agree to market your listings online in multiple ways at no cost. I'm in the business of meeting Realtors and creating profitable relationships. Allow me at least 10 minutes of your time at your office to explain the system and to introduce myself.

That's it. Free marketing for any and all of your listings. Ten minutes of your time. Sound good? I'll be patiently awaiting your call or email. In the meantime you can check out our NEPA Mortgage website and feel free to read the rest of my blog.

Best of luck to everyone!

The Scranton Hill Section is one of the most incredible areas in the country. Or maybe that's my biased opinion.

Just take a walk! You'll stroll through a quaint college campus at the University of Scranton. Step off campus and you'll find a mix of new and older commercial buildings with small shops to enjoy.

Start climbing up the Hill and the first thing you'll notice is abandoned properties, empty lots, and multi-family homes that have seen the wear and tear from the abuse brought on by wild college parties. Not the kind of place you'd want your small kids growing up. But keep walking.

It's unbelievable, but in just minutes and before you break a sweat, you'll be gaping at huge mansions from the turn of the century! They are spectacularly maintained and are architectural marvels. The conglomeration of the old and the new, the beautiful and the ugly, the pristine and the scary is just surreal.

The Hill Section clearly has a way to go to clear it's bad name. Even though there are large sections with homes and neighborhoods you would dream about, the overall connotation of "The Hill" still sends a shiver down the spines of many people. If they could see past this, they would find beautiful neighborhoods, like the Upper Hill, east (and uphill) of Harrison Ave.

An article in The Scranton Times brought my attention to The Hill today. I'm glad that the city has made the restoration of The Hill Section a top priority. It was no surprise that Mayor Doherty's master plan centered around the revitalization of Nay Aug Park, situated at the very top of Scranton's Hill Section.

After reading the article you can see that there has been a concentrated effort to enhance the appearance of The Hill. For years, the District Attorney's office has been sending convicted criminals to clean up vacant lots that used to look like mini-landfills. I'm glad to see the effort and the commitment from the D.A.'s office.

Now if we can only figure out what to do about South Side and West Side while maintaining the other sections of the city, we'll be just fine. I'm looking forward to the renaissance of Scranton and NEPA (Northeast PA).

A combonation of news and rumors has been swirling around throughout NEPA in the last few days. It started with Hillary Clinton's visit to Scranton and her 30-minute speech at Scranton High School. She let it slip that she would be attending The Parade along with Gov Ed Rendell.

With the coming primary around the bend, PA has become a hotbed of political activity. Hillary already has solid ties to the area. Even during her husband's presidency, she would make trips to her father's home here in Scranton.

When news of her next visit hit the wire, the media began to wonder if others may be interested. Well, I'm sad to say that there will be no guarantee that a future president will be marching with the Irish in The Parade. Obama's campaign confirmed that they would be there only to back out citing a prior conflict. Hours later, McCain's camp declined the hypothetical invite in favor of visiting southeast PA.

It will be interesting to see how this affects the people of Scranton. Having Hillary in town twice within a week is exciting. It shows that she values the people here in NEPA. I'm sure the other presidential hopefulls will make it here eventually, but The Parade is one of the biggest events in NEPA. It means alot to have her here.