Apple Fest in Orwigsburg--September 6 - 08/31/08 05:12 PM
September 6, 2008
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
St. John's United Church of Christ Apple Fest
St. John's United Church of Christ, E. Market Street Orwigsburg, PA will hold it's annual Apple Fest on Sept. 6, 2008 from 9 AM - 1 PM. Homemade apple desserts for sale/light lunch and schnitz and knepp served. Drawing for queen sized handmade quilt at 1 PM.
 
What is schnitz and knepp? This is a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe meaning 'Apples and Buttons', made with dried apples, ham and dumplings (the dumplings are the buttons).... sort of a 'sweet and sour' dish. We look forward … (0 comments)

Lake Wynonah Broker Open: Please Visit The Lake! - 08/28/08 11:40 AM
Please Join Us on Thursday, September 4 - starting at 4 pm
Lake Wynonah Broker Open Tour Showcasing 2 Lake Properties!
1. Start at a roomy, almost brand new ranch at 1593 Stag Drive - $269,000 MLS# R36057A

2. Then over to an exquisite Lakefront Dream Property 2615 Wynonah Drive - $995,000 MLS# R35768A
 
Afternoon Appetizers & Drinks Served + we'll be giving away Sheetz Gas Cards & a special door prize!
RSVP requested via email to enter your name in a special drawing.
Come for the food & drinks - the special prizes - and to preview … (1 comments)

Middle Class Losing Ground: Economic Snapshot - 08/27/08 01:24 PM
Here is a great article, for those of you who are interested in statistics and the economy. Recent polls show the average American thinks he is NOT better off now than in the past. This article enforces that train of thought. We're working harder, for less. If you click on the link below, you'll see a chart. Looks like our prime glory days for income were around 1999-2000.
 
Compared to 1990s, middle-class working families lose ground in the 2000s
by Jared Bernstein
The economy expanded over the 2000s, and working families were highly productive, as output per hour rose 18% … (7 comments)

August 31: Northern Schuylkill is the Place to Be! - 08/26/08 10:24 AM
  "Savor the Flavors of the World" in Shenandoah Sponsored by Downtown Shenandoah, Inc.
Enjoy the old world charm of Shenandoah while you savor food and music from around the world. Dine indoors or al fresco while listening to your favorite ethnic music. Have an entire meal at one of our featured restaurants or visit several for appetizers, entrees or dessert.
then move on over to “Cork, Fork, and Barrel” Sponsored by Girardville PRIDE. Come out and mingle with your friends and neighbors while enjoying live soothing smooth jazz and cocktail music. Kick back and enjoy beer, wines, cheeses, savory appetizers … (1 comments)

Nothing Says Fall Like MUMS! - 08/25/08 01:20 PM
Looking for MUMS this time of year? Check out two of my favorite places to buy plants/flowers in Schuylkill County:
Lessie's Garden & Gift Shop is operated by trained individuals who are either physically or mentally challenged. These individuals learn all types of planting skills through a greenhouse coordinator, supervisors, and program specialist. Lessie's Garden & Gift Shop offers a variety of plants and gift items. They have beautiful plants, and also sell balloon bouquets, snack baskets planters, seasonal items, seasonal flowers, dried arrangements and many other creative items.
2 Park Street, Agricultural Park, Pottsville, PA 17901
Hours: Monday - Friday … (1 comments)

Beware Fraudlent Phone Charges: OAN Services, Inc. - 08/24/08 02:15 PM
I got my August phone bill from Verizon (house land line) and there's a strange charge for OAN SERVICES, INC. on there for $5.49 + taxes = $7.57.
The phone call was made at 11 am, when nobody was at home. I checked my datebook to see if one of us was home.
I am fighting this charge with Verizon, but the only way to stop these "pay per call" charges is to put a BLOCK on your phone line against them. Otherwise, this can happen to anyone at any time.
And good luck arguing with the phone company. They say … (8 comments)

Old Housing/New Housing Stats in Pennsylvania - 08/21/08 03:18 PM
Pennsylvania has some of the nation’s oldest housing stock, but new estimates released today by the Census Bureau show that the state continues to add new houses, apartments and mobile homes.
According to the new estimates, the total number of Pennsylvania’s housing units grew to 5,477,864 in 2007, ranking the Commonwealth 5th among all states in number of housing units.
Read more about this recent release in the PaSDC’s Research Brief, available online at:
http://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/pasdc/data_and_information/briefs/RB082108.pdf.
 
With the current economic conditions, it'll be interesting to see what 2008 numbers are, compared to 2006 & 2007. Here in Schuylkill County, we saw … (3 comments)

Schuylkill Housing Statistics - 08/20/08 05:53 PM
I ran the numbers for January-July 2008, and compared the stats to 2007 for how our residential property sales are doing here in Schuylkill County. We're about 20% off in number of properties sold, to date.
A year ago, we averaged 100 transactions a month. So far, we're at 80/month in 2008.
Interestingly, in 2007 our average sale price was $94,000 and we've edged up over $100,000 this year.
So property sales are down, it's taking longer to sell this year, and the inventory is very high (we're listing 3 properties for every 1 we're selling). But values are holding steady, … (1 comments)

PA Wine Lovers Read This! - 08/19/08 07:58 AM
There's a great editorial this morning in Philly.com... it makes an excellent point. They're so worried about us getting out of state wine, and the state not getting their taxes... don't we have bigger worries to contend with out there? My glass of wine at the end of the day is frequently the best part of the day!
 
LET THEM DRINK WINE
PA. SHOULD BACK OFF GRAPE EXPECTATIONS
IN OUR SCARY world of housing foreclosures, killer fuel prices and a faltering economy, the issue of where Pennsylvania residents can buy their wine seems like cake-eating at the Bastille, but the … (6 comments)

Berks Electric Prices Set to Soar 35% - 08/18/08 07:58 AM
The high cost of energy is not just hitting us at the pump. See this article:
Consumers have about a year or two before the price of power in Berks starts to soar, and there's little relief in sight For years now Berks County consumers have been warned that caps on electricity rates will end in 2010. In 16 months, local utility bills are expected to skyrocket, and there appears to be little hope of a reprieve. PPL Electric Utilities Corp. prices will jump by about 35 percent on Dec. 31, 2009. Met-Ed customers are expected to see an increase of … (0 comments)

Do You Have a Passion for Gardening? - 08/18/08 07:54 AM
August 19, 2008
6:30 pm
South Schuylkill Garden Club Meeting
Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Dock Street, Schuylkill Haven

Guest speakers Herb and Ann Lee Schlegel, members of the South Schuylkill Garden Club, have been rescuing Monarch caterpillars for several years. The Monarch Butterfly has been diminishing in numbers mainly due to a devastating ice storm 3 years ago in California after they had migrated and were covering the rocks and trees in their gathering area. 80 % of the Monarch Butterflies were lost in the storm. They are also at risk due to the lack of Milkweed. The Schlegels are trying … (0 comments)

Clean & Green Implications from Gas Leases - 08/18/08 07:45 AM
This article today in the SCRANTON TIMES is eye opening for anyone who is enrolled in Clean & Green.Pennsylvania's Clean and Green program, also known as Act 319, gives a tax incentive for land owners to preserve plots of land, offering taxation on the "use value" of land instead of its market value.
 
For four years, Ken Ely has had his farm enrolled in a program called Clean and Green, which provides a discount on property taxes if land is kept from being developed. When he signed a lease with Cabot Oil and Gas Corp., he had not contemplated how … (2 comments)

When to leave your company? - 08/17/08 03:06 PM
Jim Collins, author of GOOD TO GREAT and BUILT TO LAST said this in BusinessWeek this week:
"If you produce exception al work, your ability for influence is very high. Most people, even in bureaucracies, are hard working, well-intentioned people trying to do good things. If you ever wake up and say the majority of people here aren't that, then for sure it's time to jump."
 
This is a great quote!
… (7 comments)

Schuylkill Women on Target Day - 08/16/08 07:08 AM
August 23, 2008
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
 The annual NRA sponsored women on Target Day will be held from 8 am - 3 pm, at the Friedensburg Fish and Game Club in Friedensburg. Registration begins in the club pavilion at 7:30 am The event is free and open to all women ages 18 and older. The activities include archery, canoeing, fishing pistol range, rifle, shotgun, and black powder. Female instructors teach many of the activities.
Registration is required and can be done by calling "Porcupine" Pat McKinney at 570-622-3742.
… (0 comments)

Schuylkill County Fireman's Convention 2008 - 08/16/08 07:06 AM
August 17, 2008
9:00 am
Schuylkill County Fireman Convention 2008
Memorial Service Hosted by the Liberty Fire Co. #4 Schuylkill Haven in conjunction with our 100th anniversary "100 Year of Liberty". Sunday August 17, Memorial service at Grace Evangelical Congregational Church For more information visit www.havenfire.org or email Convention2008@havenfire.org
 
Sunday August 17, 2008 - Memorial Service
Tuesday August 19, 2008 - Family Night @ Bubeck Park
Wednesday August 20, 2008 - Delegates Night
Thursday August 21, 2008 - Open House
Saturday August 23, 2008 - Firefighters Parade
… (0 comments)

Unique Marketing Idea: Hotdog Wagon! - 08/12/08 03:45 PM
A few years ago I co-listed lots in a development that was not selling well. There were a bunch of houses already built and the remainder of the lots just would NOT sell. They languished for years. We listed the whole development and tried to think of something unique that would gain excitement and get the neighbors involved.
We arranged for a coke/hot dog wagon and bought hot dogs, buns, the toppings, and sodas. Actually, I know the person who runs the coca-cola distributing plant here in town, so I had him drop off the coke wagon for me in a … (1 comments)

PA Offers Resources to Clean Up Leaking Underground Oil Tanks - 08/10/08 02:27 PM
Anyone who owns a leaking underground heating oil tank that holds up to 3,000 gallons can apply for financial assistance to help pay for corrective actions, the Department of Environmental Protection said today.
“Underground storage tanks that leak heating oil pose a threat to the environment and the public’s health,” said DEP Waste, Air and Radiation Management Deputy Secretary Thomas Fidler.
“Additionally, with heating oil prices having doubled in the past year, it’s important that tank owners take steps now to conserve fuel and their investment.” Fidler said DEP has streamlined the grant application process and has eliminated a requirement that … (0 comments)

Abandoned House Next Door? Help! - 08/09/08 08:45 AM
We have a buyer who is interested in a half-double (or twin) but the problem is that the adjoining property is abandoned. Has been unlived in a for a long time and is in really poor condition.
The buyer still wants the house. Any ideas on how this will affect her getting a mortgage? Will lenders have a problem with this?
We're already investigating to see who the owner is. Maybe should could buy the other side after she buys this one.
… (2 comments)

Help for Outdated 1960s Tile Bath - 08/09/08 07:40 AM
I have a house that is just sitting because of really outdated baths. They have carpet in them, so that's the first thing that needs to go. The entire bath--walls all around--are bright blue and burgundy tile. It's bad. The owner doesnt' want to gut it and put the money into redoing it. We lowered the price by $10k with no help.
Is there a special paint you can buy to cover tile? Any ideas?
… (2 comments)

PA Population Statistics: Sex/Race/Age/Hispanics - 08/08/08 11:07 AM
I'm a numbers/statistics freak. So I get updates from Penn State's Data Center on Pennsylvania's demographics/census info, broken down to a county level. I thought some of you might be interested in their latest report.
According to these estimates, the Hispanic population continues to grow in virtually all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, including Luzerne County, whose Hispanic population shot up by 20.5% between 2006 and 2007.
Hispanic or Latino Origin* There were 556,132 persons of Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity (Hispanic) in the commonwealth in 2007, representing 4.5 percent of Pennsylvania’s total population. Lehigh County, with a total Hispanic population of 50,884, … (1 comments)

Downtown Pottsville Shopping - 08/07/08 03:37 PM
Here are a few of my favorite Downtown Pottsville shops:
The Mad Potter (Mary Byrne's Pottery Studio/Shop)
Six South Centre Street, Pottsville, Pa. 17901 | 570.622.2940 STORE HOURS Tuesday 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Thursday 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
 
The Grateful Thread (weaving, gift & yarn shop)
The Grateful Thread specializes in unique, handcrafted products made from recycled materials. Choose from a wide variety of beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts and accessories, handbags, table runners, placemats, mug rugs, rugs, and exclusive apparel. Customers … (0 comments)

Real Estate Certification Classes at Penn State Schuylkill - 08/04/08 07:43 PM
If you know of anyone thinking of a career in real estate, they are offering the 2 courses you need to take in Pennsylvania at Penn State Schuylkill (Schuylkill Haven Campus), Sept/October 2008.
The classes are on Tuesday nights and Saturday morning those months.
Here is a link to the classes: click here for more information.
After you take these 2 classes (total of 8 weeks) then you can take the state exam and get your real estate salesperson license.
 
 
 
 
… (4 comments)

Great Pottsville Cruise Revs Up - 08/03/08 10:29 AM
The 15th Annual Great Pottsville Cruise is ready to roll this week! Starting August 6-10, it's 5 full days of fun in Pottsville! Featuring Celebrity Guest Dennis Gage Filming Speed Channel's "My Classic Car"
Also appearing Genevieve Chappell From ESPN2's "Bidding Wars" Dennis Gage, host of My Classic Car on TV's SPEED channel to film at the 15th annual Great Pottsville Cruise, Saturday and Sunday August 9th and 10th, 2008.
Come meet Dennis Gage Saturday, August 9th, at the Cruise-In to Jerry's Classic Cars & Collectibles Museum, S. Centre St., Pottsville from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cruise-In downtown Coney Island … (0 comments)

 
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Erica Ramus - SchuylkillRealEstate.com - Schuylkill County PA Real Estate

Pottsville, PA

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Erica Ramus - Ramus Realty Group - Pottsville, PA

Address: 300 Mauch Chunk St. Suite A, Pottsville, PA, 17901

Office Phone: (570) 622-6006 x 301

Cell Phone: (570) 449-2131

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