Took these video clips while on vacation last summer on Lake Michigan. It was one of our last days there, and a big storm was brewing. I had hoped for some excitement with thunder and lightning, but we ended up with lots of rain and some heavy wind.
At the beginning of the clip, you see a bunch of seagulls standing in formation on the beach, strongly facing the wind but not being blown away. They are hunkered down in the soft sand and are prepared to wait the storm out.
Other gulls (not pictured due to poor quality) were sitting in the waves, tossing up and down but not really going anywhere, either. They were not going to drown, nor were they going to get hurt...they were just gonna ride the waves until they settled down.
The star of my show, however, is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I named him, obviously, after the famous book (which, truth be told, I didn't care for, but hey...maybe I should read it again.) This bird reminded me of Jonathan - while the other birds were going to be safe, Jonathan pressed on.
Why? Where was he going? What was he going to do? Do you think he made it?
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
This is a great post (below) for home buyers, even though it was originally meant to encourage real estate agents to give listing agents feedback after viewing their listing.
This blog post demonstrates that "You won't know if you don't ask!" You may THINK that a seller won't go for the price you are prepared to pay, but you WON'T KNOW if you DON'T ASK.
I tell all my buyers the same thing: just ASK. So what if the sellers are insulted by your offer? This is a business transaction, and it's not like you will see them at holidays and so on...the WORST that can happen is they will say NO.
If I am working for both the buyer and seller, I still encourage the buyer to make the offer, and I present it to my sellers just like any other offer.
Anyway - it NEVER HURTS to ask. And agents - YES, PLEASE give that feedback! Some sellers are RELUCTANT to lower their price for fear that they'll get lowballed even more... but are DEFINITELY INTERESTED in NEGOTIATING.
Feedback on a showing appointment is important to everyone. This is one of the promises I make to my sellers when I list a home – I will do all that I can to get feedback and pass in on to you. I have seen posts from other Realtors who feel the same, puzzling on why agents don’t provide it – it’s a courtesy that goes with the territory. I am meticulous about giving feedback – knowing how important it is and thinking that I may achieve good “feedback karma” – what goes around comes around!
However, I found another excellent reason to give detailed feedback that surprised me and might encourage agents to not only provide the courtesy of feedback but it might just benefit your buyer. My buyer saw two homes she liked. One was a ranch with a door wall from the kitchen to a good-sized deck and a two-car garage. The other was a bungalow with a one-car garage and a small deck that was accessible through a door in one of the back bedrooms. There was a $20,000 difference is asking price. I filled out the request for feedback, complimenting the home and the features she liked but said my buyer was considering another home, as price was ultimately her deciding factor.
I made an appointment for a second showing on the one we were going to write an offer (lesser priced) when I received a call from the agent from the other home (higher priced). She thanked me for my excellent feedback and said her seller was very motivated. I told her this was a $20,000 difference in price and was very skeptical as there had not been many price reductions. She assured me that it might be worth my while to pursue this home. Long story short, we have an accepted offer on what was the higher priced home. If the agent had not called me as a result of my feedback, we would not have given it another look because price was her biggest motivator.
Royal Oak Michigan Realtor selling Oakland County Real Estate. TishHouse sells Houses – selling Real Estate Southeastern Michiganwith RE/MAX Showcase Homes in Birmingham, Michigan. Helping People in a challenging market by specializing in Short Sales. See what my clients have to sayabout my extraordinary customer service. Follow me on Twitter.
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
This beautiful, almost new lakefront home on Lake Westcolang was sold on January 15, 2010. Located in Fawn Lake Forest, it is only about 20 minutes from Lake Wallenpaupack. My colleague Libby Petch and I listed it for sale in October 2009, and it was under contract before Christmas!
The new owners were making plans on the day of settlement to take advantage of one of Fawn Lake's excellent amenities right away: they were going to take their grandchildren to the indoor pool! Fawn Lake Forest is one of the few homeowner associations in the area to offer an indoor pool.
Fawn Lake Forest is located approximately 10 miles or so from downtown Hawley and is in the Wallenpaupack School District.
It features a motorboat lake (Westcolang) where you can water-ski, jet-ski, swim, and fish. The dam replacement on the lake was completed late last year, and by spring we expect the water to be back at full level. While the lake level was lowered, Fawn Lake Forest took advantage of the opportunity to do some work on the beach area, making it better than ever.
In addition to Westcolang, Fawn Lake Forest has a non-motorboat lake, for which the community is named. It is perfect for quiet enjoyment without the hum of the water toys!
Fawn Lake Forest is located only about 5 minutes down the road from Ski Big Bear at Masthope, a beautiful ski area featuring a lovely lodge and several trails to please experienced skiers and beginners alike.
Other amenities at Fawn Lake include:
Indoor pool
Clubhouse
Picnic areas on both lakes
Tennis courts
Basketball court
Playground & Cove Oaks Park
New outdoor pool
Sandy beach on Westcolang
Central water
It just so happens that Libby and I have listed another home for sale in Fawn Lake Forest - this one is a lake view home, and is walking distance from the beach on Westcolang. Also walk to Cove Oaks Park and the beautiful new outdoor swimming pool. Priced to sell at 299,900, (click for listing info) this home has a ton of living space and plenty of room to store the toys (ATVs, jetskis, snowmobiles, etc.)
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
Way back in my early days in the 'Rain, I wrote a post called "Faux Staging." It was partly inspired by my love for playing with images, and partly because of my fixation with the HGTV show Hidden Potential. It turned out to be one of my first ever featured posts! I was so excited - I felt like Sally Field at the Oscars.
ANYWAY, the other day I was taking pictures of the master bedroom for the new listing I share with my colleague Libby Petch. Usually I spend the afternoon making sure everything is perfect before hand. This day, however, was fraught with deadlines, appointments, and errands, and I had to take a lot less time in getting the pictures.
This was the result.
In my initial haste, I did not notice the cap on the bedpost, nor did I notice one of the slats on the headboard was missing.
No problem! Spending about 10 minutes with the image in Paint Shop Pro (v. 9) gave me this result:
Now, I could have goen a step further and made the bed look neater - but my skill level isn't quite there yet. But wouldn't you agree this is an important improvement? The first picture looks shabby, this one looks much better.
I have also added flames to fireplaces with Paint Shop Pro:
Now, let me set the record straight - in no way am I advocating altering pictures to hide a fatal flaw with the property, such as covering a neighboring house with trees to make the home look more private than it is, erasing power lines, etc.
If the BED were going to be included in the sale of the property, I would not have "fixed" the missing slat. If the fireplace was inoperable, I would not have added flames to the picture. There is a difference between enhancing a photo to show a home in its best light, and being deliberately deceitful.
As professional REALTORS, we are required to be truthful in advertising, while at the same time, showcase our client's property in the best possible light. An interesting discussion about this can be found here. A buyer was extremely frustrated because he drove out of his way to see a particular listing because of the way it was presented in the picture. Unfortunately, when the buyer got there, he was surprised to find a neighborhing house practically on top of the home for sale! It was VERY different from the listing photo.
Many agents don't even bother to color correct or lighten dark/cold photos, or straighten crooked ones before uploading them to the MLS. As part of my obligation to my seller, I believe in making the photographs as attractive as possible. After all - photo appeal is the "curb appeal" of the Internet Real Estate community!
This does not take a special talent; it is a learned skill. I did not know how to do ANYTHING on a computer except type until about 10 years ago. Then I somehow got sucked in and became a web designer! Imagine that! A friend gave me a copy of Paint Shop Pro (Version 7) and taught me how to do basic graphic work. I found tutorials online and soon knew how to perform basic tasks.
In most cases, agents can have stunning photos if they just take a few minutes editing them in Picasa, a free photo editing program by Google. It is very user friendly and excellent for most basic tasks and even more artsy ones. The techniques described above, however, are beyond the scope of Picasa and require something more sophisitcated. I love Paint Shop Pro V. 9. I purchased it new off eBay relatively cheap, since it was an older version (the new version is not as good since PSP was swallowed up by Corel!).
Shhh! Don't tell my competition about my tricks!
Tomorrow, I'm going to write about some easy/inexpensive home staging tips I picked up from today's Realtor.org webinar. Stay tuned!
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
Part of the paperwork I provide my buyer clients when making an offer is a Buyer's Estimate of Closing Costs worksheet. This sheet is preliminary and is only an estimate, but I do my best to make it as accurate as possible so that there are no suprises at the settlement table.
There are a few items that raise eyebrows among buyers from out of state who have purchased property before (but not in Wayne or Pike County PA), and one of those items is the Real Estate Transfer Tax.
This transfer tax, charged on all real estate transactions, is 2% of the purchase price. In some states, such as New York, the seller pays this tax. However, in Pennsylvania, the buyer and the seller typically share this tax equally, unless negotiated otherwise with the seller.
In the case of bank foreclosures, it is not uncommon for the bank to require the buyer to pay the entire 2%.
This is normal and the way things are done in our area. It needs to be stressed over, and over - real estate is local. Each state has its own real estate procedure. Even within a state, various counties may do things a little differently.
It really is important for consumers to use local attorneys and real estate agents for their transactions to ensure a smooth sale. I would not dream of trying to facilitate a transaction in an area where I am unfamiliar with the standard practice of real estate.
I recently closed a transaction that took two weeks longer than normal because the buyers insisted on using their Pittsburgh attorney to handle their side of the transaction. This attorney even admitted to us that "It's really difficult being out of the loop - I don't know how you do things over there!"
Ya think? Personally, I think it would have been prudent for that attorney to refer her clients to a local attorney who could serve their needs more efficiently; they would have been in their new home two weeks sooner.
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
Yesterday at the office with my client, we noticed an ad for lakefront property in one of the real estate magazines. I can not remember the exact words, but it was something like this:
"Beautiful home situated on a natural, eutrophic, glacial mountain lake..."
My client said "I'm not sure but I think eutrophic means marshy, doesn't it?"
While I do consider my vocabulary to be pretty extensive, I did not really know what eutrophic meant. While I made a phone call to schedule an appointment for another property, our office administrator looked up the word to satisfy our curiosity:
Having waters rich in mineral and organic nutrients that promote a proliferation of plant life, especially algae, which reduces the dissolved oxygen content and often causes the extinction of other organisms. Used of a lake or pond.
My client said "Well, that doesn't really sound like a selling feature, does it?"
Uh, no. Here is a picture of a eutrophic pond:
Wanna jump in for a swim? Don't expect to catch any fish, cause they're dying off....
I really doubt that the listing agent meant to list eutrophic as a selling feature along with the words "beautiful" and "glacial mountain lake."
We wondered if it was an attempt at "truth in advertising" but I really doubt it...I don't think the lake is eutrophic at all....I suspect someone saw that word in a description of a lake and thought "Wow, I'll use that! What a great word! And I'll throw in glacial, and mountain, and the buyers won't be able to resist!"
Conversly, if the lake truly IS eutrophic, the ad writer may have seen it on a report about the lake...I still suspect he/she didn't understand what was being written.
Tip: Keep descriptions simple, and stick to words you actually understand.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons, courtesy of Fred Hsu.
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
I was able to preview a delightful local history book on Pike County PA courtesy of Arcadia Publishing. My husband and I really enjoyed the sneak peek - it's always fun to see stuff before others! I've seen SEVERAL of these books for sale in Borders - there are other Pennsylania local history books too. Lake Ariel is one that caught my eye!
This comprehensive Pike County book has a great selection of historical pictures and information about Pike County PA, my home! We've been looking through the pages and made a promise to each other to go visit Grey Towers, the home of Governor Pinchot, who was the father of the modern forestry movement. When I was in high school my choral group sang there for a Christmas special; hubby has never been there. Also mentioned are former schools, and some hot spots in Milford that are still open for business!
Pike County was written by local history expert Lori Strelecki, who has worked with the Columns Museum in Milford for nearly a decade. It is available for everyone to purchase, and the website promises that if your order is placed by December 22, it will arrive in time for Christmas.
From the Website: Formed in 1814, Pike County was originally comprised of the townships of Middle Smithfield, Delaware, Upper Smithfield, Lackawaxen, and Palmyra. As years passed, other townships were added and some of the names changed, and today Pike County consists of 13 townships and boroughs. Even before Pike County was formed, the stories of the people, land, and events wove an intricate tale. The early daredevils who rafted lumber to Trenton and Philadelphia, using the Delaware River as their byway, were a rough?and?tumble bunch. As time went on, these mavericks gave way to new ones and the stories of entrepreneurs, trendsetters, great men and women, and fascinating events were etched into the county’s history. Using vintage photographs from the Pike County Historical Society’s archives, Pike County chronicles the people and stories that make this area unique.
Author Bio: Lori Strelecki has spent the last nine years working for the Pike County Historical Society. A New Jersey native and veteran of working for historical sites, she has acclimated to Pennsylvania’s Pike County quite adeptly through her job as museum director for the society’s Columns Museum.
This would be a wonderful addition to the library of anyone who has roots in Pike County - whether Pike County is "home" or a "home away from home." Check it out now and get it in time for Christmas!
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
99.99999% percent of my blogs are real estate related. Not this one. Though it involves a location - my dad's property.
Dad died a couple years ago, and we made the difficult, bitter, and heartbreaking decision to sell the property; the way his will was written, we really had no choice.
I have cherished my photos of the land where I grew up. I borrowed my dear friend's photo scanner to start scanning my thousands of print photos to digital.
I came across this picture of my kids sitting on a railroad-tie bridge my dad built, leading to what we always cleverly called "The White Birch Road." This was an old township road that cut through my parent's property, long out of use, lined with my favorite trees - European White Birch. The birch trees are not visible, obviously...duh. Anyway, there's the pic.
I was starting to crop the picture to make the most "relevant" part of the picture show up when displayed in my new digital photo frame:
In doing so, I almost missed perhaps the most precious part of the picture.
If I could only paint, I would paint a picture similar to this image...my dad, walking toward his beloved pond....a friendly happy dog by his side....and maybe a few white birch trees just for character.
Thank God for pictures, and wonderful digital tools allowing me to have three beautiful and tender pictures from one.
We miss you and the good times by the pond Dad.
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
REMODELED, LIKE NEW Cottage Only A Few Hundred Feet from Lake Wallenpaupack!
This cottage has been recently remodeled - it is absolutely beautiful. Open house today from 2pm to 4pm. Can't make the open house? Never fear - call me for a private showing!
This is as close to Lake Wallenpaupack as you can get without paying half a million dollars for a lake front. Boatslips are nearby for rent. This home has a cute yard and is just as adorable as can be. The PRICE CAN NOT BE BEAT!
Located off 507 by Rt. 390.
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
I just wanted to share this picture with you today. I was out with my colleague Bea Poster and we were talking about how lovely the Lake Wallenpaupack area is, day or night. My husband's family came here years ago from the St. Louis area - there's just something about Northeast PA / Lake Wallenpaupack that makes you want to put down some kind of roots.
This is one of my favorite local pictures...I took it the other night as I was on my way home from the office....enjoy!
Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovativemarketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
Info on Tanglwood Lakes, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, The Hideout, Indian Rocks, Masthope, Fawn Lake, Tink Wig, and other communities in Pike & Wayne County.
Scroll & View Some Virtual Tours of Northeast PA Real Estate for Sale & Nearby Community Profile Tours
Please Note: Property Status and Prices Are Subject to Change. While every effort is made to ensure the information is up-to-date, it is possible that a price or property availability has changed since the original posting. Contact me directly to verify current property status.
Information contained on this site is deemed accurate but not guaranteed.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
This beautiful, almost new lakefront home on Lake Westcolang was sold on January 15, 2010. Located in 
Fawn Lake Forest is located approximately 10 miles or so from downtown Hawley and is in the 
It just so happens that Libby and I have listed another home for sale in Fawn Lake Forest - this one is a lake view home, and is walking distance from the beach on Westcolang. Also walk to Cove Oaks Park and the beautiful new outdoor swimming pool. Priced to sell at 299,900, (
so that there are no suprises at the settlement table.
Posted by 
From the Website: Formed in 1814, Pike County was originally comprised of the townships of Middle Smithfield, Delaware, Upper Smithfield, Lackawaxen, and Palmyra. As years passed, other townships were added and some of the names changed, and today Pike County consists of 13 townships and boroughs. Even before Pike County was formed, the stories of the people, land, and events wove an intricate tale. The early daredevils who rafted lumber to Trenton and Philadelphia, using the Delaware River as their byway, were a rough?and?tumble bunch. As time went on, these mavericks gave way to new ones and the stories of entrepreneurs, trendsetters, great men and women, and fascinating events were etched into the county’s history. Using vintage photographs from the Pike County Historical Society’s archives, Pike County chronicles the people and stories that make this area unique.
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