Pocono Blues Festival 2009 » Doc's Juke Joint
Pocono Blues Festival 2009. The spirits of Chicago Blues Legends were circling the Tent Stage at the 18th annual Pocono Blues Festival at the Big Boulder Ski Area in Lake Harmony, PA. Paul Oscher, former Muddy Water’s sideman, …. Harrison then sat down and broke out the slide on his guitar and also brought down the house with a great song accompanied by some old time spoon playing. After Harrison finished up his solo set he brought Fruteland Jackson back up and the …  read more…

PoconoMountainLakes.net » Blog Archive » Indian Mountain Lakes …
Indian Mountain Lakes – Gated and Private Pocono ‘Lake Community’. I was in Indian Mountain Lakes yesterday showing homes when I stumbled upon a great new listing. A small home (cabin) set up high with a very private driveway that winds …  read more…

Gorgeous 6 Bedroom Lake Front Home
There is also a gas grill and outdoor patio furniture sitting on the big upper deck rounds out the outside of the house for spring, summer and fall grilling and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Pocono’s and Lake Harmony. …  read more…

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The Best Thing You Can Do About Pocono Trip
Going for a vacation in the lap of nature can be of great help to get back some of the vitalities back to your life. It refreshes your mind and body and you feel like starting your days from the begin…  read more…

Best Budget Vacation Destinations
Who doesn’t love a great vacation? Unfortunately, vacations are as expensive as they are relaxing and fun. Statistics show that with the current economic crunch, fewer and fewer people are s…  read more…

Settle into a Camelback Vacation Rental
The kids have been begging to go on a ski vacation, but the thought of trekking all the way to the western United States makes you tired just thinking about it. You’d like to keep things simple, relax…  read more…

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Resolved Question: Poconos question: Can anyone recommend good lakes for swimming in the Pocono Mountains?
I’m not really interested in boating or fishing. Renting a cottage or small house on or near it is something I would like to consider also. Thanks!

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Resolved Question: What makes Pennslyvania so much better than all of California???
Hi,I’m here in PA.We have two feet of snow on the Ground & it’s Beautiful a thing.Here are so more reasons why we rock:Lake Rayston in Huntingdon, Pocono Speedway,Lake Eire,Pocono Moutains,Philadephia,Penn State,Lancaster Dutch Country & Horse & Buggies,Fishing Creek in Central Pa,Caverns,Dorney Park-Wildwater Kingdom In Allentown,Rocky was Filmed here,Ski Resorts,Affordable house(espescially in Central & Nothern Pa)Not that much Pollution,Wilderness,Super People,that small town feel all over Cenral & Nothern Pa,Eagles & the Steelers, Low Crime(accept 4 a few cities)I could go on & on.We are awesome!

  read more…

Resolved Question: What makes Pennslyvania so much better than all of California???
Hi,I’m here in PA.We have two feet of snow on the Ground & it’s Beautiful a thing.Here are so more reasons why we rock:Lake Rayston in Huntingdon, Pocono Speedway,Lake Eire,Pocono Moutains,Philadephia,Penn State,Lancaster Dutch Country & Horse & Buggies,Fishing Creek in Central Pa,Caverns,Dorney Park-Wildwater Kingdom In Allentown,Rocky was Filmed here,Ski Resorts,Affordable house(espescially in Central & Nothern Pa)Not that much Pollution,Wilderness,Super People,that small town feel all over Cenral & Nothern Pa,Eagles & the Steelers, Low Crime(accept 4 a few cities)I could go on & on.We are awesome!

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Once you have made your decision to buy a home and stop renting, you’ll need a strategy to get started on your search. The secret in searching for the perfect home lies in your ability to identify exactly what you want out of a home.

Many first time home buyers feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the homebuying process simply because there are too many decisions to make. How do you decide on the best location? What if the home isn’t in the best move-in condition? Can you afford to be so far away from work? Making sure you’ve asked yourself the right questions and creating a ‘wishlist’ for your ideal home will make the home buying process much easier, and also help you get over many of the challenges involved in finding that perfect home. Start creating your wishlist with the following essential questions and considerations in mind:

1. What are the amenities you are looking for? Ask yourself if you want a fireplace, swimming pool, a garden, etc. Create a basic criteria of amenities you would want in your home to narrow down your options. If a home doesn’t meet your amenities criteria, simply say no to it and move on to the next one.

2. Be specific about your location. Author Ilyce Glink of ‘100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask’ explains that location is one of the most important factors when considering different homes. You’ll need to think about where you will be located in relation to schools, places of worship, shopping venues and even your friends and family. Your final location will determine how much you may need to drive each day – and if it’s worth the extra effort.

3. The size of your home. Specify how much space your family needs and if you are expecting any additions to your family in the near future. Your needs will determine the size of the home that you will purchase. If your family is growing, you might want to purchase a bigger home to accommodate your family three to five years in the future.

4. Are you willing to invest in renovating or refurbishing the home? If the house is not in move-in condition, how much are you willing to spend on modifications, renovations and other maintenance costs? Setting some guidelines in this area can help you eliminate certain homes from your radar as you search.

5. Do you worry about security and safety? You might prioritize safety and security if you are living alone or with your children. Determine the things that you will need in order to feel secure in your home and neighborhood. Cross-out houses that do not meet your criteria.

By asking yourself specific questions about your preferences, goals and dreams, you’ll be able to narrow down the vast field of choices and find the home that truly meets your needs.

Technorati Tags: home buying, Real Estate, real estate - buying/selling, Real Estate investing, real estate investment, real estate investments, real estate-housing

When you have a property portfolio you want to market, you might be thinking of all the regular methods you can use to promote them. Have you thought about using the internet? Realtor internet marketing is one of the best ways to get more clients and to land more sales. This is because many people nowadays use the internet to find properties. Here are the top methods of internet marketing that you can use to start with.

Article Submissions: One of the best ways to promote your website and get more traffic, and therefore more potential buyers is to do article submissions. You will need to use the most appropriate keywords so that your article is flagged in the search engines. This will lead people to read your interesting article and then click on the link to visit your site if they are interested to hear what else you have to say or what you have to offer.

Forums and Blogs: Another way to get website followers is to post on blogs and forums. You can create your own blog, or you can post on general real estate blogs. You can also enter forums and discuss various real estate related things, while at the same time dropping in your website address or contact details. Just be careful to not get kicked off for too much advertising. Be there to help people as well.

Email Campaigns: Emails are very useful when you are a realtor. This form of marketing is very effective because you will be directly targeting people who are interested in real estate and who you know. They could be old clients, new clients, friends, family members and other people you have met. You can send them all an email brochure of any new properties you have and tell them to also send it to their contact list. You can reach a lot of people this way.

Link Exchanges: One way to get more people to see your website and to find out more about what you do and what you have, is to use link exchanges. These are programs that you join with other real estate companies and property related websites. You will place their link on your website and they will do the same for you. You can also place your links on business directories.

Free Classifieds: If you want to get a lot of people calling you about your properties you can use the online classifieds. These make your work a lot easier because tons of people visit these every day and look for properties. You will find that most of your contacts come from classified listings.

These are the top ways to start realtor internet marketing. It is easy to do and you also don’t have to be a genius at using the internet. You will start making more money sooner than you realize.

Technorati Tags: business, Internet, marketing, online marketing, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate internet marketing, realtor, social media, web 2.0

If you’ve fallen behind on your mortgage, you’re probably frantically looking for solutions. You may have heard of one strategy that’s unconventional in nature, but happens to have a nice potential payoff if successfully executed. The sell and rent back strategy (often deployed in Great Britian) allows you to sell your home, only to quickly turn around and rent it back.

Below, we’ll list the pros and cons of a strategy like this.

Many homeowners become emotionally attached to their residence, doing whatever they can to avoid leaving it. The sell and rent back strategy keeps this sense of home intact, as the buyer of your home will agree that upon buying your house, he’ll immediately rent it back to you. The terms will be pre-negotiated, all contingent on the sale of the home.

Additionally, the buyer of your home will be fully responsible for any existing debt that you may own on your mortgage. The bank that handles your mortgage will be responsible for working out a payment plan to satisfy any back pay owed on your mortgage, relieving you of what may be months of unpaid mortgage payments.

There are a few disadvantages to a sell and rent back strategy, but these generally pale in comparison to the benefits of one. First of all, you’ll now be responsible for paying your monthly rent to the new owner of your home.

However, you should realize that the sell and rent back scheme is going to necessarily mean that you will get less than market value for your home, as this quick sale instead provides you the benefits above.

Failure to do so will have the same ramifications on your credit that missing a mortgage payment did. You’ll also be signing a rental lease that eventually winds down, meaning that your time spent in your existing home may be limited.

As you can see, the sell and rent back strategy is one where the homeowner attempts to make the most of a situation gone bad. It’s certainly worth attempting to pull off if it can be done, as the relief is definitely greater than the damage.

Technorati Tags: banks, business, finance, home, loans, money, mortgages, personal, Real Estate

Real Estate Social Marketing has become the money-giving engine. At present, social marketing has become popularized due to its easiest way of sharing information with friends and others from all around the world. Thanks to social marketing that has joined its soft hands to real estate business. This outstanding service is not blossoming in the world give people opportunities to advertise their deals online.

Social marketing has become the most simple and easiest way to get in touch with peoples all around the globe. This smart tool has joined up with real estate and now assisting peoples to find their dream homes. This technology has brought remarkable changes and lots of benefits those are outstanding. This unique online marketing method is a way to assist the real estate business for property buying and selling.

Here you can chat with your customers and can share your views giving you real breakthrough, rather than emailing each of your customers. While seeking for a property it’s found that people are at risk, while choosing the best real estate company and their professional agents. Therefore people wants to be secure by keeping their deal secret. While selling and purchasing a home, selecting the best broker has become a painful job. As choosing the right broker can save lots of valuable time and cash and making the deal a happy and excellent experience. But with Real Estate Social Marketing you have nothing to worry about because all of the process is done online, from your home. Just by giving your free time.

Presently, online marketing like social marketing is playing a vital role to promote your business, products and services instantly. With Real Estate Social Marketing you can start up with a blog, wikis and other virtual world techniques. Walk to any cyber caf? or ask anyone about social marketing and all of them will say -we are already in it?. Look how effectively it is influencing people globally. Social marketing is now the know word and making people crazy about it. It has been found that above 110 million visitors are using social networking sites to promote something or the other and also for other personal means.

In Real Estate Social Marketing the basic thing that you need is creativity. You have to provide something useful information to the customer; this can put their attention to it. Let you and your viewers must get some benefit from your opportunity. If you have a real estate website and using Social marketing then its sure that you will get a huge amount of traffic.

Due to the vastness of social marketing, many industries are getting real marketing importance. That’s the whole reason for the inclination of real estate sector towards social marketing. This enticing method has brought real estate professionals to try social marketing in full force. Well, before starting real estate social marketing you need to know the intricate side of this online trend. If you know some basic rules concerned to real estate social marketing then the job for you will get easy. This technique will provide you real money, traffic and high ranking in search engines. People those are looking for home to buy or sell can visit your social networking site and can stay in touch with you. So, now it’s your turn to spread your wings to fly in the Real Estate Social marketing method and get huge benefits.

Technorati Tags: marketing for realtors, marketing realtor site web, Real Estate, real estate email marketing, real estate internet marketing, real estate marketing, realtor email marketing, realtor internet marketing, realtor marketing, realtor marketing products, realtors marketing

Have you noticed how anytime you walk in to a book store and find your way to the business or financial books all the views that are expressed in the titles are very similar??? In one way or another they all call out for a monetary version of bloodshed. I mean the titles are about “how you can crush the other guy”or “it’s not personal its business”, “How to come out on top” etc etc. Years ago when I got into the real estate investment game I spent hours looking thru the book titles. Trying to find the one book that would teach me how to become that REAL ESTATE INVESTING GOD I knew I could become. After reading many of the most popular books of the time I actually would feel beat up over the content. I mean did I have to be a “take no prisoners” type of investor? Did I have to prey on some one else’s misfortune?? The answer was no. However I did need to learn to take somethings to heart,and NEVER let go of them. I liken it to building my investment suit of armor so to say. So I set out to build a list of my investment rules. We each should have our own set of investment rules. It will help you keep the animal investor inside of you in check. In my case,being that I am a VERY competitive aggressive alpha male type personality I need rules that would keep me “Human”. My own set of personal laws that would keep me on the “non predatory” path. Doc’s Rules for investing:

1) Your personal guidelines: Define and follow some personal guidelines. This is the most important rule I have. These guidelines define the investments I will go after as well as the amount of investment I’m willing to part with to get it. It outlines my investment tactic as well as how I want to conduct my the business of this investment Things to include are: Top dollar amount and lowest dollar amount. Type of investment you want to deal with. Period of term for investment.. Etc etc. (Between you and me I even have a guideline about the amount of time I will work per-day)

2) Remember a family is behind the deal you’re working on. Simply put,whoever you are dealing with has mouths to feed. Just because you can get a great deal on a house because the current owner is in a facing some sort of adversity that is causing them to sell below market value, DOES NOT give you license to kick them when they are down. Treat everyone with dignity and respect. If the price they are offering still falls within the personal investing guidelines you have set for yourself ,don’t use your position to abuse the seller. If you?re getting the house for .40 cents on the dollar,don’t be a jerk and push for .20 cents. Always remember…it could be you in the sellers postion. (This rule DOES NOT come in to play when dealing with a bank owned property)

3) Always ask for what you want. Where does it say you can’t ask for something in an investment deal you like? I.E. if you’re looking at a piece of real estate, ask the seller if they would be willing to throw in new carpet to the sale. I knew a investor who was looking at a house that had been on the market for more than 6 months, when he went to talk to the seller he happen to see a 1954 Merc Coupe in the garage,so he asked if it was included in the deal. The deal eventually closed for the house AND the car. 4) Offer everyone the chance to make money as a bird dog for you. I always give several of my business cards to anyone I do business with and offer them a portion of any profit I make from any investments they help me locate. You would be amazed at how many people are willing to help you make money when they get a small part of it for doing very little work. (And if you follow rule #2 you will be amazed at how many of those bird dogs will sing your praises from the highest mountains)

The above is just some ideas of things to keep in mind when you’re working on your investment mindset. These rules have worked well for me over the years,and in more cases then not, have gotten me more return and repeat networking opportunities then I can count.

Technorati Tags: Investing, investor, money, Real Estate, Real Estate investing, real estate investments, retirement, retirment investments, wealth

More and more homeowners are deciding to rent their home instead of sell because of the current housing market. This trend is making it increasingly necessary to work with qualified and skillful property management services. In todays environment, homeowners are no longer just interested in a company that performs great upkeep, collection and vendor management, but rather are relying on their property manager to quickly find reputable and responsible tenants. Particularly with higher priced homes, this can be a real challenge.

I believe homeowners are more concerned with reputable and stable tenants because they are now often looking to rent their homes long term or with a lease to purchase option rather than short term or vacation rentals. The financial and emotional risk to a homeowner is greater when market conditions force them to rent instead of sell their home.

Any Homeowner or person considering renting a higher end home should look at the following criteria when choosing a property management company:

1. Licensing. Many property management companies in Colorado are not licensed with the Colorado Real Estate Commission, because its not required unless the company manages a certain number of properties. A licensed company must abide by the laws of the Commission and is legally accountable to both the homeowner and tenant. Without proper licensing, consumers can easily be subject to fraud and identity theft with no recourse.

2. Tenant Review. A critical component in the process is to pre-screen all potential tenants by conducting a thorough credit, rental, and criminal background check. While this extra step can take some time, it is worthwhile in the long run and substantially lowers the risk for the landlord.

3. Real Estate Experience. Experience matters in this housing market. Property management companies with real estate experience, in building, selling, and managing understand the needs of buyers and sellers and can efficiently navigate the landscape.

4. Cooperative Relationships in Community. Its important that the company has established positive relationships within the real estate community. Many for-sale properties are turning into rentals and a solid network of brokers means a bigger inventory of homes as well as real time insight into various neighborhoods and the market as a whole.

Our Denver Based property management company, Denver Rent a Home has focused on streamlining the tenant placement process and taking the hassle out of the hands of the homeowners. We have recently launched an online tenant pre-approval service, where prospective tenants can fill out simple forms to get pre-qualified for any of the available listings. We also run all applicants though a thorough confidential background check and spend a lot of time up-front getting to know our clients and their properties.

In short, be careful to choose your property management company carefully, whether you are a homeowner or prospective tenant. You should be wary of companies that dont have the proper licensing, qualification procedures and experience. While this may seem obvious, many people dont understand the licensing requirements or where they run risk in a rental situation. You should also ask to speak to current clients, so they can better understand the customer service experience and what to expect throughout the process.

A great property management company really wants to make sure they understand their clients and know the properties as if they were their own. They understand people are putting their trust in them to place great tenants in their home and they should take that very seriously.

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The tropical warm climate, friendly people who have the happiest quotient in the world, and pristine white beaches makes Merida a most sought after in Real Estate and the numbers are only growing.

Merida has approximately 1 million people and is a showcase where the cosmopolitan and the colonial city reside in harmony. It is the capital city of Yucatan in Mexico and is in the northwest area of the state. The Merida real estate market is currently experiencing a boom unlike the past years. With its tropical climate and sandy beaches, many investors now want to purchase some real estate in Merida. The Merida real estate market is not very expensive and one can buy a decent home to spend their vacations in or as an investment for retirement very easily.

Many feel that buying real estate in Merida at these particular times is the right time to invest in property. Also it is the right place to have a retirement home, as the cost of living in Merida is much less in comparison to the United States. Making it a retirement paradise. Merida real estate value is only growing rapidly and will soar in no time after the construction of some reputed real estate developments take place. People belonging to the middle class can easily afford to buy homes with swimming pools, personal service and gardens since the cost of living is not so high.

Merida real estate will help you choose on a house, before you sign on the dotted line to finalise on a house for yourself. The Merida Real Estate agents will help you decide which zone in Merida will suit your budget, as of now the North zone is in high demand and is seeing a lot of development. You can choose from a variety of options in real estate like, haciendas, houses, apartments, businesses, commercial places, ranches etc. Merida also has beaches in close proximity like progreso which is just 30 minutes away.

In Merida you will find a huge gamut of bungalows adorning the beachfronts and also on sale are colonial homes, palatial haciendas and mansions with a lot of history in it. Although a few of these exquisite homes have been neglected over the years, they have strong foundations and can be restored to its original glory with the choicest of interiors very quickly and within moderate expense. Merida Real Estate agents have contacts with several contractors and interior designers who can help you restore these beautiful houses to its former glory and the Merida Real Estate agents promise you that they will fit within your budget.

Tiles that are locally made like Pasta are very modern in design and are much more beautiful than any other floor furnishings. These local materials can be used to renovate or build your house with less expense, and it will still add on to the beauty of your home. Buyers who are looking for land can also find a list of available plots that are easily affordable to build their desired homes on, either now or at a later date. With the Merida real estate prices that are only going to soar, investing in Merida now is the best bet.

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As a good common rule, houses appreciate about four or 5 pct a year. Some years will be more, some less like the trend we are presently in. The figure will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and region to region.

Five percent may not seem like very much at first. Stocks (at times) appreciate much more, and you could easily increase over the same return with a very sound investment in treasury bills or bonds. But take a 2nd glance

Presumably, if you bought a $200,000 house, you did not give cash for the home. You got a mortgage, too. Suppose you put as much as twenty pct down ” that would be an investment of $40,000.

At an appreciation rate of 5 percent per annum, a 200k home would step-up in value 10k during the 1st year. That implies you earned 10k with an investment of 40k. Your annual “return on investment” would be a whopping twenty-five percent.

Of course, you are making mortgage payments and paying property taxes, along with a few of other costs. However, since the interest on your mortgage and your property taxes are both tax deductible, the government is essentially subsidizing your house purchase.

Your rate of return when buying a house is higher than most any other investment you could make in the long run.

For Instance, assume your initial loan balance is $150,000 with an interest rate of 8 percent. During the first yr you would pay $9969.27 in interest payments. If your 1st payment is January first, your taxable income would be almost 10k less ” due to the IRS interest rate tax write-off.

Property taxes are deductible, also. Whatever property taxes you pay in a passed year may also be subtracted from your complete income, depressing your tax responsibility.

When you rent a home to live, you can certainly expect your rent to step-up each yr ” or even more frequently. If you get a fixed rate mortgage when you purchase a home, you have the same periodic payment amount for 30 yrs. Even if you get an variable rate mortgage, your payment will stay within a particular range for the entire lifetime of the mortgage ” and interest rates are not as volatile now as they were in the late 1970s and early 80.

Some people are simply lousy at saving money, and a house is an automated savings account. You compile savings in 2 ways. Every Last calendar month, a percentage of your payment goes toward the principal. Admittedly, in the earlier years of the mortgage, this is not much. Over time, however, it accelerates.

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If you are thinking of adding candle lanterns to your outdoor landscape design you are not alone. Plenty of homeowners think exactly like you and for the same reasons. Candle lanterns are cheap and easy to install.

Candle lanterns can be found at many brick and mortar stores like hardware or home improvement stores. The downfall of shopping at one of these places is that you are at the mercy of the limited amount of inventory that exists. These places only have so much space to devote to any one item and so their stock is limited. Your best bet to find the right item for you is to search for and buy it online.

One thing you will need to make sure when you buy a candle lantern is to make sure the holder is sound. The candle holder is the portion of the lantern that supports the candle and allows the rest of the lantern to be constructed around it. The candle holders, and therefore the lanterns themselves, are typically constructed of metal.

Candle lanterns come in all different designs. These designs range from a rustic, old west type of lantern to one that resembles a lantern that may be used in Asia or the Middle East.

The rustic lantern is a fantastic way to mimic one of the travelers in the Old West who went across the continent in covered wagons. These types of metal lanterns can be hung as well as placed on a flat surface.

Pagoda lanterns are the perfect choice if you are planning an asian party or an asian design for your backyard. The pagoda lanterns are typically multisided with cutout panels that allow the light to shine through.

If you are looking to build out a middle eastern inspired backyard landscape, one type of lantern you might want to purchase is a Moroccan lantern. These are lanterns with metal bottoms and tops that are made of thick, colored glass that comprises the sides.

Whatever style you choose is entirely up to you and your preferences. With so many styles and designs to choose from, what are you waiting for?

Technorati Tags: Candle chandelier, candle lanterns, candles, landscape lighting, outdoor candle chandelier, Outdoor candle lanterns, outdoor lights, patio string lights, Real Estate, string lights, votive candle holders