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Why the Poconos, less than two hours from NYC, offers the best house values


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1st Photo of the Delaware (River) Water Gap.

 

 

 

 

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2nd photo typical home in the Poconos.

 

 

 

 

 

"The most shocking thing about the Poconos isn’t that they are 71 miles from New York or that the schools are good or that the area is a natural wonderland minutes from quaint towns and thriving cultural communities. It’s the price of buying a new-construction home.

Starting at around $175,000, three-bedroom houses on ¾-acre lots with two-car garages have pretty walkways and big backyards. The walk-in closets are as large as a child’s bedroom in Manhattan, and master bedrooms are bigger than studio apartments costing more than $500,000 in Murray Hill.

The neighborhoods vary. Some are set in the woods, surrounded by parks and nature preserves, old barns, creeks and historic mills. Others are in neighborhoods pioneered by newcomers from the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens looking for an easier life outside of New York City.

 

The cost of entry for buying a new home is most attractive. LTS Builders, Classic Quality Homes, Delta and RGB offer new homes with as little as 3.5% down, meaning a new four-bedroom, 2½-bath home can be had for $7,000 down. In some cases, closing costs are thrown in, and rebates of as much as $5,000 are possible.

“People just don’t understand how much good stuff we have out here,” says Lawry Simon, CEO of LTS Builders, a prominent Poconos home builder for more than 35 years. “They don’t think we have cell service or even dentists. Everything you want you can find here, and most of the time there isn’t any traffic and it’s 10 minutes away. When you buy in the Poconos, you’re buying more than a house, you’re getting a lifestyle package.”

 

Simon grew up here. A naturalist who hikes, mountain bikes and skis when he can, Simon takes his Australian shepherd, Zander, for walks on the Appalachian Trail, which knifes throughout the Poconos. Camelback, the area’s largest ski resort, is 10 minutes from most of the homes his company builds. From his desk, he looks out on a creek where wild turkey roam and friendly black bears take drinks."

 

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/homeowner-haven-poconos-hours-city-offers-best-house-northeast-article-1.1080091#ixzz1vEZep5O8

 

 

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/homeowner-haven-poconos-hours-city-offers-best-house-northeast-article-1.1080091#ixzz1vEZIm440

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While the landscape of the Poconos is beautiful, the biggest downfall is there no rapid transit/regional rail to/from NYC. There a regional bus operated by Martz based in the area but they are at the mercy of Interstate 80.

http://www.martztrailways.com/

 

 

 

As most of you know, I-80 which weekdays and sometimes on weekends(especially Sunday Evenings during the summer and a long holiday weekend Manhattan-Bound)is often a PARKING LOT.

Many in the Poconos also drive to say Dover, NJ to use NJT Midtown Direct line to get to NY Penn Station. I know some people who done the travel between work in NYC and live in the Poconos and it's not easy.

 

I would rather move to say Bucks County, Pa. or Burlington/Camden Counties, NJ where there at least access to mass transit i.e NJ Transit or SEPTA. Or being in my neck of the woods in Ducthess County, NY.

 

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As the saying goes.... Nice place to visit, but wouldn't wanna live there....

 

 

"When you buy in the Poconos, you’re buying more than a house, you’re getting a lifestyle package.”

....and field mice, and raccoons, and skunks, and bears.....

 

The neighborhoods vary. Some are set in the woods, surrounded by parks and nature preserves, old barns, creeks and historic mills.

nuff said.....

 

for 175K starting, you can have that house.

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oh boy...good luck in Camden lol I have a relative that purchased one of those homes she currently rents it out tho.

 

 

Blaze if i wanted the 'hood' experience i can just move down the road from where i currently live to Newburgh, NY lol. No i never meant the City of Camden to buy a house. I meant the other towns in Camden County i.e Moorestown, Cherry Hill, etc in South NJ which offer nice suburan homes with better public transit access and same distance to/from NYC as the Poconos. Both of my brothers live in the area.

 

FYI. I hear of problems with crime in towns like Stroudsburg the main town in the Poconos as well.

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Bro(B35) do you know anyone i.e family members or friends/former neighbors that live out there? I agree it's nice area if you could afford it for 2nd (weekend)home but not to travel between NYC and the Poconos 5 days a week.

 

My best friend's oldest sister married this guy that lives somewhere near the poconos (don't remember what city exactly)...

Everyone in my best friend's family resented the husband for moving her up in the middle of nowhere.....

 

Anyway, see how they mislead you (in the article, I mean).... talking about 71 miles away from New York... what's the point in listing that if public transportation options to/from NYC sucks.... and you're absolutely right about I-80, every single time I've had to take that hwy, it was an absolute mess.....

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While the landscape of the Poconos is beautiful, the biggest downfall is there no rapid transit/regional rail to/from NYC. There a regional bus operated by Martz based in the area but they are at the mercy of Interstate 80.

http://www.martztrailways.com/

 

 

And that's why prices are so low there. As the saying goes, if something's cheap, it's cheap for a reason. Whether it's the size of the home, or (real or perceived) crime in the area, lack of transportation options, bad schools, etc.

 

If you extend a rail line out to the Poconos, you can say good bye to those low prices. Would they still be cheaper than most places? Yes, but you're not going to be able to get a home for the prices mentioned in the article.

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And that's why prices are so low there. As the saying goes, if something's cheap, it's cheap for a reason. Whether it's the size of the home, or (real or perceived) crime in the area, lack of transportation options, bad schools, etc.

 

If you extend a rail line out to the Poconos, you can say good bye to those low prices. Would they still be cheaper than most places? Yes, but you're not going to be able to get a home for the prices mentioned in the article.

 

 

Very true. Traffic is so bad on Interstate 80 that sometimes even though it's out of the way, you better off taking either I-78 or I-84 and then local road backtracking to the poconos.

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I never understood the whole "second house thing." For me it's been an apartment my whole life, but if I ever wanted a house, you can get that kinda thing just off Church Av in Flatbush from what I've seen. Then you're in NYC and you have a full-sized house.

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I never understood the whole "second house thing." For me it's been an apartment my whole life, but if I ever wanted a house, you can get that kinda thing just off Church Av in Flatbush from what I've seen. Then you're in NYC and you have a full-sized house.

 

 

 

MHV that the point. Even in Flatbush and East Flatbush(no offense to B35 or those that live there)the prices for nice brownstone homes is close to $500 Grand. While as the article says a nice 2-3 bedroom home in the Poconos is only as little $150-$175k. The prices for homes in most of NYC is now out of reach for most families or buyers.

Thus there a reason NYPD and FDNY officers, many (MTA) employees, etc. make the ride from work and their owned homes in the Hudson River Valley, Central/South NJ and the Poconos.

 

Personally as i stated before i want to buy love to buy and own a condo (If i am still in metro NYC area in few years)in places such as Hoboken, Nyack, New Paltz or if i am rich in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

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Thus there a reason NYPD and FDNY officers, many (MTA) employees, etc. make the ride from work and their owned homes in the Hudson River Valley, Central/South NJ and the Poconos.

 

 

Not only are the homes and taxes cheaper, but they don't have to deal with city savagery. It's a win-win.

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MHV that the point. Even in Flatbush and East Flatbush(no offense to B35 or those that live there)the prices for nice brownstone homes is close to $500 Grand. While as the article says a nice 2-3 bedroom home in the Poconos is only as little $150-$175k. The prices for homes in most of NYC is now out of reach for most families or buyers.

Thus there a reason NYPD and FDNY officers, many (MTA) employees, etc. make the ride from work and their owned homes in the Hudson River Valley, Central/South NJ and the Poconos.

 

Personally as i stated before i want to buy love to buy and own a condo (If i am still in metro NYC area in few years)in places such as Hoboken, Nyack, New Paltz or if i am rich in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

 

 

Jesus is it really up to that much? Shows you out of date I am, I was thinking those places were cheap! Yeah that's a ton of money...but then all of the city is going through the roof (no pun intended), my apartment today I could never, ever live in if I tried to move in now. Dunno though, I've always preferred to apartments to houses but that's just me.

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Many people can't afford to live in the city and the five boroughs anymore. There are many people starting to move and leave. I know people that have already fled to Florida and California. My brother knows people that have already fled to another country. New York City is getting way too expensive and there is no excuse for it. Lower prices in the city and you will see the city improve again over time.

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MHV that the point. Even in Flatbush and East Flatbush(no offense to B35 or those that live there)the prices for nice brownstone homes is close to $500 Grand. While as the article says a nice 2-3 bedroom home in the Poconos is only as little $150-$175k. The prices for homes in most of NYC is now out of reach for most families or buyers.

Thus there a reason NYPD and FDNY officers, many (MTA) employees, etc. make the ride from work and their owned homes in the Hudson River Valley, Central/South NJ and the Poconos.

 

Personally as i stated before i want to buy love to buy and own a condo (If i am still in metro NYC area in few years)in places such as Hoboken, Nyack, New Paltz or if i am rich in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

No offense taken..... lol.... Not one of these "rep my hood, live for my hood, die for my hood" MF-ers

 

Anyway, Believe it or not, places over here are ranging in the 600k's now.... From what my grandmother's neighbor (she's a retired real estate agent) tells my grandmother... which is relayed from my grandmother over to me & my moms, anything in the 400's & low-to-mid 500's, be careful.... something's not quite right with it.... I have seen some listings here in east f'bush in the newspapers that are in the low 700k range.... Ridiculous......

 

In any event, the basic point is, homes in this area are way overpriced.

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No offense taken..... lol.... Not one of these "rep my hood, live for my hood, die for my hood" MF-ers

 

Anyway, Believe it or not, places over here are ranging in the 600k's now.... From what my grandmother's neighbor (she's a retired real estate agent) tells my grandmother... which is relayed from my grandmother over to me & my moms, anything in the 400's & low-to-mid 500's, be careful.... something's not quite right with it.... I have seen some listings here in east f'bush in the newspapers that are in the low 700k range.... Ridiculous......

 

In any event, the basic point is, homes in this area are way overpriced.

 

 

600-700k?! That's ridiculous. I like Flatbush and it's a good place, spent a lot of my life there but if that's my three-quarter of a million dollars to be spent on a house, I'm gonna take a beach with that. Not Church Av. Flatbush is fine for an apartment and all but I don't know how you justify spending that kinda money on a house and not getting some sorta nice background and landscape and all.

 

Crazy money being spent on homes, all the while I'm just looking round wondering how in the name of god I'm still living in this city.

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Try buying a house in my neighborhood (Bensonhurst). It will easily set you back 500K-1 Million. Who can afford this? Move to the Pocono Mountains and you pay 1/5 to 1/10 of the price for a nice house that is similar to the size of a house in Brooklyn. This is of course going to end soon. Like I mentioned with the Lackawanna Cut-off it is only going to take an hour or less to get into New York City. These prices are soon going to reach at least 200-300K. So buying a house in the Pocono's is a good investment. Buy a house now and sell it when it is worth three times as much. You just made yourself a profit. So if any of you wants to make money do it now, or else the train will leave the station.

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Try buying a house in my neighborhood (Bensonhurst). It will easily set you back 500K-1 Million. Who can afford this? Move to the Pocono Mountains and you pay 1/5 to 1/10 of the price for a nice house that is similar to the size of a house in Brooklyn. This is of course going to end soon. Like I mentioned with the Lackawanna Cut-off it is only going to take an hour or less to get into New York City. These prices are soon going to reach at least 200-300K. So buying a house in the Pocono's is a good investment. Buy a house now and sell it when it is worth three times as much. You just made yourself a profit. So if any of you wants to make money do it now, or else the train will leave the station.

 

 

Roadcrusier relax :D being a spokesperson for the real estate biz in the Poconos. You making it sound, the Lackawanna extension is opening next year lol. The reality is that first extension is to only Pt. Morris(Andover) station which is planned to open in 2014. The rest of the extension to the Poconos will not open until at least 2016(barring delays)and then down the road(pun intended lol) to Scranton towards end of this current decade. So it be a little while before you hop on a train direct between NYC and the Poconos.

 

 

Port Morris station http://en.wikipedia....Morris_Junction

 

 

Rest of Lackawanna Line info http://en.wikipedia....kawanna_Cut-Off

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My cousin lives a mile or so away from the racetrack.....man when I went there, I felt so uncomfortable because EVERYTHING was so far away. I'm a city person at heart, I can't ever see myself live so far away. The fact that folks wanna live out that far just screws with my mind.....

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