Wand’ring Thru Wayne & Pike County PA

Welcome to the first 2Tips4-2sDay post. (Two Tips for Tuesday, in case you are abbreviationally challenged. I’m learning 2 Tweet on Twitter and it distorts your grammatical thinking. It does not help me make up new words, like abbreviationally, though. That can be attributed to a former passion for Sniglets. )

Each 2sday – er, Tuesday, I’m going to post two real estate related tips – they may either be for sellers, or buyers, or both.

2Tips may be about home improvement, preparing your home for sale, buying a home, working with a REALTOR, etc. While my market area is around Hawley PA (Lake Wallenpaupack, and the surrounding area in Pike and Wayne County), these tips could apply in any market, anywhere.

So, without further adieu, here are my 2sDay Tips.

1. Don’t Assume that What You Read or Hear about The Market is true. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Lenn Harley’s real estate blogs – and today she posted another gem, cautioning consumers against believing the panic reporting that is the trademark of the media.

Does anyone remember the summer of the Great Shark Attack Stories? It seemed that every time you turned around, another innocent victim was a candidate for Jaws Part 15. However, the fact was – there were fewer shark attacks that summer than in previous seasons. But hey, blood sells! Facts….are boring unless they’re SCARY!

Yes, some parts of the nation are seeing some very troubling and serious housing market stats. BUT. The real estate market is LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL – I am being redundant, yes. But it’s true. Even here in Northeast PA, there are areas that are holding steady, there are areas that are flat. Some areas have more foreclosures than others. Personally, I’ve been quite busy selling houses…normal sales. Not foreclosures, not short sales…just normal houses. Weichert Realtors Paupack Group has a healthy share of the Lake Wallenpaupack region market for listings and sales. We don’t listen to the media – we just sell real estate.

2. Put a Contract Out on Your House – for pest control, that is. Living here in the woods, our homes are appealing targets for mice, bugs, and other pests. A regular contract from a local pest control service is an inexpensive and stress-free way to eliminate the four-footed and six-legged critters that make your home less than appealing to buyers. A contract will look good on the seller’s disclosure too – showing that you, the homeowner, have taken steps to take care of your home.

Personally, I had a great experience with Pocono Pest RLO Division. They are prompt, affordable, and effective. I encourage consumers to poll their friends, family, and co-workers for personal referrals – anyone can advertise, but it takes an exceptional company or individual to earn a personal referral.

Please note: no mice were exterminated in the making of this blog. Photo shows Mira, my daughter’s beloved pet, who is now in the happy field in the sky (no, I didn’t send here there.) Photo is for illustrative purposes only.

Hope you found these tips worthwhile – next 2sDay’s Tips will include an idea to make ugly, dated kitchen cabinets more trendy and attractive…and something else that eludes me at the moment. ..but will materialize before the deadline, I’m sure.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® – Paupack Group Independently Owned and Operated

Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania’s most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.

Shark Photo courtesy of Kecko, via Flickr Creative Commons License.