One of the Residents
Pocono Springs Estates (official website) doesn’t get talked about much – I don’t know why. It’s a lovely community in Wayne County, in the Gouldsboro/Newfoundland area. A lot of the agents I talk to do not understand what the community is like…they have no idea how beautiful and affordable Pocono Springs is.
There is much to love and little to loathe in Pocono Springs Estates. This edition of Karen’s Friday Five is dedicated to 5 reasons to live in & love Pocono Springs Estates.
(Click HERE to see all of the Pocono Springs homes currently for sale on the Pike Wayne MLS.)
- Cheap dues! While other comparable communities are charging property owners $800 – $1300 or more per year, the annual dues in Pocono Springs Estates is only $650 (subject to change). You get a lot of bang for your buck too; amenities include: 122 acre Crystal Lake (stocked with bass and other fisherman delights); a lovely pool (complete with kiddie wading pool), playgrounds, basketball, tennis, and bocce ball courts, a clubhouse with game room, and beautiful paved roads.
- Lots of open space! Because some of the lots in Pocono Springs are unbuildable (they can not support a septic system and/or well, or are in wet land areas, etc.) there will never be a gazillion homes making it look like a suburb in the woods.
- No hustle-n-bustle. Entering Pocono Springs is almost like entering a nature preserve – you don’t generally see or hear a lot of cars running around, and though ATV’s are allowed in the community, it’s still a great place for peace and quiet.
- Abundant Wildlife – Pocono Springs Estates is bordered by PA State Gamelands, so it’s quite common to see many beautiful deer (today my customers and I spotted several fawns and even two huge bucks with velvet on their antlers), turkey, eagles, hawks, owls, squirrels and chippers (chipmunks). This is a nature – lover’s paradise!
- Not Too Secluded! With all my raving about how Pocono Springs is quiet, peaceful, and full of wildlife, you might get the idea that it’s way out there in the middle of nowhere. Actually, it’s not far from Interstate 84 & 380. It’s a few minutes from Newfoundland, and close to Tobyhanna Army Depot…Scranton is nearby as well.
Below are some pictures from the community. Click HERE to see all of the Pocono Springs homes currently for sale on the Pike Wayne MLS.
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- One of the Residents
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- Crystal Lake
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- Nature in Pocono Springs
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- Crystal Lake
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- Swimming Pool at Pocono Springs
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- One of 2 Playgrounds
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- Recreation Area by Crystal Lake
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- Pocono Springs Clubhouse
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- Let’s Go for A Ride
Filed under: Karen's Friday Five, Neighborhoods & Developments, Pocono Springs Estates, Wayne & Pike County Local Info | Tagged: Pocono Springs Estates, Wayne County PA real estate
I would like to note that buyers should be very cautious when purchasing land in Pocono Springs Estates. Lots are cheap – and that’s because many of them do not perc (i.e., they can not be built upon because they will not support a standard septic system.)
Also you need to beware that some properties have clouds on their titles because of improper tax sales or any number of reasons.
Consult a professional – either a real estate agent or a real estate attorney, before making ANY kind of real estate purchase. You do not want to end up with an albatross that started out as a GREAT DEAL but will end up costing you a fortune to get rid of…
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
Response to Karen Rice:
What you are saying is not always true. Many cheap lots from tax sales have perked and are buildable. I have purchased two lots from tax sales and both passed the perk tests and are buildable.
It only costs $500 for a perk test. If you get a lot that fails the perk test, you can purchase the lot next to it or behind it to put a sand mound septic or share the neighboring septic. Also, there are alternative septic systems available other than the sand mounbd septic. For more info, contact the county for septic info and types available.
The county provides detailed info regarding septic systems and the types available to build.
I have worked with tax deed properties for over 24 years. Tax deeds have free and clear titles. Liens are wiped clean when a property goes to tax sale. The only liens that can remain after a tax sale are federal liens such as IRS liens. Tax deeds do not marketable title right away unless you quiet the title through the court via the use of an attorney. If you want to get title insurance, you can quiet the title or you can wait five years to obtain title insurance.
I didn’t say that all of the lots are unbuildable – I did say that many are not and I did not say it was always the case.
Not everyone wants to pay dues on two lots especially when they believe that one lot is buildable. To my knowledge, Pocono Springs charges you association dues whether the lot is buildable or not .
How much does it cost to quiet the title?
From my understanding, it’s not necessarily cheap.
I have heard of sales falling through because of cloud on the title connected to the tax sale. Evidently the original owners were not duly notified, the lot went to tax sale and was purchased by the new potential seller. When there was a new buyer for the lot, the cloud on the title was discovered, it was going to cost quite a bit of money just to get rid of a $4,500 lot.
The adage “let the buyer beware” still remains. I strongly suggest consulting a real estate attorney before purchasing anything, and I stand behind everything I have said. Caveat Emptor.
It costs about $1,500 to $2,500 to quiet a title.
Also, membership lots do have value. I have seen membership lots sell for $8,000 to $15,000 just to use the amenities. In my years of experience was land, there is a lot of value in the Pocono lots, even if one purchases just for the use of the amenities.
Ron – sure, some people want membership lots – there are people who own lots in Paupackan Lake Estates specifically so that they can fish there.
Hey, if that’s what you want to do, great! Go for it! But some people are buying lots expecting to build a vacation home on them.
Adding another 1,500 to 2,500 onto the closing costs to quiet a title in order to sell a $5,000 lot can end up costing the seller more than he paid for the lot to begin with.
4 lots sold in Pocono Springs in 2008 (according to MLS, not tax records). All of them sold for less than $8,000 – two of them in the $5,000 range. If you can only expect to sell your property for $5,000 – $8,000, then $2,500 to clear a title is pretty steep, when added with the rest of your closing costs; especially if you need to do a perc test and/or a survey.
All I’m trying to convey with this blog is caveat emptor – Let the BUYER BEWARE. Know full well what you are getting into.
That is a very beautiful place! I’d love to live there.
I work in construction and it is a shame how real estate agents scare the buyers when the lots in Pocono Springs are very affordable and quite beautiful. All lots we had tested did indeed perc and some lots did need land fill to pass a perc for a sand mound septic, otherwise our clients wanted to install an alternative septic. Technology in the construction industry has come along way and I can not believe how real estate agents lack the knowledge when it comes to septic systems and home construction. All I can say is… if a buyer has questions about perc testing and septic systems, the best people to ask are the people that do just that and not the real estate agents that do not have the construction knowledge or expertise. It is best to contact a contractor who has the know how, training, skills and experience in the construction field. For general information about many different septics available, contact the county or a contractor with the expertise. Please allway remember that a real estate agent is not the right source for this technical knowledge.
Nobody is saying not to buy land in Pocono Springs. What *is* being said is to make sure that the property bought is buildable before agreeing to purchase any lot. It’s a shame that a professional such as yourself missed that. Why not go back and re-read what I said.
Nobody is trying to “scare” people from buying lots in Pocono Springs. I have a BEAUTIFUL lot listed for sale right now.
What I am attempting to accomplish here is to create awareness among consumers that due diligence is required when it comes to purchasing vacant land – not just in Pocono Springs, but ANYWHERE.
Many people purchase these lots sight unseen off the internet with the intention of selling it at a profit… and have no idea that they even need to have a perc test (or what a perc test even is), not to mention the fact that there are homeowner association dues to pay, whether or not the property is buildable.
My buyers are *always* referred to septic professionals when septic issues arise.
Karen please be advised that I never stated you are saying not to buy land in Pocono Springs. It’s a shame that a real estate professional such as yourself miss understood. Why not go back and re-read what I said. You know how to sell and earn a commission, while I know the technology of septic systems and construction.
Sorry – I should have said that I was not trying to “scare” people when it comes to buying lots, which is what you were implying with your comment.
Advising people to make sure they can build on the property and making sure they discover what costs are involved before purchasing real estate is not scaring people.
Any property, anywhere and everywhere, that requires a septic system would need to be perc tested, acquire permits etc. no matter where you go throughout the world. Targeting one specific community would make a person would get scared and wonder why, as a realtor, you are not mentioning all the other communities that have the same requirements.
Now, in my own personal opinion, Pocono Springs is one of the best values for your buck.
Jeff/Ron, you either have an identity crisis or both of you coincidentally are commenting from the same computer; as your IP addresses are identical.
If you read the actual POST – it is titled “5 Reasons to Love Pocono Springs.” That could be why the post is about Pocono Springs – ya think?
ONE little comment, made because of MULTIPLE phone calls I receive on a REGULAR basis from people who purchased lots in Pocono Springs without having a perc test done, without knowing what a perc test IS or how much it costs, and without understanding what a “cloud on the title” can cost them, I cautioned future buyers to be SURE to have a title search and make sure the property has a valid perc test before purchasing a lot.
Yes, Pocono Springs is a great place to build as long as the property purchased will support a septic system – and if it requires a more expensive alternative or more work to be done to the land in order to have a septic design approved, the buyer has a right to find that out before agreeing to purchase the lot.
Can’t understand why this irks you so much, Ron/Jeff or whatever your real name is – irks you so much that you missed the main point of the article – which is – Pocono Springs is a GREAT community.
Any further comments from your IP address will be deleted.