Many of the inquires I get ask is there are service providers to help with getting a STR started and then keeping it going.  Since Tourism is the main business in the Poconos, the answer is yes.  Below is a list of firms that have been mentioned by clients, other realtors or that I have met in my work.  This is not an endorsement, it merely a list of companies and professionals that can...

Short-term Rentals (STR) in Pennsylvania are regulated by the local municipalities. Pennsylvania has three official forms of municipal governments, cities, townships, and boroughs. Municipalities have the right to restrict this use of a home through Zoning and they have the right to regulate STR through local ordinances and licensing processes. To give you a sense of the scale, there are 2,560...

Here’s my insight on the vacation home investment market in the Poconos, for early 2023. Inventory is tight, prices are creeping higher and there are more Airbnb listings in the Poconos than ever before. That said, the tourism industry in the Poconos is thriving, visitors keep coming in record numbers and the future looks bring, especially for those operating high-end properties. The regulatory...

An Insider’s look at investing in vacation homes in the Lake Harmony Area The Lake Harmony area has long been a popular Pocono vacation spot and for those who rent their properties, business over the past few years has been very good. The Lake Harmony area benefits from two nice lakes, two ski resorts, two golf courses, some nice restaurants, and a beautiful setting year-round. The Lake Harmony area is...

It seems that a growing number of investors and companies that support them are feeling very positive about investing in vacation homes in the Poconos and the future of Short-term Rentals in the region. Popular YouTuber Edward Lui states the Poconos are the Best Airbnb Market in the Nation, Airbnb put the Poconos in their Top 10 most profitable markets in 2021 and Evolve, the popular Vacation home...

Revised February 2023 There has recently been a rise in properties for sale that are described as “Turnkey STR,” a term that has come to mean a property that is fully operational as a short-term rental and being sold as a complete package.  These are often properties that have recently been upgraded, are very tastefully designed and furnished, are licensed as STR, and that have been generating...

As a realtor who specializes in helping folks find vacation homes, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the business of vacation home rentals. Here are some thoughts about the business of vacation home rentals. Are vacation home rentals in the Poconos a new thing? First, some history: much of what is referred to the as the Poconos was started in the 1960s and 70s when families started getting second...

It’s an age-old debate about investing, it is an art, or is it a science? When it comes to the science, good investors have data. One way to get data is to go to Airbnb, VRBO and others, search for properties, look for ones similar to what you are seeking and gather rate information firsthand. There you can read reviews and get some additional insight as to the property and its setting. With a strong...

I spend a lot of time with customers who have big visions of success in the short-term rental business and they often ask me questions about a property’s ability to generate profit.  Many have use data tools like PriceLabs or AirDNA to help them understand the market and the opportunities that currently exist there.  They tell me they’ve run the numbers and then ask me what I think.  My...

Zoning, Rules and Regulations regarding Short-term Rentals, VRBO and AirBnB are changing in the Poconos, here is a scorecard of municipalities and what they say about running a short-term rental from your vacation home or income property.