Top 10 STR Friendly Communities in the Poconos Mention HOA and many people think of cumbersome regulations, restrictive committees and added expenses. Here in the Poconos, we have our share of these, but we also have many communities which were built as vacation/resort communities and the HOA serves to bring attractive amenities and a pleasant vacation experience for homeowners and guests. As a real...
All Articles
Why These Homes Still Make Smart STR Investments For years, the 3-bedroom home has been the backbone of the Pocono Mountains vacation-rental market. It’s the classic family layout—big enough for groups, yet manageable to maintain. Investment opportunities in 3-bedroom STRs, especially in the Poconos, remain worthwhile. But in recent seasons, investors have gravitated toward bigger,...
I got a call recently from a client who after some difficulties in getting her property up and running, was pleased to report that her vacation rental is live, and that in her first month, they generated over $45K in bookings. $45K in bookings for your first month is AWESOME! Their experience is a lesson for us all. Brian and Marybeth invested heavily in their new property in Penn...
NOTE: On Monday March 17, by a 3-2 vote the Tobyhanna Township supervisors voted 3 to 2 in favor of a resolution to rescind the STR cap, a clear victory for property rights here in the Poconos. Poconos VRO co-founder Marty Nicoll spoke at the meeting, he had two key messages: Don’t interfere with the real estate market with arbitrary caps, you are hurting people. Let the market do what it does...
Finding and then starting a successful short-term rental (STR) in the Poconos involves careful planning and execution. Poconos is a nice vacation spot, conveniently located in a mountain market, three hours away from 47 million people. Poconos has year-round attractions, it a great last-minute option for those that want to get away for a weekend or longer. Our market has some unique features, like local...
As short-term rentals (“STRs”) continue to thrive in the Pocono Region and across Pennsylvania, it is important that owners, buyers and owners’ associations (HOAs/POAs) understand their rights. In several recent cases, overreaching HOAs have had their restrictive STR policies overturned and appeals have gone as high as the state's Commonwealth Court. You can read more about Short-Term Rentals Win...
There has been two significant win in Commonwealth Court in a case called Ruffled Grouse Ridge Owners Association versus Charles Hura. The second in a case called L. Chan; et al. v. The Assoc. of Property Owners of The Hideout, Inc. In both cases, HOA's were determined to have gone well beyond their founding authority and seem to be setting the groundwork for some easing of community restraints on vacation...
There has been a significant win in Commonwealth Court in a case called Ruffled Grouse Ridge Owners Association versus Charles Hura. Ruffled Grouse Ridge is a small community in the northern part of the Poconos, in Lakeville, Paupack Township, Wayne County. Homes here have a restrictive covenant tied to their deeds which includes giving an owner’s association regulatory powers. The association...
Lately I've been hearing that the STR business in the Poconos is down and that the market is oversaturated. Some of my clients are doing quite well, some not as well as they hoped. It's a good time for a deeper discussion about the potential to operate a profitable STR in the Poconos. According to the Poconos Visitor Bureau, tourism continues to grow in the region with visits up (two percent by the...
There is both an art and a science to running a STR. The Art involves design of the property and the marketing that sets expectations. The Science looks at the data generated by the AirBnB, VRBO and other directory sites as well as what is reported by other analytics tools. I believe that half of a property's earnings comes from the property itself, and half comes from operations, so data can be skewed by...