Looking for Poconos Home - some concerns (Pittsburgh, Scranton: for sale, 2013)

[dukehula]

My fiancee and I are beginning to search for a home. We live in NYC and would like to buy a home in the Poconos to use as we wish and then, eventually, retire to. We've always enjoyed the Stroudsburg area -- bushkill, Jim thorpe, some of the "gated all inclusive communities"...(I am certain that forum members will correct me about what's actually in the Stroudsburg area! but I am new to the forums and I have no sense of direction at all so do forgive me)

Our searching has shown a large number of homes in many different areas. Some in foreclosure, some just on the market and some newer homes that don't look at all that appealing to us.

We'd like to be within 90 minutes or so from NYC as I need to come to town. We have heard that there are now buses that run 4 times a day to NYC so we'd like to know if homes avail near the bus route are worth seeing.

We have heard that certain areas have become rather high crime areas and we would really appreciate being warned off those places if you know which they are. Can you imagine finally buying your first home ever and the neighbors from the meth lab next door stop by to welcome you! dont' want that!

any help or advice would be so appreciated. We are complete novices in home buying, home living and where to live in the area....we have no kids so schools aren't an issue. We do have dogs though.

thanks in advance.

[fisheye]

To start off with here is a link to a great “sticky” thread that our moderator has on the Lehigh Valley forum: https://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...residents.html

Now as far as 90 minutes from the city – I don't think you can ever count on that and I am sure that some others will elaborate. Your best bet would be to look as clsoe to the border (PA/NJ) border to cut out driving time.

I see that you do not plan to originally live full time in your new home. Security should be a major concern. Different grated communities deal with security their own way. In some of the grated communities people feel that the criminals are trapped inside – you are going to have to do your homework.

Try using the Google “Earth” program or MSNBC's MapQuest. Both are pretty good programs and will help you 'look' at an area before you waste your time. You can see how many miles it is to a major road or the distance to the City.

[Cpt.Trips]

90 minutes to NYC from the area's you mentioned is all dependent on time of day and weather conditions. Not to mention how you follow posted speed limits on the roads you travel. That being said, you really need to post a price range you are comfortable with. Once thats been established, you will make a rewarding investment or the worst mistake of your life.

[KatWag]

We have a weekend place outside Jim Thorpe. Several of our fellow weekenders live in NY during the week. I will check with them on what the average commute time is. They normally come in Friday and head back Sunday. No bus route anywhere near. They drive in from Queens.

[dede21]

Would anyone recommend The Endless Mountains instead of the Poconos to buy a home?

[theatergypsy]

Originally Posted by dede21

Would anyone recommend The Endless Mountains instead of the Poconos to buy a home?

In another thread you said, "I based my decision to move to Ca. on how much fun I had on vacation. Big mistake. I missed the four seasons, fall leaves in Central Park, people on the streets, Long Island beaches, down to earth masculine men with a NY accents, ect, ect. I wasnt gone long."

Based on some of the things you missed, the Endless Mountains may not satisfy you.
NEPA certainly has four seasons and all the leaves you and an army of helpers can rake, but the rest? Not so much.

I'd say there are unmentioned reasons why you're considering NEPA so it would be hard to answer your question without knowing more about what you're hoping to find here. What kind of lifestyle would you plan on leading? Do you want to be near cultural experiences? Shopping? Dining? Job? Schools? Share a bit more about yourself and you'll get more answers

[okaydorothy]

We have a home for sale in WLE which is in Wayne county. It is not 90 mins to NYC, on a good day maybe 2 hours. PM me if you are interested. It is in a gated community.

The reason why we are selling is because we live in Pittsburgh now, and it is just too far for us to use it anymore. When we bought it we lived on Long Island and went there at least twice a month and longer in the summer.

[Riverside4ever]

Read this ...

Stroudsburg & the Poconos PA news, sports, schools, entertainment, and shopping | poconorecord.com - The Pocono Record

[DavidWebb]

Originally Posted by dede21

Would anyone recommend The Endless Mountains instead of the Poconos to buy a home?

YES!! That area up there is still relatively untouched by the city folks...definitely better than the Poconos...

[Gettingouttahere]

Endless Mountains is nowhere close to 90 minutes from New York. It's almost 90 minutes just to Stroudsburg. It's very pretty up there, but your big city experience will be Scranton, not NYC.

Buses from Stroudsburg (and surrounding areas) run dozens of times a day, so no worries there. Some of the Martz runs actually start in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so if you did pursue the Endless Mt. route, you would have transportation (once you got into the town to catch the bus). It's 2.5 hours or so from Scranton to get to NYC. It is not cheap.

As I say to all folks considering moving up here, rent first. Since you wouldn't be fulltime at first, maybe rent a house for the summer via VRBO. See if you can stomach the differences. The crime and ghetto problem that a lot of old-timers complain about is not nearly as big a deal as they make it out to be. But there are downsides -- costs are not as cheap as realtors would have you believe, and everything is farther away, which is inconvenient at best. You need to tell us more about you and what you're looking for, though, before we can recommend anything specific to look for, or avoid.