Vacation Rentals in Poconos PA

[Brandt Tingen]

I am looking at getting into vacation rentals, and like the Poconos PA market.  Does anyone have any experience there?  I'm headed up in February for a ski trip with the family and was going to schedule some appointments locally, but wanted to ask the BP community as well.

[John Moore]

I would suggest you spend a little more time than just a weekend. As mentioned previously, some HOA's charge a fee every time you rent and this could influence your bottom line. Obviously, this only applies to certain developments. You need to find a good Property Management company to keep you're place rented for seasonal rentals or long term rentals. I believe it is a very good market to explore and hope you have good weather for your ski weekend.

[Brandt Tingen]

Thanks for the insight John. Hey I was wondering if you could give me a referral to a realtor and a property manager in the area. Thanks!

[John Geldert]

@Brandt Tingen I have two properties in the Poconos, one is a full time rental and the other is a vacation/seasonal rental. They are both in private communities with plenty of amenities to offer all year round. Send me a pm and we can discuss further, I also have a reliable property manager  and real estate agent.

[John Moore]

@Brandt Tingen The Pocono's should be an exciting rental market with two new water parks and a Hard Rock  Cafe been added to the activities mix of the area.  Like all  resort areas there are peaks and valleys make sure your property manager has in depth experience and can show you there program to keep your rental occupied.  

@Brandt Tingen undefined

[Jerry Padilla]

@Brandt Tingen  we have a timeshare, and it seems like the Poconos are always able to be exchanged there, where as other places are really hard to get into and always booked up. I am not sure if it is just the rentals that they have or if it is an indication that it may be a difficult area for rentals. 

[Brandt Tingen]

@John Geldert Thanks for the tips, and the potential leads with a local broker/pm team.  I just sent you a colleague request with a bunch of questions. .. ha

[Brandt Tingen]

@John Moore Really, that is really cool.  I would be interested in the outdoorsy stuff that there is to do in the area in the summer.  As I plan on spending some time there in short spurts with the family throughout the year as well.

@Jerry Padilla Idk about this logic, I mean timeshares typically feature a lot of properties in sunny places and sexy beach locales, so I could easily see how the Poconos would be further down on the timeshare totem pole.  IMHO I think the draw to the Poconos is it's proximity to two monster metropolitan markets and their middle and professional class who may prefer in many cases to tone it down from places like Miami, Hawaii, Vail, or Stowe, and instead have the luxury of a 1.5-2 hour car trip to somewhere where they will save on airfare, get a good deal on their accommodations, and still have loads of fun with their families without having to deal with exorbitant vacation costs and aggravating travel arrangements. 

[Brian Albelli]

@john Moore Whats the talk of a Hard Rock? I haven't heard anything. 

Also, there was a lot of talk recently about the townships cracking down on vacation rentals. Just search it in the Pocono Record as there was a few articles.

[Chris Miles]

@Barndt Tingen  I am looking to purchase vacation rentals in the Poconos.  This thread is over a year old.  Did you ever make a purchase and decide on a Property Manager?  I am in need of a good property manager and realtor.  If you have anyone to refer or any advice I would appreciate it.

[Brandt Tingen]

Did not go that route, but I had two posts about it with more info.  I did find a few good operators / property managers through these posts.  I believe a google search yielded the largest management players and a few conversations with them gave me a good idea of how everything worked, though things are hazy now as it's been over a year.  You are much closer to put boots on the ground so you could arrange to go visit with the managers also.  

[Vedran Sehovic]

@Chris Miles Hi Chris. I'm in the same boat as you. I will go and look at some properties at Camelback this Sunday. I can let you know how it goes. 

Did you do any research in the meantime? Do you have any insights? I'm very interested to know how much can you earn renting out these places. I see rentals go from 150 - 450 / night depending on a site and condition of a place and season. I have no idea about occupancy rates, management fees etc. I would appreciate any information.

I'm not sure how much should I trust the RE person, it's in his interest to sell me the place. It's in my interest to be careful. :)

[Chris Miles]

Vedran Sehovic Hi Vedran,  I did some more research and see that VBRO and AirBnB have a lot of inventory / unscheduled dates.  I have not found anything helpful about a management company.  I plan on trying to go up there and ask around.

[Vedran Sehovic]

@Chris Miles There is also this site: http://camelbackresortrentals.com/

My friends booked a seasonal rental through them. Prices there are higher per night then on VRBO, Homeaway and AirBnB. Also, expectedly, inventory during winter months is significantly lower. ($575/night for a newer 3 bedroom mid December)

[Oksana Babinska]

Just registered here and came across this chat. Seems like its been a while ago since last message. Will share though anyway...I started with having one house 3 years ago, and now we owe and manage 3 houses in Mt.Pocono and had a few friends who just invested a few months ago in the same community. So I opened a property management company to manage my family's properties as well as my friends. The demand is pretty high for Pocono and we only have unique home rentals to stand out from others. I can help you find them as well. Low HOA fees ($1000/year) and close to the mountains and casino. Let me know if you have any questions. The market is great as it is still recovering. You can get a real nice home within $150K budget. Hope to help soon. here is my very first house.

www.PoconoEmpire.com

[Anna L.]

Hi @Oksana Babinska, I am interested in investing in Pocono Area. Can you please recommend communities with low HOA fees and close to entertainment? $150K budget for a nice rental sounds like a good investment. How much do Property Managers charge in the Pocono Area? How much do you need to pay to HOA every time you rent?

Thanks!

[Bunmi Joo]

I know this is a late comment. However, Can you recommend the property Manager you used as an owner? I am in Emerald Lake and I just signed with one 2 weeks ago, and it's been a nightmare! Since I signed. Sadly, He said I can't cancel.

Thanks in Advance!