All Forum Posts by: Mike Eichler

 I second this!  Thanks for all you do Mark

     Tobyhanna Township has made a game-changing move for property owners, prospective buyers, and anyone considering investing in the area by removing the previously in-place cap on short-term rentals. This recent rule change opens the doors for a brighter real estate market in the Poconos and creates new opportunities for buyers and sellers alike.

A Boost for Sellers: More Buyers, More Opportunities

Before the removal of the cap, potential buyers were often hesitant to purchase properties in Tobyhanna Township. With a set limit on the number of short-term rentals allowed in the area, many feared that they wouldn’t be able to rent out their property after they purchased it.  This uncertainty made it difficult for sellers to attract offers, as buyers worried about the possibility of hitting the cap. 

Now that the cap has been lifted, sellers are in a much stronger position. With no restrictions on short-term rental numbers, more buyers are likely to be interested in properties in the area, knowing they have the freedom to rent without concerns about hitting a maximum limit. The removal of the cap also signals a stable and more predictable real estate environment, increasing the appeal of properties in Tobyhanna Township all around. 

A Win for Buyers: Freedom to Rent and Resell

For buyers, the change is equally beneficial. Previously, potential homeowners were concerned that they might buy a property, only to face the fear of not being able to rent it out if the short-term rental cap was reached. This could significantly impact their investment, especially for those looking to generate income through vacation rentals. With the cap now gone, buyers no longer have to worry about the possibility of being locked out of the short-term rental market.

Moreover, the removal of the cap helps alleviate concerns about future resale values. Buyers were also worried that, down the line, they might struggle to sell their property due to the limitations imposed by the cap. Now, with the cap lifted, there’s less fear of future restrictions that could make it difficult for buyers to sell their homes at a reasonable price or in a timely manner. Buyers can now move forward with confidence, knowing that the market is free from such limitations.

The Bigger Picture: Long-Term Benefits for Tobyhanna Township

This rule change is not just beneficial for buyers and sellers in the short term. It’s also a positive shift for the broader real estate market in Tobyhanna Township. By removing the cap, the township is fostering a more dynamic and flexible property market, which can attract investment and bring more attention and growth to the area. 

For property owners who rely on short-term rentals as a source of income, this change is an opportunity to expand their business without restrictions. With more rental options available, there will likely be an increase in tourism and visitors to the area, helping to boost local businesses and the economy as a whole.

Conclusion: Embracing a More Open Market

Tobyhanna Township’s decision to remove the short-term rental cap is a significant step toward creating a more vibrant and appealing real estate market. This change benefits both buyers and sellers, offering more freedom, flexibility, and opportunities in the property market. Whether you’re a property owner looking to sell or rent, or a buyer eager to invest, this rule change makes Tobyhanna Township an even more attractive place to be. Now is the time to take advantage of these new possibilities and seize the opportunities that this newly flexible real estate landscape offers.

Hey, thanks for reading :) About me: I'm a STR-focused realtor, investor and property manager working in the Poconos region. I own 6 STR properties and handle management of over 90 homes for others.

Live Free, 

-Mike Eichler

~Your STR Expert~

 Thanks for the comment.  I was making this post to show off the before-and-afters. I may make a post on the numbers, but that was not my intention here.  

Hello BP,  

I wanted to share some success stories of three of my clients who bought homes to renovate and then rent out STR-style. I am very excited to show you the before and afters. You will be blown away by the last one... Without further ado, here we go!

I realized that photos are too big and make the post look crappy, so I will link the before (Zillow) pictures and then the After (Airbnb) links!  

#1 - Small 3 Bedroom Renovation into small group luxury accommodation.   

Before Pictures  (Zillow Link)

After Pictures (Airbnb Link) 

This investor purchased and painted all the bedrooms and living spaces, replaced flooring all throughout, and has gotten brand new and very high-end furniture.  They went a step beyond and put money into the backyard space with a nice fire pit, string lights,  mulch, and lots of landscaping, which gives an awesome look.   (Very proud of you Chris!) 

#2 - Larger 5-bedroom renovation into a sweet rental home 

Before Pictures (Zillow Link)

After Pictures (Airbnb Link)

These investors took something that was very boring and extremely residential-looking and transformed it into a cozy retreat for travelers with highlights being adding wood paneling, kitchen renovation, new furniture throughout, beautiful outdoor space with added hot tub and fire pit spaces for guests to hangout and an exciting game room space to occupy guests for hours.  (Chester and Sari you really impressed me here!)

#3 This one is crazy!  2-bedroom renovation into a crazy couples retreat! 

Before Pictures (Realtor.com link)

After Pictures (Airbnb Link) 

Wow is this transformation absolutely crazy!  This investor spent over $60,000 to really make this one a top tier option for couples or small groups traveling.  He opened up and vaulted the ceiling in the living room and then added wood paneling accents to give the total cozy cabin look and feel.  He painted walls and replaced all the furniture in the house, and laid gravel around the yard, adding a fence, fire pit, and hot tub.  

Hope this inspires you to make the leap and jump into the game.  This is the kind of style you need to replicate to find success in the Short Term Rental world.  You can't take a crappy and boring house and expect to find success.  Want help doing this?  DM me and I can guide you through the process.  My team does Turn-key, Renovations and new construction homes in the Poconos Region.  

Thanks for reading!

-Mike Eichler 

You definitely pay for what you get.  Guesty is easily the best by far (obviously this is an opinion).  However after switching around to a couple when my team got started as we scaled to 80+ guesty was the clear winner.  Im not sure about any contract as we don’t have one with them.. maybe thats a new thing for property managers with less units?

Hey BP, 

Preface: I wanted to get on and detail some info you should know when looking into the Poconos market. As you know, STR is an ever-growing business, and with that comes regulations and restrictions. As long as you can fully understand the rules and abide by them, you should have no problem getting by.

First, I will mention the larger couple townships that you are going to be dealing with when looking at the Poconos market.  These include Tobyhanna, Coolbaugh, Tunhkannock, Kidder, Penn Forest and Cliffton.  These townships are all Legal to rent your home Short term.  Keep in mind these are not all of the townships, just the main ones you are likely to encounter. 

At this point, all of the areas now have their guidelines and restrictions in place.  Since these guidelines were established, sometimes we see small tweaks, but nothing major, typically.  

Tobyhanna

The most recent to implement their rules and the first on my list is Tobyhanna Township.  Tobyhanna makes up a large portion of the "main Poconos area",  by this I mean the middle of where all the major attractions surround.   Tobyhanna's rules are arguably the most strict, and their occupancy rules are the key factor here.  Occupancy rules here state that 2 guests are allowed per bedroom for overnight guests, with a max overnight guest count of 10.  For example, a 3-bedroom home equals 6 guests, and a 5-bedroom home equals 10.  Be mindful that any more than 5 bedrooms still only allows a max of 10.  

Getting your Tobyhanna STR Permit

To obtain your Tobyhanna permit, you'll need to  obtain PA Sales and use tax, Monroe County excise tax, and then you can apply for the Tobyhanna Township permit.   You can do this all online, thankfully!

Tobyhanna HOA Encounters

In Tobyhanna, the HOAs you are going to encounter are Lake Naomi, Stillwater Lakes Civic Association*, Stillwater Estates*, Emerald Lakes, Greenwood Acres, Camelot Forest, Locust Lake, and Arrowhead Lakes* .   Note that the communities with * are split into two township zones. 

Coolbaugh Township

The other major township you might encounter is Coolbaugh, located to the right of Tobyhanna making up the other larger portion of the Poconos main area.  Coolbaugh on the opposite is more favorable with their occupancy rules.  Coolbaugh's occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 4 allowed for the home (no max).  Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 10 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 14 guests. 

Getting your Coolbaugh STR Permit

To obtain your Coolbaugh permit, similarly to Tobyhanna you'll need to obtain PA Sales and use tax, Monroe County excise tax, and then you can apply for the Coolbaugh Township permit. You can again do this all online, thankfully!  One thing to note that is different here is that Coolbaugh requires an inspection be done before getting the green light.  Just ensure to have all your ducks in a row and follow the rules and you'll be fine.  (Sometimes they can be picky when making sure you have enough smoke detectors, fire extinguishers hand rails etc. )

Coolbaugh HOA Encounters

In Coolbaugh, the HOAs you are going to encounter are Stillwater Lakes Civic Association*, Stillwater Estates*, Arrowhead Lakes*, Pocono Country Place, Pocono Farms, Pocono Farms East. 

Tunkhannock Township

The other major township you might encounter is Tunkhannock, located south of tobyhanna making up the other larger portion of the Poconos main area. Tunkhannock is more favorable with their occupancy rules.  Occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 4 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 10 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 14 guests.

Getting your Tunkhannock STR Permit

To obtain your Tunkhannock permit, similarly to Tobyhanna you'll need to obtain PA Sales and use tax, Monroe County excise tax, and then you can apply for the Township permit. You can again do this all online, thankfully! One thing to note that is different here is that 

Tunkhannock HOA Encounters

In Tunkhannock, the HOAs you are going to encounter are Brier Crest Woods, (most of) Indian Mountain lakes, (small parts of) Emerald Lakes.

Kidder Township

The other major township you might encounter is Kidder , located south west of tobyhanna.  Kidder is more favorable with their occupancy rules. Occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 4 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 10 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 14 guests.

Getting your Kidder STR Permit

To obtain your Kidder permit, You'll need to complete the township permit, pay the fee and submit a couple items, like floor plan, plot plan etc. You can again do this all online, thankfully! 

Kidder HOA Encounters

In Kidder, the only HOA you are going to encounter is Lake Harmony.

Cliffton Township

The other township you might encounter is Cliffton , located North of Tobyhanna. Cliffton is fair with their occupancy rules.  Occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 2 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 8 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 12 guests.

Getting your Cliffton STR Permit

To obtain your Cliffton permit, You'll need to complete the township permit, pay the fee and submit a couple items, like floor plan, plot plan etc. You can again do this all online, thankfully!

Cliffton HOA Encounters

In Kidder, the only HOA you are going to encounter is (one of my favorites) Big Bass Lake.

One thing to note with Cliffton is that you aren't allowed to STR in the township normally, however, Big Bass Lakes is one of the only grandfathered HOA's allowed to operate STR's.

Thanks for Reading BP.

-Mike Eichler

~Realtor and STR Property Manager 110+ units~

Also, DM me! I'm always happy to help investors looking to enter the Poconos market, and I'm available for general STR questions.

Hey, No hands-on experience, but my team has been looking into doing it as well.   It's the best move to find a pre-existing campground that would be looking to sell (hopefully a seller finance!) 

This means you definitely have the campground zoning, but also have the septic, electrical and possibly even paved roads in place.   Watch out, though, as not all campgrounds have septic etc. But the ones that do can be gold mines. 

Hope this helps. 

I'm personally super excited about the upcoming train project.  Surely, more businesses will pop up, more residential and we're sure to see an influx of travelers with the new ease of transportation.  Great Insight here!

Realizing I wrote alot here lol. TLDR: Occupancy limits are set by townships and HOA's are either for or against STR. These are the main restrictions set in place :)

The biggest issue I see restrictions wise for Poconos is occupancy limitations. Each township has different regulations for occupancy rules, with the most restrictive being Tobyhanna where their rules state 2 people per bedroom with a max of 10. This can be tough in some instances especially because they only count bedrooms by septic size. For example if a home is a six bedroom but is rated for a 3 bedroom septic the max guest count there is 6 persons. Somehwere more lenient like Tunkhannock township or Penn forest where the guest limits are 2 per bedroom plus four, a 3 bed septic size can then sleep 10. When considering other restrictions as the Poconos are almost entirely comprised of HOA's communities, either an HOA is Pro-STR or against STR. In basically every case, the HOA's rules are going to supersede those of the township. One instance of that is in Gouldsboro where the only HOA allowed to STR is Big Bass lakes. or the reverse side where in Tobyhanna STR is allowed, though there is plenty of HOAs that disallow. One benefit of an HOA having established rules is that for any changes to be made requires a 2/3rds majority vote of the residents to overturn rules.

Hello BP, 

Today I want to talk about everything Pocono attractions.  The Pocono Mountains are for adventure seekers, nature enthusiasts, and folks who want to enjoy some time with friends and family (or alone) in a quiet, peaceful place.   When it comes to short-term rentals in this vacation destination, proximity to popular attractions is key.  In this blog post, we'll explore the must-visit hotspots that guests want to be near. 

Ski Resorts:

• Jack Frost/Big Boulder: Located in Blakeslee just a couple minutes from well-known Lake Harmony. 
• Camelback: Camelback is located in Tannersville, just a couple minutes from the Tannersville Crossings shopping outlets.
• Blue Mountain and Elk Mountain:   Blue Mountain is a bit further, about 45 minutes south of Mt. Pocono, and Elk is closer to one hour north. 

Family Friendly parks:

• Kalahari, Camelback, and Great Wolf Lodge: Three massive and fully indoor waterparks open year-round for family fun. 

Entertainment and Leisure:

Mt. Airy Casino: Try your luck at table games or slots ( Or stick to renting Airbnb's :/ )  Also offering Pool, Spa, Dining, and Golf.

Pocono Racetrack: Located in the Long Pond area, there are always events going on besides just racing.  Air shows, and even a music festival hosted there invites over 18,000 each year. 

Nature escapes and outdoor activities:

Bushkill Falls Waterfall Hike: Explore the natural beauty of the Pocono Mountains waterfall hike. 

Skydiving, White Water Rafting, Horseback Riding. Thrill seekers, where are you??

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Francis E. Walter Dam: White Haven Area 

Restaurants and Bars:

Barley Creek Brewing co: Two locations Tap room @Tannersville outlets and main location featuring outside beer garden with pickle ball, fire pits and more!

Jubilee: Located just outside of prestigious Lake Naomi, come on wing night for a sweet surprise! 

Shopping: 

Tannersville Crossing Premium outlets: over 100 brand-name stores

      Choosing a short-term rental strategically located near these attractions ensures that visitors can make the most of their time in the Pocono Mountains. More importantly ensures that visitors choose your home over others when it comes to booking.  Whether it's the thrill of skiing, the joy of water parks, or the tranquility of nature hikes, being close to these attractions enhances the overall experience for your guest when they stay at your Short Term Rental home.

Thanks for Reading BP.  

-Mike Eichler

~Realtor and STR Property Manager~

Also, DM me!  I'm always happy to help investors looking to enter the Poconos market, and I'm available for general STR questions.