Moving to NEPA in three months (Philadelphia, Scranton: environment, relocate, realty)

[locoseven]

Hey everyone,

I've done alot of looking around on the board at some of the older posts, and its been really helpful.

I've recently accepted a position at Tobyhanna Army Depot, and am looking to relocate to the NePA area soon (Sep 08).

I really want to rent a house or townhome initially, but it looks like slim pickings. Townhomes seem to be non-existent.

Can anyone recommend a realtor who could assist with renting a home?

I have a family (two kids), who are toddlers, so the usual critieria comes into play.

Looking for something with at least 2000sq. ft. Are basements common in the NePA area?

Look forward to hearing any suggestions.

Thanks.....L7.

[poconoproud]

Hi! nepa will be happy to have your family! you are right - townhomes are few and far between, at least directly in the poconos. I am sending you a direct message. I only know two realtors, and hopefully one can help you find a home to rent.

I am sure you'd have no trouble finding one w/ a basement.

good luck!

[TheHighHat]

I recommend Bonnie Lafe from Coldwell Bankers in Milford 570-296-5800 or if you are looking in the lake region Larisa Jackson from Summit Realty. We are renting now and only good realtors can find rentals - they are hard to find. Good luck. You would probably want one near the Dingmans Ferry area so that you can get to the Depot on 15 correct?

Good luck

Hat

[locoseven]

Thanks to you both.

I'm actually looking for something closer to the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre area.

[live_in_nepa]

My friend is selling his home near Moscow, PA. close to rte 380 (within 10 min drive.

Property details

With the Army Depot, you can sign up to share a van to work. You get an allowance to ride the van with other employees, they basiaclly give you money to put towards the rental, fuel... so on. By the end of the month, you have either ridden for free or have a small amount left over.

I have family that works there and they all do it. One person(they rotate) is the van captian and he/she drives around picking up everyone. Usually 5 or 6 people per van.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by locoseven

Thanks to you both.

I'm actually looking for something closer to the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre area.

If I were you I would look in the city of Scranton. Nice liveable neighborhoods, conveniences close by, and home prices are much cheaper. Yes, you will pay a 3.4% wage tax for living in Scranton, but the property taxes are reasonable, and the money you save by buying a house in the city as opposed to the suburbs will erase the loss from the wage tax (most other towns here have a 1% wage tax, but many have higher property taxes than Scranton). The schools are very good in Scranton. Plus, you can ride a van pool to Tobyhanna Army Depot for free, paid for by the government, so gas isn't an issue.

You're smart for looking to settle close to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, since the Poconos are overpriced since most people moving there are New Yorkers, so you'll pay inflated New York prices to live there...plus, Tobyhanna has seen quite a bit of crime, more so than Scranton. And like I said above, gas isn't an issue since the vans will take you to Tobyhanna. If I were you, I would stick closer to Scranton than Wilkes-Barre. Wilkes-Barre is not as convenient to Tobyhanna. In Scranton, you can easily hop on 307 or 380 to get to Tobyhanna....its a little longer of a trip from W-B.

[ScranBarre]

I actually don't understand why one of the NYC and NJ investors who "lurk" on this forum hasn't considered bringing a townhome rental community yet to Moscow? A lot of families from out-of-state relocate here to work at the depot but are turned off by the reputation of the community of Tobyhanna itself thanks to A Pocono Country Place. Moscow is only a 15-minute or so drive to the Depot, yet it is part of the highly-acclaimed North Pocono School District, which would mean that workers could feasibly rent a townhome here, send their children to a good public school district, and avoid the supposed mess that is Pocono Mountain West High School.

North Pocono is actually on the verge of hitting a huge growth spurt. Mt. Cobb, Elmhurst, Moscow, Spring Brook, etc. offer convenience to I-380, Scranton, and the Poconos while still offering families some "elbow room." It is the buffer zone of sorts culturally and socially between the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metroplex and the NYC/NJ commuter transplant areas in Monroe County. I'm by no means a fan of urban sprawl, but that area's impending growth is inevitable. The only saving grace for open space there will be if fuel prices continue their upward trend---people who left Scranton to "live large" in places like Harmony Hills may be enticed to move back into the city to be nearer to work, church, hospitals, and other conveniences since they were already "living on plastic" and were struggling to fill their large SUVs.

Some people like NEPA. Some people don't. You are one very, very smart cookie for deciding to RENT instead of buying in order to get a good taste for what this area has to offer. I think we're an excellent place to raise a family because you can take day-trips to NYC, Philadelphia, or the beach, and we have just about every outdoorsman's opportunity imaginable on our doorsteps, but others moved here and were not impressed (Suzer, who is now happily living in Vancouver, WA, comes to mind).

Something along the lines of Yalick Farms, an upscale "smart growth" community in the Back Mountain of Luzerne County, would do very well in North Pocono.

[ScranBarre]

Also, my brother-in-law is an engineer at the Depot and commutes with a van carpool from Pittston, a suburb midway between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The guys all chip in for gas and take turns driving. This helps to make the trip more enjoyable than driving solo, cuts down on their gas bills, and improves our environment by taking a few vehicles off the roadway. I myself am looking to start carpooling with friends in the Greater Pittston area to school daily in Wilkes-Barre. Scranton is certainly much more convenient to the Depot than Wilkes-Barre, but these carpools exist all over the region---some as far as Columbia County and Wyoming County I believe.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Also, my brother-in-law is an engineer at the Depot and commutes with a van carpool from Pittston, a suburb midway between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The guys all chip in for gas and take turns driving. This helps to make the trip more enjoyable than driving solo, cuts down on their gas bills, and improves our environment by taking a few vehicles off the roadway. I myself am looking to start carpooling with friends in the Greater Pittston area to school daily in Wilkes-Barre. Scranton is certainly much more convenient to the Depot than Wilkes-Barre, but these carpools exist all over the region---some as far as Columbia County and Wyoming County I believe.

From what I know of the van pools to Tobyhanna is that the government picks up the tab.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by FightinPhils

From what I know of the van pools to Tobyhanna is that the government picks up the tab.

That may be true. I've honestly never asked him.