PA Outdoor Properties's Blog

How to choose the right recreational real estate company

paoutdoorproperties — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:41:13 +0000

Have you found yourself looking into the recreational real estate market to buy or sell and found yourself asking, “How do I know who is the right company to choose?” PA Outdoor Properties is the ONLY real estate company in Pennsylvania, partnered with the nationally known Cabela’s Trophy Properties. That means your property is always getting national exposure! Can you imagine? Your little camp, getaway or land being marketed to the world! You may find yourself wondering, how can they do that kind of marketing and not have an expense fall back on the property owner? Well, let me give you a quick example of how your property is advertised.
LandsofAmerica.com, one of the many websites that we are using to market your property, is very excited to partner with CowboysIndians.com which is now advertising all properties listed for sale across the LandsofAmerica.com network. An international magazine of the highest quality, Cowboys & Indians encompasses everything exceptional about the American West. Almost half of the C&I audience owns a second home or investment/ranch property. Out of those homes, 18 percent are valued at over $500,000.

Just another example of how we are working our hardest for our clients! Let us know if we can be of service to you. Referrals are our greatest asset so please tell a friend!

A postcard from the field

paoutdoorproperties — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:15:52 +0000

Now that hunting season is in full swing, remember these tips for making your hunting trip a memorable one. Having your camera handy will help you capture that moment, whether it is your first kill or just for bragging rights, follow these few tips for keepsake success.

Taking a few extra minutes in the field with your hunting or fishing success is very important when taking photo’s. Try to prop the game, tuck into a natural bedding position, clean it up briefly and hold out in front of you. Get several pictures from different angles and from very low looking up. These few extra minutes will reward you with great photo’s down the road and help secure the memories in the field.

Best of luck and happy hunting!
-Jay Alexander

paoutdoorproperties — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:14:56 +0000

There is new life in the soil for every man. There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer. -Calvin Coolidge

Not too long ago, I was complaining about the dog days of summer. This weekend I felt energized and ready to take on the world. It never ceases to amaze me how much bearing the weather plays into our lives. As lethargic summer days fade away to brisk fall mornings, I feel something greater than just a change in seasons. I feel a renewed sense of curiosity about the world around me, and my senses are reawakened. There is such joy in taking in the beauty of the area we live in. Those of us who live in these magnificent Pennsylvania wilds are so blessed. There is such beauty in the leaves changing color and the wildlife around us. Fall means so many different things to different people. Fall to me is hiking, firewood, leaves, campfires, tailgating, cookouts and family. A strange mix, I know, but it represents the things that are not only important to me, but worth looking forward to.

When I think about the things I want most in life, my heart always comes back to wanting my own property where I can take my family for generations to come. I want my boys to learn to hunt on my own land. I want a place that I will retreat to and relax. I want a place to go camping, to cut firewood, to go fishing, to take pictures. I want a place that even though our family home may change as our family changes, that we will have this sanctuary that will always remain the same. I want to look back at pictures, and have a story start out, “remember when?”

In my dream of owning recreational property, I also know that I have to take control in making this dream come true. I have to know my market, I have to be vigilant in watching for properties that meet my core criteria, and I have to know when to take that leap of faith. It may be one of the largest non-necessity purchases I will ever make, but my long term investment will make it worth it. I can’t place a value of happiness or quality family time. But I can decide when I am ready to make a purchase that will give my family a place to build memories from. Recreational real estate is a market of pleasure. We want your property to bring you joy. We want you to have something you don’t necessarily need but that you want. Choose to relax, retreat, getaway and smile. Here at Big Woods Properties, we can help you find the property that is just what you’ve been dreaming about.

Fall Fishing

paoutdoorproperties — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:23:25 +0000

Once again the seasons have changed here in the Central Susquehanna valley, and as I cross the river on my way to the office, I stare longingly out at the mirrored surface and wish for more carefree days to spend casting for smallmouth and soaking up the autumn sunshine.
I did manage to sneak in a few days on the water when my friend Larry, a fly fishing fanatic from Maryland, came to visit. He is one dedicated fisherman, who never had a bad day on the water and would fish through a hurricane. A warm sunny day on Antes Creek was refreshing and invigorating, even though we didn’t get as many bites as the black flies got, but we managed to roll a few natives over in the stream and land a couple of the monster rainbows that we have been feeding in the club’s pond. The next day was cold and windy, but we were out on the river west of Susquehanna Park in Williamsport, working the old logging cribs and islands for smallmouth and whatever else we could turn up. The West Branch has really come a long way since I moved her in the 70′s. Then there were only a few bass to be found below the dam in Williamsport, and nothing above. Now there is an excellent population of bass to be found, along with walleye, muskies, and lots of crappies and perch as well to keep the worthy angler happy. We had a good day, and it was well after dark when we got the boat back on the trailer and headed home for dinner.
Fall’s arrival has got us all thinking about getting into the woods as well. The first day of archery had hardly begun when Mike Richardson, the newest addition to our staff, dropped a nice 8 point buck. And it seems that everywhere I go I run into flocks of turkeys. It always seems that way before the season starts this weekend, I suppose once it does they will “get smart” and begin to earn their reputation for doing their disapearing act.
Speakng of previewing property, we have seen a real rush of interest in receational Real Estate here over the past few months. Every day more calls come in for information on the properties we have available. It looks like the market is beginning to heat up again after last year’s slowdown. And we have some new listings that are certainly worth a look. I showed the Dommel property in Northern Lycoming County yesterday; it boasts the highest point in the county at over 2100 Ft in elevation, a nice cabin with views that go on forever, some well placed food plots and lots of trails for riding or nature hikes. It is perfect for a family or group retreat, and hosts a healthy population of whitetail as well. Also we have several smaller parcels of excellent hunting ground and some newly listed cabins near the Loyalsock and on Pine Creek. This year we have had an increase in property owners choosing to try the auction, a method that is an ideal way to bring motivated sellers and buyers together. The sale of the Smith farm in Potter county later this month is a perfect example. This 196 acre farm in ” God’s country” is an ideal property for the hunter, hobby farmer, or just as a great getaway. It also has a good supply of marketable timber and even some American Chestnut trees, including one large example that Jim Maguire found in his visit there by following a trail of empty husks. He said it was the largest survivor of this decimated species that once dominated the Pennsylvania woodlands he had seen in all his years working in the woods. A sure sign of nature’s resilence and rebirth.
I hope that everyone out there gets lots of chances to get out and enjoy the glorious autumn weather and the upcoming hunting seasons. There is nothing that can match the taste of fall in the air or the first hint of winter closing in on the Pennsylvania woodlands. And nothing that can replace the memories it calls to mind. Good luck and happy hunting!!

Bob Major

paoutdoorproperties — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:47:02 +0000

paoutdoorproperties — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:11:16 +0000

I can count on one hand (2 fingers in fact) how many times my parents took me to the movies when I was a kid. We didn’t do things like that. Instead, we spent our Sunday afternoons hiking to the top of the mountain. No movie at the theater could ever compete with the feeling I got from standing at the top of that mountain, level with the other mountains and watching Pine Creek flow through the valley way down below. I think to this day that my brothers and I would rather spend our time enjoying the outdoors with our family and friends than any other way. We were a camping family too. We’d gather the gang and extended family and spend a long weekend soaking up the sunshine and the outdoors. At night, my Uncle Jim would take us all through the forest snipe hunting with our flashlights. To this day I’m still not sure if there even is such a thing as a snipe but we sure had fun hunting them! Now that I’m older and have a family of my own, I like to share these same experiences with my children. We have a small camper that we take camping. I love cooking our entire meal over a hot campfire as my Aunt Lori taught me to do.

What’s the solution to not having the time or opportunity to connect with those you care about most? What difference would it make in your life if you had a piece of ground to call your own; a place where you can make memories and pass on to future generations so that they can experience those same moments? These are the experiences we at PA Outdoor Properties have grown up with. I guess you could call us experts at enjoying the outdoors. From canoeing down the rivers, hiking to the tops of mountains, spending the night in a hammock in the woods, hours and hours of fishing and hunting or just enjoying your loved ones around the campfire with a smore.

A smart man once said, “Simple is my way of life, I don’t really think someone trying to show the world that they are so complicated gets them anywhere.” Let us show you how you can make life a little simpler by enjoying the peace of the great outdoors. We invite you to share your thoughts and stories here by clicking the comment button or contacting me.

Trisha Rockwell

bigwoodsproperties@comcast.net

570-769-1050

Has the Housing Market found the bottom?

paoutdoorproperties — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:24:57 +0000

Mid April 2009, will this be the date remembered for when the housing market clearly established a bottom in reduction of pricing, demand and value?

To clear up a few inaccurate ideas the media has imbedded in everyone’s minds. To start with most of PA has not been hurt real badly by the housing bubble. We never saw appreciation rates of 15-20% year over year that most of us watched and thought, “how can the market continue to rise like that.” Guess what, it couldn’t and when it crashed it took everything in site with it. Confidence, jobs, finances, building materials and even some things that were not included with the crazy pricing increases, like land.

We have watched as housing prices dropped around the country and have been relatively happy with the fact that most of rural PA did not see such a drastic drop. We have watched land values run flat for the last 2 years. We have watched interest rates drop to historically low numbers. We have watched as timber value has dropped to historically low numbers. We have watched as buyers sit at their computer and search http://www.paoutdoorproperties.com or http://www.cabelastrophyproperties.com for that piece of paradise to call their own and think, “if I would have bought that property last year I would still be able to recognize my life savings as something more that a down payment on a car. That’s were I say take that money that has cause some of the worst heartburn you have ever had and make the move to purchase your own property. When you pull on to your own ground Friday night, you will stop at the entrance road and think, “why didn’t I do this last year, last decade, when I first started thinking about have something of my own.” I ask, what’s the difference between $500,000 in your 401K and that $1,000,000 property you bought 3 years ago? The answer is simple; the property is still valued at $1,000,000 today. The market collapse was in housing prices, not land value.

Here is a couple of things to think about; you can find a lot of properties in today’s market, you can get loans in the 5% range, you can invest or hedge timber prices, you can find that place that is the answer for solving the heart burn I talked about above, you can find your dream place and we can help you do.

So if I’m correct, the bottom in housing has been established, banks will loosen up there requirements, buyers that are responsible for themselves and have good credit are on the verge of making one of the best investments they have ever made. Purchasing that piece of property with timber on it. I truly believe we are within 2 years of seeing the timber market go through the roof and why you ask? Because timber values have dropped to all time lows, most sawmill’s have minimized production if not mothballed there operations completely, no one could get a loans for large land, there was no demand for lumber, even at low production rates. Fuel prices are attractive again, financing is very attractive, people that have lost jobs are starting to find opportunities, the stock market has flirted with positive gains for a few months and above all spring is here and the sun is shining.

If you’re considering real estate as an investment or as a place to get away from it all consider this; inflation is coming and coming fast when it starts, real estate is one of the best ways to hedge inflation. If you learned one thing over the last 2 years, make sure it’s that having confidence in real estate (not housing) is something to make you sleep like a baby at night.

Now is the time to make the move. I think we will see some movement up in land values based on my reasons above. I know a lot of people keep thinking, ”I can’t recognize the loss now, I need to wait for the market to come back and at least get me back to where I was before the crash.” Well, weight is what broke the camel’s back and it could be what broke your bank account.

This is a great time to be in the market for real estate, make sure you get out and look at some of our listings, we have something for ever buyer and continue to add properties of value every couple of weeks. We have a couple of auctions coming and have several more in the works. There are truly brighter days ahead and we want to be a partner with you for helping you find that dream.

Enjoy those beautiful spring days, get the garden ready, and get outdoors, you’ll love every minute.

Jay Alexander

Spring means Trout Fishing, Turkey Hunting and Recreational Property Buying!

paoutdoorproperties — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:34:30 +0000

It’s that time of year again. The tease of warm weather has those of us thinking of days on the Trout stream, early morning turkey gobbling or just the desire to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. I have already had my kids out on the world class Pine Creek Rail-Trail bike path.

All of us at Paoutdoorproperties.com are looking forward to warmer weather bringing more opportunities for everyone to enjoy the great outdoors in Northern Pennsylvania. With spring also comes the “itch” to possibly look into finally buying that recreational property of your dreams. We can’t think of anywhere better than our backyard.

Over the last year we have had many successful stories with our recreational properties with the help of our affiliation with Cabela’s Trophy Properties. We expect to see even more in 2009. There is no hiding the fact that the overall economy has affected the real estate market. However there are always exceptions to the rule, and there is always an upside from every downturn. Rural PA has been the exception - our real estate market has remained stable through these tough times. The “upside” is that due to economic conditions you can take advantage of possibly the best buying conditions in history. The time is right; we have motivated sellers, great inventory and tremendous lending terms.

With the volatility of the stock market can you really tell yourself that is where you want to put your money? Why not invest in something you can actually enjoy while at the same time investing in probably the safest thing I can think of: Property. Can you go out in your back yard and catch a Trout with shares of a bank? Can you shoot that trophy buck with that mutual fund? Can you spend time with your family and friends on weekends in peace and tranquillity with any other investment?….this is one of dem -dare rhetorical questions. With property you can enjoy and use your “investment”. Today there are even options to have your property ownership count toward your overall tax free retirement portfolio.

Surprising to some, Northern Pennsylvania is one of the most rural areas of the northeast United States. Yet at the same time you can drive here in 3 hours from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington DC. There are hundreds of thousands of acres of state forests, state game lands and state parks as well as creeks and rivers that have the best fishing in the east coast. Amongst all this beauty sits property that you can purchase for a fraction of what it would be at the beach or around those metropolitan areas.

Come up and see us and we promise you you will not be disapointed. Everone deserves the opportunity to own their piece of heaven. We just know that ours is a lot easier to buy.

Happy Outdoors

Brent M. Fish

paoutdoorproperties — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:17:37 +0000

Monday morning of PA Rifle buck season was a big day for me and my hunting buddies. My 13 year old son Cole was my guide for the morning. We had a plan and saw a few does moving up the mountain, but the wind wasn’t being very helpful. We moved higher on the mountain and tried to work our way towards where we wanted to end up. After a couple of hours, Cole decided we should change plans and work the wind in the other direction. All good hunters use the wind to gain an advantage and we were very focused on getting to a certain place we thought would be good, so we didn’t worry about the wind. We came to our senses and went back into the wind. Cole chose to go high on a bench and I would take the lower bench(man did that work out for me). We talked to Steve on the radio and told him what we were doing and to stay on the valley he was in. Cole and I worked our way out across the side of the mountain into the wind. After about an hour I spotted movement down over the side – several deer and a racked buck. I pulled up and saw at least 3 points on the one side and shot. The buck had no idea I was there and had no idea where that noise came from, he stopped under a hemlock, facing away with no chance of a follow up shot. If any of you know me, I am known for having follow up shots and not known for good shot placement? I have Steve and Cole in my ear piece wanting to know who shot, I am afraid to take my finger off the trigger because I know the minute I touch that radio, he will bolt and I’ll never see him again. I quickly tell them I can’t talk. They can’t understand and are talking again, second time, I CAN’T TALK. Patience pays off, I hit the Primos grunt call, a second time. I can’t believe he starts to feed? Gives me a good shot(not that I am a good shot), the 7mm-08 sounds and he is gone? As I started down the 130 yards towards where I shot at him I am directing my son across the side of the mountain to a small valley I have always thought the deer travel. I thought he may turn and head up that valley and give Cole a shot. I talked to Steve and told him to sit tight there was a good buck somewhere near him. After some searching, no blood and no sign of a hit, I followed the turned up leaves and saw the buck again about 150 yards. I got where I could get a shot and fired(in my head I am thinking “I can’t believe I am getting a 3rd shot at this buck?”) Take the only shot available and down he goes! I get up to this buck and WOW. Steve and Cole get there about the same time and Steve said that’s the 2nd largest buck ever shot at Pete’s Shanty. I have hunted at this place since I was 10, so its quite an honor to get something like this and its even better to be with my friends and my sons. Cody was just across the valley and was listening to this on his radio. Cole green scored this guy at 130″. If you get a chance to get into the woods and spend sometime, you can’t put a price on it. And to top this off this whole story took place on State Forest lands in northern Lycoming County. We have a lot of properties that either border or are very close to state land, either state game lands or forest. If you put some time into understanding what the deer do to feel comfortable, I am pretty sure you’ll get a chance like this.

If I can help get you that piece of land to start building these kind of memories, call me at 570-786-1106 Jay Alexander

Cody, Jay, & Cole Alexander

Recreational Real Estate and the current economy

paoutdoorproperties — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:10:38 +0000

As we all are aware the current economical situation of the world is not real good. We however strongly believe that recreation property has maintained its value in dollars alone, let alone the enjoyment, productivity and overall piece and quiet that is gained by owning your own property. We often tell customers that the gut wrenching worries of watching your 401K deteriate can be somewhat releived when you are spending time on your own property. Some of the best memories you will have come from owning your own real estate. Big Woods Properties partnership with Fish Real Estate allows us to assist any of our customers needs. BWP is a land company that specializes in buying and selling of our own properties. We usually have a pretty good size inventory of various properties through out PA. Fish Real Estate handles the listing services for us for the whole state of PA. They have several very outdoor oriented agents that know what they are selling and share the enjoyment of the outdoors with there customers. We use http://www.paoutdoorproperties.com as our marketing name and both company’s work on this site daily. I am sure the combination of Cabela’s Trophy Properties, Big Woods Properties and Fish Real Estate can help you buy, sell or trade that dream property.