SOLD OUT! 49 Poconos Northslope II Townhome Units SOLD OUT in ONLY 2 Weekends!

SOLD OUT! 
COURT ORDERED SALE 
Poconos Northslope II 49 Townhome Units SOLD OUT in ONLY 2 Weekends! 


Brought to you by Wilkins & Associates Commercial Brokers

Shawnee OK’d to Sell 49 Timeshares

By David Pierce
Pocono Record Writer
January 23, 2014

A plan to convert and sell 49 failed Shawnee timeshare units as wholly owned townhomes won final approval Tuesday from Monroe County Judge Arthur Zulick.

The unusual conversion of the Middle Smithfield Township quarter-shares is the result of a two-year legal process launched by three timeshare holders. The Shawneequarters Association agreed to represent all quarter-share holders in the class-action suit that will result in the association eventually dissolving itself.

The converted townhomes — about a two-minute drive from Shawnee Mountain Ski Area — will become part of the Northslope II development and be subject to its covenants and declarations. Some 76 other units at Northslope II were built as and operate as townhomes.

Of the 196 quarter-shares, 110 went into default over the years, with the deeds going back to Shawneequarters Association. Some 44 of the 49 units had been shut down and disconnected from utilities.

Shawneequarters Association owes more than $600,000 in delinquent property taxes it was unable to collect. Total delinquencies, including unpaid dues, exceed $1 million.

Zulick gave quarter-share owners until Jan. 3 to file objections to the proposed settlement, but none was received. A few timeshare owners called to inquire about the process.

“The people calling were asking when are they going to get their checks,” attorney Joe Wiesmeth, representing three quarter-shares holders, told the judge.

The furnished 1,200-square-foot townhome units will be sold by Wilkins & Associates in an auction-style cash sale. All sales must be closed within 30 days after the sales agreement is executed. Though the homes are subject to bid, they are listed at $49,900 for interior units and $52,900 for end units.

Buyer offers for less than the list price are subject to board approval.

Total sales are expected to fetch about $2.5 million. About $1.5 million of that will pay back taxes, back association fees and attorney, Realtor and title bills.

About $1 million will be distributed to the former timeshare holders. Someone owing $15,000 in back taxes and fees will receive $6,000 to be applied to retiring those debts. No one owing more than $15,000 will receive a distribution, said Realtor Tom Wilkins.

Quarter-share holders who are current with all fees and taxes will receive an extra payment.

Taxes on each quarter-share unit amounted to about $8,000. The Monroe County Assessment Office agreed to new assessments for the townhomes that will lower county, municipal and school taxes to about $3,600 per year.

Wilkins noted the lower tax bills will be offset by the payment of uncollected back taxes.

Northslope II association dues are estimated to be $225 to $265 per month. Northslope II will retain title to and perform maintenance on the exterior.

Area real estate agents are invited to a Feb. 2 open house to learn more about the sales process. Showings by appointment only will be conducted by Wilkins & Associates during the following three weekends. Closings will take place in March.

“By April 30, this will be a done deal,” Wilkins said.

For the original article from the Pocono Record click here.

Pocono Timeshares To Be Sold at “Auction Style” Sale

Shawnee – Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO of Wilkins & Associates Commercial Brokers, Inc., announced that his office has been contracted to sell 49 townhome units at Northslope II, a timeshare development located in Shawnee-on-Delaware in the Pocono Mountains.  Wilkins along with Joseph S. Wiesmeth, Esq. and Craig Roberts from Pennsylvania First Settlement Services teamed up in 2012 and developed a proposal for selling the timeshare units as fee simple ownership.  The timeshare development, developed in the mid-80s by Shawnee Development, Inc. (SDI) was built as an interval ownership project.

In 2012, the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas, in front of the Honorable Judge Arthur Zulick, certified a lawsuit filed by the Association as a Class Action suit.  In the Class Action suit its Board of Directors was named as Trustee to represent all the Class members.

Said Wilkins, “What we did is get a super majority vote of the owners, including those who were delinquent, and have the Association members ratify that there was more value in selling the units as whole owner units than there was in continuing as timeshare.”  Wilkins further stated “An overwhelming majority of the owners have owned for 20+ years.  Some had either passed away, their children were grown and other factors made it impossible for them to continue paying dues.”  The lawsuit stated a delinquency rate of close to 90 percent. 

Wilkins and his partners have done the converting of timeshares in other parts of the Poconos.  In 2007, they sold the Wild Acres timeshares in Pike County in an “auction style” sale.  The Northslope II timeshare will be sold in a similar fashion.

The Monroe County Taxing Authority will receive over $670,000 in delinquent real estate taxes at the time of the sale.  In mid-2012, RCI, the world leader in timesharing exchange terminated their accreditation of the quartershare timeshare program at Northslope II which in fact rendered the timeshares worthless.  The estimated value of the intervals-, as timeshare or interval ownership, was stated to the court to be anywhere between $100 and $300.  The units as fee simple interest are being offered to the general public at $49,900 for interior units and $52,900 for end units.  “Said Wilkins, “the sale is scheduled for February 8-9, 14-16 and 22-23; I am estimating all the units will sell without any problem.  It is a cash sale.”

Stated Joseph S. Wiesmeth, Esquire, attorney for the Plaintiffs, “This is really a win/win/win circumstance.  All of owners will be credited from the money received from the sale and those owners who are not delinquent could receive an estimated amount anywhere from $16,000 to $19,000.  The county will win by receiving all of the delinquent real estate taxes which is close to $700,000 and the new owners have the ability to get a great opportunity at, what at one time was a very active development.”

Currently, there are 76 whole-owned units at Northslope II and when combined with the timeshare units should make it a very viable association with approximately 125 units.  Northslope II is a combination of rental units, vacation homes and primary homes for professional and retired persons.  The development is located two minutes from the Shawnee Ski area.

Any timeshare member who opposed the plan and distribution of funds was given until January 3^rd to file an objection.  No objections were filed with the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas.  A hearing to consider final approval of the sales plan is being held on January 21, 2014 in front of the Honorable Judge Arthur Zulick at 1:30 p.m.

For further information, about the sale, please visit www.shawneetownhome.com call the Wilkins office at (570) 421-5409.  All buyers should be registered.   There is no obligation to buy if you register.  Appointments on the days of the sale are requested.

25 Years of flexibility, service, can-do attitude

By Melinda Rizzo

Special for Lehigh Valley Business

Customer service, attention to detail, a can-do attitude toward clients and willingness to offer a flexible menu of tailored services are among the reasons Wilkins and Associates Property Management is celebrating its silver business anniversary this year.

Thomas Wilkins, CEO of Wilkins & Associates Property Management, Wilkins & Associates Commercial Brokers, WACB Property Management (formerly NEPA Management) based in Stroudsburg, said this basic recipe has built long-term relationships with clients, as well as forged new territory when a client needs change.

WACB Property Management also offers related business services to clients, such as real estate tax appeals and tax consultation, according to Wilkins.

“I still have the first contract we took 25 years ago,” Wilkins said of this year’s quarter-century anniversary.

According to Wilkins, the privately owned, property management firm offers a three-tiered menu of services including financial (book-keeping and record keeping), business administration services and operations and facilities maintenance and management.

“Our clients can pick and choose either one, two or all three of the services we offer for their property management needs,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins & Associates offers property management services for residential, multi-family, commercial, property owner’s associations, condo-townhouse and investment properties throughout northeastern Pennsylvania, including throughout Monroe and Pike counties.

Wilkins & Associates also is a Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate firm, offering residential, commercial and relocation real estate services.

OPTIONS FOR CLIENTS

The property management arm of Wilkins & Associates offers accounting and financial management, leasing and rental services, asset-controlled real estate and operation services.

According to Wilkins, offering various options to clients means addressing needs rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all box.

Clients include residential communities with townhouses and condominiums, banks, hotel/motels, third-party investor properties, corporate property investments and time share communities.

“The biggest challenge with managing time shares, which is a specialty market, is the (number) of owners, furnished units and the in-and-out exchanges on the property,” Wilkins said.

DEVELOPING A BOND AND TRUST

Kathryn Harper-Johnson, president of Northslope II in East Stroudsburg, said having one firm represent all facets of property management for the community’s private homes and “quarter-share” units made practical sense.

“It helps to have one contact, and work with one company for all the various things involved in taking care of our community. It just stream-lines things rather than dealing with four or five different companies,” Harper-Johnson said.

According to Harper-Johnson, the continuity of regularly seeing the same professionals is an added bonus.

“You develop a bond and a (strong) trust with the people managing the property for you,” Harper-Johnson said.

Harper-Johnson said Wilkins & Associates takes care of it all: from bookkeeping and financial planning to facilities, administrative duties and landscape management contracting including snow and trash removal and landscaping.

LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS

Not all clients have the same needs.

Jeffrey Weichel, treasurer of Stones Throw Property Owners Association, a residential community in East Stroudsburg, said bookkeeping and fiscal management are the only services for which they are contract with Wilkins & Associates.

“After doing our own books for several years, we decided to delegate those duties,” Weichel said of the all-volunteer board managing the homeowners association.

Stones Throw is a 119-home community, and Wilkins & Associates handles maintenance fees, member monthly dues and late notices.

Wilkins said business contract terms typically run three years, and he’s dedicated to establishing long-term relationships with clients.

“The majority of our clients are with us for the long haul,” Wilkins said.

The Wilkins & Associates Property Management Office is open 7 days a week. You can visit them online at www.nepamgmt.com.

1st Ever Realogy FWD Innovation Summit attended by Wilkins'

Madison, NJ - Tom and Christine Wilkins, owners of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates, were invited guests to the 1^st Realogy FWD Innovation Summit at their new headquarters on Park Avenue in Madison, New Jersey.  The Innovation Summit, the first ever hosted by Realogy, a global leader in real estate franchising, was attended by 150 invited guests who included Brokers, real estate bloggers, nationally recognized real estate consultants and members of the Realogy Franchise Group. including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Coldwell Banker, Century 21, ERA, and Sotheby’s International Realty.

The FWD Innovation Summit featured 15 of the top software companies, most of them start-ups that had an interest in displaying their products to such an audience.  It was an impressive field of 15 emerging companies that presented their innovative, new technology products and services at Realogy’s headquarters in Madison, New Jersey.  Said Sherry Chris, CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, LLC, “We received over 900 applications when we reached out.  The 15 companies you are seeing today are the result of our sifting through each of those applications.  Today you will truly see the best of the best.”  Chris chaired the committee that selected the final contestants.  The winner of the Summit received a $25,000 check from Realogy. 

The Innovation Summit was opened with remarks from Alex E. Perriello III, President and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group.  In attendance also was Richard Smith, Chairman of Realogy Holding Corp.  Perriello told the audience that what they were going to see was truly where the real estate market was nationally and for that fact, globally and that the products being offered were truly one of a kind.  Each presenter had a set period of time to present their product to the audience.  Then, a committee of 6 judges asked questions of the applicants as to how their product would interface with Agents and Brokers, where was the company in bringing their product to market, what was the cost to use the product and how did they feel their product would enhance the experience of buyers and sellers who obviously are the ones that make the market place.

Said Christine Wilkins, General Manager, “I was on the edge of my seat the entire day!  My favorite was an interactive 3-D model that allows you to see a building, house or apartment in 3-D.  It was absolutely amazing.”  Wilkins also said, “I’m happy to say that my favorite won 1^st Place.”  Floored, who you can visit at www.floored.com was one of the most visited booths during the lunch break and after the summit concluded.  Said Perriello, “Floored and its 3-D modeling capability truly stood out among today’s field of talented entrepreneurs.” 

Founded by Dave Isenberg in 2012, Isenberg entered the corporate world and soon joined Bonobos’s as their first hire.  Years later, he flew westward to build the next great retail data platform at TellApart.  Isenberg has a BA from Harvard.

Runners-up were HomeZada, a company whose software helps homeowners organize and manage their home, and the other finalist was BuyerMLS, a real-time buyer marketplace for Agents.

All the other companies were well received by the audience and included MyCityWay, a local search and discovery platform that provides a live view into more than 100 cities; Updater, a product that simplifies moving by handling change of address and utility hook-up from a single website; HomeLight, who match consumers with Agents based on skill, location and experience to mention a few.

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “I get it.  Or rather let me say I want to get it.  To stay atop of new programs as they are coming on board is simply mind boggling.  I am so glad that 8 years ago when presented with the choice of either learning how to market online or retire, I took the challenge of embracing that real estate was moving its platform online and today proves that.”

The Wilkins organization prides itself on being one of the most adept real estate companies in the Pocono Mountains that utilizes the web for 95% of their buyers and sellers.  Wilkins also said, “Surrounding myself with young people like my son Tommy Wilkins, and Samantha Bonnett, who works with us handling our online contact management systems is really how you get the knowledge and understanding of marketing online.  Our sales are up 50% year-to-date for 2013, so I’m going to say that the online process is not only here to stay, but that it works.”

The FWD Innovation Summit was so well received by the audience, Realogy, at the end of the day, promised to have more of these type summits in the future.  To learn more about Realogy Holdings Corp (NYSE:RLGY)—The business of Real Estate, they can be found online at www.realogy.com.

PHOTO:

Left to Right:   Thomas R. Wilkins CEO Better Homes and Gardens Wilkins & Assoc;  Christine A. Wilkins Gen Mgr. Better Homes and Gardens Wilkins & Assocs and Alex Perriello, Pres & CEO Realogy Franchise Group 

Evergreen Golf Club Purchased by Stroud Township

Stroudsburg – Wilkins & Associates Commercial Brokers announced the sale of the former Evergreen Golf Club to the Stroud Township Supervisors.

Said Daryl Eppley, Stroud Twp. Vice Chair/Secretary, “The Stroud Township Supervisors, myself included, are all pleased to preserve another very important parcel along the Brodhead Greenway as planned by township residents and our conservation and recreation partners”

Prior to Stroud Township purchasing the property, Evergreen Golf Club operated as a 9-hole public golf course until its closing in 2010.

Christine A. Wilkins, Exec VP/Gen Mgr. for Wilkins & Assoc. Commercial Brokers, handled the sale on behalf of Penn Hills Enterprises, seller. Said Wilkins, “This is a great opportunity for Stroud Township and the people who live here. It was an exciting sale and I was pleased to be a part of it.” The Wilkins Organization was employed to sell the golf course and the parcel was listed and sold by Scrofano-Wilkins.

The parcel contained approximately 42 pristine acres, is bounded by the Brodheads Creek, and included a clubhouse and small maintenance shed. Entrance to the Evergreen Golf Club, once a very popular attraction for Penn Hill Resort guests, the public and golf leagues, is off Cherry Lane Road.

“In addition to its value in protecting clean water for private wells and public wells for the 25,000 people and 1,000 businesses served by the Brodhead Creek Regional Authority this new park can provide fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, biking, wildlife watching and numerous other recreational activities.” said Eppley Stroud Twp. Supervisor. Eppley also stated, “The Supervisors are especially pleased that Charles Poalillo, President of Penn Hills Enterprises, chose to preserve the land with the township he served as a dedicated volunteer for many years on the planning commission.”

Poalillo bought Evergreen Golf Club in December of 1971. “Charles bought the golf club to service Penn Hills couples and the general public. Poalillo operated the golf club until 2010.” said Wilkins.” “Everyone has always appreciated the beauty of the property, that’s why it’s exciting to have Stroud Township preserve that same beauty.” boasted Wilkins.

Eppley added, “Considering all the opportunities that the property offers, the initial consensus is to prepare a master plan for the transformation of the former Evergreen Golf Club into “ForEvergreen Park.”

L to R - James L. Decker, Stroud Twp Supervisor; Edward C. Cramer, Stroud Twp Supervisors; Daryl Eppley, Stroud Twp Supervisor Vice Chair/Secretary; Charles A. Poalillo, Christine A. Wilkins, Exec VP/Gen Mgr., Wilkins & Assoc. Commercial Brokers, Inc.