Could it be? the Invasion is slowing down?

[Dredly]

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...NEWS/812200335

Monroe County building permit numbers plunge

The numbers tell the story of plummeting home construction in Monroe County.

Barely more than 400 residential building permits have been issued so far this year by the county's 20 municipalities, according to the Monroe County Planning Department.

This compares with 855 new home construction permits issued last year, and 1,372 permits approved in 2006. As recently as 2004, there were four times as many residential building permits — 1,644 — as in 2008.

Monroe County Planning Director John Woodling says the 404 home building permits issued this year probably don't fully illustrate the construction decline.

"In my travels I haven't seen 400 homes under construction," Woodling said. "I'm pretty surprised, actually, there were that many. It's reasonable to assume not all of those are being built."

The 2008 statistics include residential permits through September for all 20 municipalities, and reports from about half of them for October and November. But Woodling doesn't expect the final 2008 figures to change much, and he doesn't see good prospects for the first half of 2009.

"I don't think so," he said, pointing to the international credit crisis.

"Right now this is a little more of a (local) downturn than in the early '90s. It wasn't as severe as this one has been already."

The most permits — 68 — were issued in Coolbaugh Township through November, but that's down from the 155 residential permits in 2007. Tobyhanna Township issued 52 permits through November, compared with 127 last year.

There were 43 permits issued in Middle Smithfield Township through November, down from the 147 permits last year.

Stroud Township issued 40 residential permits through September, compared with 80 for all of last year.

Any improvement in local housing starts will have to be sparked by a national improvement in the economy, Woodling said.

"I'm not that optimistic that anything could be done locally to get more housing construction or pump more money into the economy," he said.

"It's my understanding you need a good down payment and outstanding credit to get a mortgage now."

The Planning Department doesn't have statistics on commercial projects, but Woodling points to continuing significant retail store and restaurant construction along Route 611 and other parts of the county.

Commercial work will probably begin to drop off next year, he added.

"I think what you see are projects that have been in the pipeline for a while," Woodling said.

John Casella of Monroe County Career Link, the local jobs agency, says the local unemployment rate across all categories is 6.6 percent, compared wih 5.4 percent a year ago. He isn't sure how much of the increase is due to lack of construction work.

"We're not as bad off as other parts of the country," Casella said.

"We still have some restaurants and retail stores opening."

[God's Country]

It has to happen. I've been waiting for it for years. The housing industry in the Pocono's survives on it's proximity to NJ and NYC, and since the majority of the transplants want to have their cake and eat it too it's just a matter of time before the charm of "living in the country" wears off for many for one reason or another.

[sxHarr05]

Good. Maybe not for the local economy, but I'm being selfish. Bought our place in Blakeslee to get away and eventually retire to. I wanna be alone, damnit!

Oh, and just to be clear, our cabin is NOT new construction. Well, 30 years ago it was..................

[mrnyman]

Why would we want the the "invasion' to slow down?

The "invaders" from back east Pay the high school taxes, buy the the houses, buy the 4x4;s and cars to commute to work in NY and NJ, where they make real money, shop at home depot, lowes, Walmart, eat at the restaurants, tip the "kids" that work at these restaurants.

Without the 'invaders ' from back east the economy of NEpa would simply collapse.

nyman

[Dredly]

Why would we want the the "invasion' to slow down?

The "invaders" from back east Pay the high school taxes, buy the the houses, buy the 4x4;s and cars to commute to work in NY and NJ, where they make real money, shop at home depot, lowes, Walmart, eat at the restaurants, tip the "kids" that work at these restaurants.

Without the 'invaders ' from back east the economy of NEpa would simply collapse.

nyman

the "invaders" from New York don't pay any state income tax in PA, the ones from NJ pay a fraction of what PA residents pay... but they still use all the same services, actually they normally use MORE then the average PA resident, and they pay nothing for it.

They are also responsible for a significantly higher cost of living in the NE Region, a cost of living which is barely sustainable for those people not working in the other two states.

The number of "invaders" who live in "resort communities" is enormous and is a huge drain on the economy. They are not paying their share of anything, they are actually draining it from the rest of us.


so yes, the invasion slowing down is a great thing

[camper]

We moved out of Moscow becaue the New Yorkers were starting to encroach there, too. It wasn't the ONLY reason we moved out of there and a little bit further north, but it definitely was on the "con" list. My wife and I are definitely country mice, and the NYC "attitude" is one that we both unilaterally despise.

Much happier where we are now, but honestly...I work in Monroe county so my commute has doubled. Not happy about that, at all.

camper

[dc dalton]

God I hope so!

My next hope is it gets so damn expensive for them to commute they move the F back to where they came from.

Far be it from me to hope the economy and housing market gets worse but if it pushes these lowlifes back over the Water Gap bridge I say BRING ON THE PAIN!

[God's Country]

Ask me why I now live in McKean county

[ReefBlue]

Why would we want the the "invasion' to slow down?

The "invaders" from back east Pay the high school taxes, buy the the houses, buy the 4x4;s and cars to commute to work in NY and NJ, where they make real money, shop at home depot, lowes, Walmart, eat at the restaurants, tip the "kids" that work at these restaurants.

Without the 'invaders ' from back east the economy of NEpa would simply collapse.

nyman

Exactly.

The people that actually commute on a daily basis, catching that 4am bus, are paying PA taxes because their state of residence is Pennsylvania.

In the parking lots of Walmart, Target, BJ, Lowes, Home Depot and the Stroud Mall is one NY license plate after another.

And you know why there is a thriving Walmart, Target, BJ, Lowes, Home Depot and the Stroud Mall? Because in the parking lot is one NY plate after another. You can't get near these stores on a weekend.

[camper]

Exactly.

The people that actually commute on a daily basis, catching that 4am bus, are paying PA taxes because their state of residence is Pennsylvania.

In the parking lots of Walmart, Target, BJ, Lowes, Home Depot and the Stroud Mall is one NY license plate after another.

And you know why there is a thriving Walmart, Target, BJ, Lowes, Home Depot and the Stroud Mall? Because in the parking lot is one NY plate after another. You can't get near these stores on a weekend.

And don't forget the crime they bring with them. Their teenage kids are left alone from 4am until 7pm every single day to do whatever it was they used to do in NYC.

It's ironic that they left the city for a 'better life' for their kids, but since the parents are gone all day the kids are simply doing what they know, and what they know is the crap their parents left the city to get away from. But now your kids get taught to do it, too.

camper