Moving from NY or NJ? Your mortgage is the easy part — if you know the local rules.

Yes. Lenders qualify you on your income, not where it's earned. W-2 commuters and remote workers qualify normally; if you're going remote or hybrid, underwriters may ask for a letter from your employer confirming the arrangement is permanent. Self-employed borrowers use the same two-year documentation rules in PA as anywhere else.

Yes — and in the Poconos this surprises a lot of relocators. Many communities charge annual dues, and lenders count the monthly equivalent in your debt-to-income ratio, exactly like a car payment. Some communities also charge a one-time capital contribution at closing, which raises your cash to close.

PA charges a realty transfer tax — typically 2% of the purchase price, customarily split between buyer and seller — and most counties have no mansion tax or mortgage recording tax like NY. Our quote tool itemizes every fee, down to the county transfer tax, so you can compare your real cash to close before you offer.

You need a lender licensed in PA — and you'll have a much easier time with one who knows Pocono properties. Wells, septic systems, log homes, and gated-community fees are routine here but can stall an out-of-area lender's underwriting. We close around them every month.

Some Pocono communities — Saw Creek and Lake Naomi among them — charge new owners a one-time fee at closing that funds community amenities. It can run from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. We include it in your cash-to-close estimate up front, so it never shows up as a surprise at the closing table.