If you’re planning a new kitchen for your Poconos home, you may go onto popular homebuilding or home improvement sites such as Houzz.com or BHG.com for ideas. Chances are, you’ll see some stunningly beautiful kitchens. You may even pick up some great decorating ideas for your home. But there’s more that goes into making a great kitchen than what meets the eye.

What if you love the location and basic layout of your current Poconos home—but just want (or need) a little extra space? An addition to your existing home may just solve your dilemma, without the hassle and expense of selling and moving. But what kind of addition makes the most sense?

Without a doubt, the kitchen is the heart of your Poconos Mountain home. For a lot of people the Poconos region is synonymous with a rustic style. But what could that look like in your new kitchen? Can you combine rustic, casual, or mountain styles with elegance and quality? Can you create an atmosphere that says, “Welcome to cabin living in the Poconos” without sacrificing comfort and convenience?

Building a custom home is a very personal experience. Your home, after all, is a reflection of your tastes, your sense of style, and your personality. So what is your “custom home personality”? What are the things that shape it?

The name Tobyhanna Township has a nice ring to it—even if it doesn’t exactly flow easily from the lips. The township’s name has its origins in Native American language, roughly translated as, “a stream whose banks are fringed with alder". Those trees—and others—were later to play a significant role in the development of the area. For many years, however, the area was largely undeveloped with only 239 residents calling the township home in 1830. By 1900 the population was still below 900 residents.

The Poconos Mountains are actually a poorly kept secret. Plenty of people from up and down the East Coast find their way into the region every year to enjoy the great scenery; to ski the mountains in the winter; and to take advantage of the trails, waterfalls, and beautiful foliage at other times in the year.

Setting the budget for your new home in the Poconos is one of the most critical steps you’ll take in the homebuilding process. So how do you “get it right”? It’s a process that’s filled with questions. Let’s take a look at some of the key questions that will help you get things off on the right foot and ensure that you end up with the Poconos home that’s right for you.

Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got til its gone.

—Joni Mitchell

Outdoor life in the Poconos is about much more than wooded trails, waterfalls, and winter ski runs. The Poconos region is home to some of the finest golf courses you’ll find anywhere in the country. It may a bit early for golf at the moment, but now’s the time to take a look at 8 of the most amazing golf courses within easy driving distance so that when the weather warms up you’ll be ready to tee things up!

There’s an old saying that “fences make good neighbors.” That may well be true, but here in the Poconos we think there’s more to the story than that. If you’re considering building a new home in the region, paying attention to who different neighborhoods is essential!