Stimulus, What The Heck Is That... Something Tasty? - 12/29/09 10:38 PM
Stimulus is a popular word. Not a day goes by that we do not hear this word.
If you look at definitions, you will read that:
"A stimulus is anything that can trigger a physical or behavioral change. The plural of stimulus is stimuli. Examples of stimuli include irritants, sights, sounds, heat, cold, smells, or other sensations."
The further we go, the more and more we need to learn that plural is stimuli, because there are so many of them.
Even on AR. Yesterday was the end of a contest/bribe by AR in promoting Gary Keller's book 'Shift'. It was not … (33 comments)

Gary Keller's 'Shift", Ladies & Gentlemen! - 12/28/09 11:55 PM
I ordered Gary Keller's book after being bribed by Bob Stewart. On the one hand I was not very hyped with the contest, which was not a contest per se, but more like a marketing ploy.
On the other hand, It was a reason to read Gary's book, and after reading his Millionaire Real Estate Agent I had nothing against reading 'Shift', his next one. (You can purchase the book by going to http://giftofshift.com/activerain). And also try to write for points but try to make it not boring to death.
I am still reading, and it will take me some time. It is … (6 comments)

Shift in Internet Strategy. - 12/28/09 11:20 PM
It is a never ending discussion on how to handle information on our website. To give the information to customers on our sites or require them to register. How much information to give before asking them to register.
I think it was Missy Caulk, who long ago mentioned that she had one site with free information and no registration, and another one with registration, and that thought the free site generated much more traffic, the site requiring registration brought leads and closings.
It is a dilemma. What would we prefer, a site that generates a lot of traffic, or a site … (6 comments)

Market Shift.. Oh, Not Again... - 12/28/09 08:33 PM
I lost my job and immediately figured that in this area there was no way to get some other job with even close income. My mortgage was more than I could make a month in any of the jobs that I could find, there were no meaningful resources, we were in the corner.
I had a salesperson license in New York for several years, so in Florida I could go for my broker’s license but I could not afford to start. I did not have seed money to carry me for the next 6-8 months, and I did not have the … (10 comments)

If Gary Would Have Written Shift Before...The Shift Happened - 12/28/09 04:17 PM
After the market started drying out, we have reduced our expenses quite a bit. It was not a happy move on our side, and we resisted it for as long as we could, but the income was going down and the expenses felt as tighter and tighter grip on the bottom line. If we would call it a waist line, it got to perfect shape, and the only problem with perfect shape is that you often feel darn hungry all the time (LOL).
I remember calling Realtor.com and cancelling Showcase, for which we were paying $130 a month (for a company … (8 comments)

Saying "Honey" is not Shift... Gathering Nectar Is - 12/27/09 11:58 PM
What I always find on AR is high regard for the optimism. I think this is an American phenomenon, and no wonder that Americans are the most optimistic bunch in the world.
The weigh that people give the attitude is very high. But like with everything else in life, there are no absolutes.
My high school-aged grandson throws some ideas about who he would become, which in my opinion are often unrealistic, but he is insisting that the determination will help overcome everything. And to certain extent it is true. But from practical point of view it is very important to know … (14 comments)

Shift from “Time to Buy” to “You Missed It, Dude” - 12/27/09 09:33 PM
Internet is such a great thing. After years and years I started connected long lost dots, getting back into  my life those who sat with me at the same desk at school, shared a cigarette in college, people I worked with in different places…
I even had a luxury of having some as guests here in Florida. It was fun to meet a friend of ours from the university after 32 years. Andrew is a PhD, a successful businessman living in Moscow. He was quite vague about his company, but I knew that at one time he made presentations to then … (2 comments)

Shifts Happen... Not A Matter of IF...Just a Matter of WHEN - 12/27/09 04:26 PM
I was not too long in the country in general and in real estate in particular to unmistakeably know that Real Estate was cyclical. So, when the market started going bananas, I turned my weary eyes and ears ... of course, to NAR, for me at that time  unequivocally the voice and conscience of Realtors.
Now I am surprised to find out that except for me and NAR everyone else sort of new about the cyclical nature of Real Estate and business at large. I simply ended up in the wrong company, but at that time I simply did not know … (4 comments)

$19.95 for Shift? - 12/27/09 12:14 AM
It was January 2005 and we had booked a 7-night cruise on MSG Opera to the Eastern Caribbean. My wife and I have not traveled by water since a long time ago, in 1970, when we, 200 students, were escorted by the armed soldiers from the quarantine camp to a very old ship, which was supposed to take us from the cholera ravaged Astrkhan Region. Of course our hungry (in a hurry they sailed off without food) journey on the Volga River was a far cry from this Italian cruise liner.
This was really a far cry from it. A super … (15 comments)

See The Trojan Horse? Timeo Danaos Et Dona Ferentes - 12/23/09 12:33 AM
Linda Mae Croom posted A Huge Step Forward for Americans... It was meant as a declaration of support of Health Care for Americans. It turned as the support for President Obama and great dealmakers/lawbreakers lawmakers in the Senate.
If it is about Health Care, why so many doctors are against it? Why so many people are against it? References to religion and Bible are to support Linda's point of view, but you can always find wisdom there both for and against...
Supporters keep talking about the health care, and it is NOT about health care. Because it is enough to listen to doctors to understand it, … (42 comments)

We Made It To Forbes... Wow - 12/22/09 08:41 PM
Reading Orlando Business Journal (of course, online edition) and ran into this article Daytona Beach on Forbes list for falling home values. "Three Central Florida areas landed on a Forbes top 10 list of cities throughout the nation with the highest declines in residential property values since the real estate market hit its highs in those respective communities".
So, who are they?The Orlando metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is 10th among south region communities with a 30.9 percent loss in median home values from the peak of the market. The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville MSA was No. 8, with a nearly 37.7 percent decline in … (4 comments)

I Am Moving To Daytona Beach. Is it True That There Is No Income Tax? - 12/22/09 12:41 AM
This is the question I got in the e-mail. Is it true that there is no income tax to state residents in the State of Florida?Yes, this is true. But it does not mean that you take home everything you earn. For example, if you make $36,000 a year, it does not mean that your monthly take home income is $3,000.
Uncle Sam will still tax you and your Federal Income Tax will still apply. However, you will not have State and Local income tax like you have in New York.
Major taxes collected in Florida include sales and use tax, intangible … (10 comments)

It's Christmas Time. Be Safe - 12/20/09 11:56 PM
It is a Holiday Season, and with all the joy we may forget that there are more drivers out there, who had one too many drinks before hitting the road.
I was coming from a Listing Appointment from New Smyrna Beach, our southern neighbor, when I saw a Police officer steering traffic into one lane and slowing it down. I saw a yellow tape, and several Police officers working the scene. And then I saw that car that smashed into the house and the back of the car was sticking out of a smashed wall, wile the front end was all … (1 comments)

Vince Carter Scoring Big in Business? - 12/20/09 11:25 PM
Every time I am going north to Ormond Beach or Palm Coast, I check this construction site, just a couple of hundred yards from the I-95 interchange in Holly Hill. The building is not finished and the construction crew is rushing trying to complete the project, but the sign Vince Carter's is already there.
For those, who is as far from basketball as I am, he is a NBA athlete, who recently was acquired by Orlando Magic, and is now so close to home, which is... Daytona Beach. A very poipular and loved celebrity in Daytona Beach. And Vince Carter's Restaurant is his newest … (8 comments)

America on sale? With Nebraska's First Right of Refusal? - 12/19/09 08:32 PM
After coming to the United States in 1991, I thought I came to paradise (even though we went through hunger, and a lot of difficulties), and I was eager to cut throat to anyone who said a bad word about the US, and at that time I did not care who the President was, and what was his party affiliation.
With time I more and more started becoming an American, and my views started shaping up. But I am still very new to politics, and the latest election was basically my first experience with the  American politics.
That's wy it is not … (59 comments)

The Lender Holds the Ground. Who's The First To Throw A Stone? - 12/19/09 07:06 PM
It is very common for a real estate community to demand the Lenders to be more submissive (check Force Banks to Modify Their Behavior )
Let us replace the word Bank with the word Lender. Fair?
Here's the story. A couple bought a commercial property. They have a mortgage for about $250K. Later they got a private loan for $90K secured by the mortgage for the same property, which is in the second position.
The owners since left the area, and wanted to sell it. They first got an offer for $550K, but they wanted more, then they got it under contract … (23 comments)

New York Cheesecake and Real Estate - 12/19/09 02:24 PM
We have tried different closing gifts, and one of those is inviting the Buyers to a restaurant. Here is a story of one of the dinners we had through the years.
Actually these were our buyers and sellers. We sold 3 of their condo-hotels units in one resort and helped them buy another unit in a different resort. They lived in South Florida bit were the transplants from New York, and though they were retired, the husband was doing remodeling of very high-end homes and she helped him with the design.
Refined couple, New York street smart, sharp, no BS... Always dressed up, looked very … (16 comments)

Am I Blind or What? Showing the unit in Ocean Walk Resort in Daytona Beach. - 12/19/09 12:40 AM
I am showing units in Ocean Walk Resort, the most luxurious condo-hotel resort in Daytona Beach area. Great amenities, relatively new (South Tower was built in 2001). This is a warm but gloomy and very windy day, and the outdoor pools are empty, no kids on the so popular slides on in the lazy river.
We are looking at a 683 sq. ft. one-bedroom unit and also at a 2 bdr/2 bath lock-out unit, with two separate one-bdrm units side by side.
To show a lock-out unit I had to call the agent, and she kindly agrees to come and let us in. She … (46 comments)

Hawaiian Inn - Daytona Beach Shores Condo-Hotel - 12/15/09 12:55 AM
Hawaiian Inn Resort2301 S Atlantic AveDaytona Beach Shores, FL 32118Hawaiian Inn is a very popular family resort in Daytona Beach Shores with guests coming year after year for over a decade or more. Of  course, there are newer or nicer resorts, but it holds its grounds ... or held it pretty well until recently.A popular Daytona Beach Shores condo-hotel is undergoing major renovations, and in the recession we have now, you really can't find a worse time that this.
Hawaiian Inn, converted to condo-hotel about 10 years ago, was showing its age. It was built in 1965, and this is a … (5 comments)

Buying a Condo In Daytona Beach - 12/13/09 11:58 PM
So, you have chosen a nice vacation condo unit on the Beachside, submitted an offer, got it accepted, and now it is just a waiting game.
A long one if this is a short sale, or a much shorter if this is either a regular sale or an REO.
So, the times goes, everything looks OK. Can you go to the closing. Not so fast. you would still have to deal with the Condo Owners Association.
A couple of surprises can wait you here. If you look at the condo association disclosure, that goes with the contract, you will notice that … (6 comments)

Prices in Oceans Grand Condominium in Daytona Beach Shores - 12/13/09 11:25 PM
Oceans Grand Condominiums2 Oceans West Blvd.,Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118This 21-story condominium, the last in the Oceans series and the last condo over 12-stories in Daytona Beach Shores. 189 units, 9' ceilings, terrific views with ocean, Halifax River or both from every unit higher than 3rd -4th floor. Large units, six 2 bdr/ 2 baths plus den units on the floor, and four 3 bdr/3 baths units on each floor. All rooms having water view, very light and airy. Very spacious units, granite countertops. All amenities, assigned underground parking, pets allowed.The condominium buildingis not directly on the ocean, it is actually … (2 comments)

Everything German. A Tale From The Past - 12/12/09 06:44 PM
It was 1948. 3 years after the war ended and 3 years before I was born. Our neighbors invited my mom my 5-year old brother to their kid's birthday party. In the middle of the party somebody asked my brother what he would do when he grows up.
"When I grow up, I will get a machine gun and  tra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta... kill all the Germans in the world", declared Mark. 
Our neighbors were ...Germans. Germans, who lived in Russia since Katherine the Great, but ...Germans. They were exiled to Central Asian republic of Tajikistan by Stalin because they were Germans... It was very awkward. But I can't … (11 comments)

Judge, Get My Virginity Back. I Did Not Enjoy The Sex! - 12/12/09 11:43 AM
Bill Archambault posted A Very Bad Day For Home Owners And The Real Estate Industry. Read the post. I think it makes a lot of sense. It is about a decision by a New York judge to wipe out a $525,000 loan. Just wipe out. Not debt, no interest, nothing... Gotta be a sweet dream, but it is a reality, no matter how much you bruise yourself pinching to wake up...
It is shocking...
It is not shocking...
It can't be that the only person radically changing the course of the country is the President of the United States of America. So, … (25 comments)

Who the Heck Was He? - 12/12/09 01:32 AM
You see someone, and you are absolutely sure that you know the person and know very well, but you can't figure when and where you met this person. Has it ever happened to you? It is an awkward feeling.
I was showing units in Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center a few months ago. We looked at several units in this condo-hotel, and were on our way back. I was standing waiting for the elevator and right across from me a man and a woman, I think his mom, were getting their suitcases into an oceanfront unit. Something looked familiar. Yes, … (6 comments)

Sunglow Beach Resort - A Condo-Hotel in Daytona Beach Shores - 12/09/09 09:12 AM
Sunglow Beach Resort3647 S Atlantic AveDaytona Beach Shores, Fl 32118
I never wrote about Sunglow Beach Resort before. Technically it is a condo-hotel, and they do not allow homestead, so it is a transient facility only, however it was built in 1985, much later than all of the condo-hotel conversions, which were built in the mid 60s to late 70s.
It is in Daytona Beach Shores, but it is too far south and, as many hoteliers say, there is no life south of Dunlawton Ave, and Sunglow Beach Resortis right there, south of Dunlawton Ave, the last road to the mainland, … (5 comments)

Fountain Beach Resort, A Condo-Hotel in the heart of Daytona Beach - 12/07/09 05:36 PM
FOUNTAIN BEACH RESORT
Fountain Beach Resort is a condo-hotel in the heart of Daytona Beachside. 149-room hotel was converted to a condo-hotel in 1998-1999. The hayday came in spring 2004 and the prices started going up at accellerated pace and from low to high $30s reached $70s-$80s by the time Hurricane Charley hit Daytona Beach in August 2004.
Charley was the most destructive from 4 major Hurricanes, which affected our area, but it was the first, the fastest, and it did not kill our spirit. It actually pumped the adrenaline. We were writing a contract next day after Hurricane Charley.
The roads … (6 comments)

Buying a Condo in Daytona Beach Shores. What is CCCL? - 12/05/09 02:05 AM
Can we put together the offer? That's what the customer on the other end of the phone line asked me today. He saw the condo on Trulia.
Of course..
And in no time we e-mail the Contract with Addenda for this lovely direct Oceanfront condo unit in Oceans One in Daytona Beach Shores. Best priced unit, and not even on MLS, but we are lucky to know about it. No, we do not represent the Seller in this short sale. We, as usual, are working with buyers.
In a long instruction accompanying the Contract and addenda I suggest that if there are any … (3 comments)

Oceans One Condominium in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida - 12/05/09 01:53 AM
The most well known complex of Condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores is the Oceans. Today we make a short stop at Oceans One at 3051 South Atlantic Ave.
This is a 21-story Condominium oceanfront building completed in 1974. 120 two-bedroom / two baths units, ranging in size from 1,112 sq. ft. to 1,247 sq. ft.  
Of course, this is not a really luxury building, ceiling height is 8', coin laundry on each floor. There is a pool outside, it is heated, but because we, Floridians, are spoiled and not really use pool in winter, it is not going to be heated through … (2 comments)

 
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Jon Zolsky, your Daytona Beach, Florida connection

Daytona Beach, FL

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Jon Zolsky, Daytona Condo Realty LLC, 386-405-4408

Address: 313 S Atlantic Ave., Suite A, Daytona Beach, FL, 32118

Office Phone: (386) 255-5355

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