A Monument To My Grandmother… - 02/29/12 09:15 PM
51 years ago a Russian/Soviet poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko published a poem “Babiy Yar”.
I am convinced that no other poem in the Soviet Union/Russia had the same effect as Babiy Yar.  Ever…
It was like a nuke exploded in the Soviet Union. For so many people it was a breath of fresh air, a word of truth said in the empire of lie. For many others it was what a red cloth is to the enraged bull…
No, I do not think that this is the best poem ever written in Russian… but this poem stands out not on its … (19 comments)

Hawaiian Inn Resort. Market Snapshot. Daytona Beach Shores. March 2012 - 02/29/12 12:59 PM
Hawaiian Inn Resort. Market Snapshot. Daytona Beach Shores. March 2012
Hawaiian Inn Resort is a popular resort in Daytona Beach Shores. It has been converted to condo-hotel a decade ago and since then enjoyed popularity among both owners and guests.

The resort has undergone massive renovation in the last 3 years. Concrete restoration has been completed. The sliding doors, which were not included in the Assessment and were the responsibility of owner, have been installed, and it is a fully functional condo-hotel at this time.
Maintenance fee is for now same $450 a month. It can be changed after … (4 comments)

Dreaming of Simple Life - 02/28/12 06:32 PM
Everybody does. And everybody have their own concept of simple life. Mine is a dream of password-less life. I even remember the time when we did not have it… But that tells you how old I really am…
Maybe I am that uncommon breed that hates passwords. Hates them with gusto. There is really not much that people can steal from me, I think… And these passwords are so freaking annoying…
But they are sort of unavoidable. So, I use one password everywhere I can. I do not care whether it is weak, or strong, I just need it so that … (25 comments)

Best 1-Bdr Condos for Under $100K on Beachside. Daytona Area. March 2012 - 02/28/12 03:17 PM
There are 47 one-bedroom condos for sale on the beachside in Greater Daytona Area, which is this barrier island between the ocean on the East and Halifax River (Intracoastal Waterway) on the West. It varies in width from 3 to 7 hundred yards.
Prices start from $35K for 608 sf in Ocean Garden, converted from the apartment building at the peak of the market to a 1,015 sf Marina front condo in Harbour Village in Ponce Inlet for $450K.
First of all, the inventory is very low. I do not remember the exact numbers, but I would not be surprised if … (0 comments)

Condo-Hotel Market in Daytona Beach Area - 02/26/12 11:57 PM
Condo-Hotel Market in Daytona Beach Area
First and foremost – the inventory is shrinking. Lately it was shrinking slower, but it is normal due to our seasonal activity, which slows down in winter. Late spring is when it really starts warming up, even though it seems we have early start this year, as we are getting unseasonably busy.
So what do we have? Well, we have 151 condo-hotel units for sale in greater Daytona Beach Area.
3 years ago at high point we had 366 units for sale. Going to 151 is a huge drop, and it is reminding me of … (10 comments)

Market is Changing - 02/26/12 11:11 PM
We have been watching foreclosure sale at the county court. When we have the client, we go and bid, if not, we keep track of some of the properties, which we find interesting.
This over 3,000 sf house on Daytona's beachside attracted our attention because it had a lot of character. It is unfortunate that it belonged to a Real Estate broker and his wife, an agent, who buckled under the pressure of the market.
They have heavily invested in the house, added second story, made it a Spanish styled home with beautiful tiled floors throughout, a lot of cast iron (fences … (2 comments)

What We Can And What We Can't - 02/26/12 10:49 PM
Quite some time ago I ran into an AR Member from South Florida, who was posting wonderful blog posts, and the only problem with it was that he used to copy the content from Miami Herald and paste it into his blog, and, of course, there was no attribution, nothing.
Well, attribution in this case is just an ethical point, it is not a legal one, and it does not mean that once you attribute it to the author and link to the source, everything becomes fine...
It does not.
The member took critique very personally and turned nasty, declaring … (13 comments)

Do You Really Know? - 02/26/12 09:37 PM
This is the Internet era. When we sit at the computer, who is the smartest, the fastest, simply the best?
We are....
We can get information by a single click, we can find anything and it means we know everything.
Is the ultimate knowledge a click away?
People walk into our office and ask a question, and rush away with the answer avoiding a conversation. 
«I only need the price» or «I only need to know what the Association fee is» or for condo-hotels "what is the split between the rental company and the owner", or something else. Always bits and pieces … (4 comments)

Ocean Walk Wyndham Resort. Market Snapshot - 02/26/12 02:51 PM
Ocean Walk Wyndham Resort. Market Snapshot
Last time I wrote about Ocean Walk was in October 2011, so I felt like this is time to check what is happening in this premium oceanfront resort in the heart of Daytona's beachside.
Ocean Walk is the only condo-hotel in Daytona Beach, which is not a conversion (conversion is when an older hotel is remodeled and converted to condo-hotel, where each room is privately owned).
Ocean Walk Wyndham Resort was designed and built like a condo-hotel, with south Tower completed in 2001, and North Tower in 2004.
By far the nicest resort in … (2 comments)

How Much Do You Spend On Your Car? - 02/25/12 01:07 PM
How Much Do You Spend On Your Car?
You did not have to do anything in 5 years? Didn't even change the oil? Great car. I am buying it.
Funny, isn't it?
But people spend way more money on a condo-hotel than on a 20 –year old car just because there were no oil change Special Assessments.
I got a call from the agent today and she was asking about Fountain Beach Resort, which is an oceanfront condo-hotel in the heart of Daytona's Beachside.
She wanted to know how many Special assessments and for how much were in the … (12 comments)

Towers Grande Condominiums. Daytona Beach Shores. Market Report - 02/25/12 11:35 AM
Towers Grande Condominiums. Daytona Beach Shores. Market Report. February 2012
Towers Grande in Daytona Beach Shores is a 16-story direct oceanfront condominium built in 2004 by DiMucci Development Corporation.

There are no residential units on the ground floor, and there is no 13th floor. Regular layout is 10 units per floor on floors 2 to 14. Two 2 bdr/2 bath units per floor, 1,860 sq. ft. Eight 3 bedr units. The largest 3 bedr / 3 baths is 2,378 sq. ft.
Only 6 units per floor on 15th and 16th floor. All units there are larger, starting from 2,385 sq. … (0 comments)

The Master Of Waste? - 02/23/12 10:22 PM
I am watching local channel on TV, and it is all about Obama coming to Orlando. And why is he coming to Orlando?
Oh yes, he is hungry… Not for food that is, but for money. He is coming to pick about $1.2 Mil for Democratic Party and his own election campaign…
Why now? Good question. There are no coincidences in high politics. The dinner with the president goes for $30K a plate, and there are not many people in Central Florida with wallets that deep.
But it is an All-Star game time in Orlando, and there are some celebrities in … (20 comments)

Contract Shower - 02/21/12 08:55 PM
A couple of weeks ago I received a call from the agent, who I do not know, and he said that I should expect 2 contract early next day.
I got excited, started thinking about retiring one year earlier…
Next morning there are two offers for units in Fountain Beach Resort, a Daytona condo-hotel. One is actually on our listing, the other is not.
It is a low blow ball offer. Chances of early retirement are fading...Sending he counter offer to the Buyer.
There is no response from the agent.
2 days later I get another offer from the same … (28 comments)

Can I rent My Unit in a Condo-Hotel? - 02/19/12 08:56 PM
Can I rent My Unit in a Condo-Hotel?
I get this question every day. Every potential buyer looking to buy a condo-hotel unit in Daytona Beach area is asking if they can rent their unit in a condo-hotel.
The good thing is that the answer is yes.
The bad thing is that the answer is yes.
It is a good thing as you, the owner, have the right to do it.
The bad thing is that if you are using your right, you most probably will lose money. The fact that the resort may not be doing a stellar job renting … (8 comments)

if You Do Not Know What You Are Doing, Don't Do It. - 02/19/12 07:40 PM

My client wants to privately rent his friend's unit in a condo-hotel to a lady in a wheel chair. Fine, but she has two small dogs, and the resort has “no pets” policy. So, the Front Desk said “no”.
The lady stayed in this resort last year, and there was a problem with her, and she was told to stay away.
I am not involved in the whole thing, but my client is asking my advice, and I suggested he stays out of trouble. He said “sure” and kept digging deeper…
Next day he told me that the lady’s … (12 comments)

Immigration Vacation - 02/19/12 12:56 PM
When we immigrated in 1991, we were the only part of the family that ended up in the US. My side of the family is in Israel, and Olga’s side of the family is in Russia.
I remember running into Israelis, who have been in US for about a decade, and I remember asking them whether they were happier here.
There was no quick and easy answer. They have been already established here, but there was something they have lost, and they hesitated with the answer.
Eventually, I started better understanding the essence of immigration. I already knew that there was … (6 comments)

Commissions... What is Fair? - 02/18/12 11:51 PM
Tammy White posted How Does A Real Estate Agent Get Paid? She posted it a week ago, I wanted to react, and did not do it immediately, but it stuck in my memory and I was thinking about it. It is a good post, it is featured and there are many comments. I agree with Tammie, and her post made me thing abut commissions, but it is not a rebuttal. I know that the question of commissions always comes at listing appointments, and agents have to handle them. As predominantly buyer broker, I am not doing listing presentations, so I am … (32 comments)

Wow! My Midnight Is Now 3 AM - 02/17/12 09:17 PM
 
Wow, I was rushing to post comments before the minute hand passes midnight, and my comment came right at 12:00. I wanted to see if it still made in or it went to a new day, and to my surprise saw, that the time stamp shows 9 PM. How come? It is midnight, and the stamp is 9 PM?
And then I remembered that AR moved to new servers, and judging by the time stamp they are not on the East coast, but on the West coast, which how it was a couple of years ago.
What it means is … (40 comments)

Oceanside Inn in Daytona Beach Shores - 02/16/12 07:30 PM
Oceanside Inn is on my list of preferred condo-hotels in Daytona Beach area. You run into people here who are genuinely nice and – a big plus - professional. In my opinion this is one of the best examples of conversion from a old rundown hotel to a decent condo-hotel.
The company, that runs the Front Desk in Oceanside Inn, owns the first floor commercial space and has vested interest in the success of operations (unless they decide to sell their interest).
The company is running hotel rentals, they operate the Front Desk, so when you walk in the lobby, these … (8 comments)

You Want My Opinion But Will Not Hire Me? - 02/15/12 10:48 PM
 
I received a comment on one of my “old” blogs.
- Jon, 
Can you give an update on the status of Ocean Jewels condos, now?  We're looking at purchasing one of their units.
Thanks!
I understand that Monty Googled Ocean Jewels and saw my 2010 blog post. As we know from the comment, Monty is interested in what I can say about Ocean Jewels, as he is considering buying a unit there.
This is by far not the only request of this type that I receive, often daily. If I try to write updated blogs in response, it would take … (50 comments)

Do You Enjoy Sex or The Art of Landing A Job... - 02/15/12 08:09 PM
He came to US from the Ukraine when he, like me, was 40. I was a regular guy, and Nick was a decorated guy, one who was involved in coming with his best men and pumping the concrete into Chernobyl’s reactor in 1986 right after the explosion. He was a big boss, used to have a company car, a driver… and still he immigrated to the US, was looking for every opportunity to work, took construction jobs and shoveled dirt…
His wife, a music teacher, took college courses in accounting, and she was able to land a job. Not a lot … (14 comments)

Stole It? Sorry, You Are Protected - 02/13/12 02:03 AM
Well, the sight of 10 blog posts coming in rapid-fire manner right after the hand of the clock moves past midnight to Monday is not surprising.
The fact that that these posts are plagiarized is not surprising. Rapid-fire is a good warning sign… usually  wasted. The “author” is not Russel Ray, so he can do whatever he wants… even write War and Peace…
The fact that AR is resisting to either return to the flag system, which made it easier to report problems with blogs (not with comments), or offer something not much worse, is not surprising, of better say, no … (20 comments)

Folks, It Ain't a Phone, It Is a Banana... - 02/13/12 12:00 AM
Very often I would blog about something and get surprised that there is comment coming the very moment I click submit.

Often times, however, I notice that the comment is not to the blog post, but to the Title, and has little or no relevance.
We are all in a constant rush, and blogging is the activity, where we are not to read, enjoy, but rather grasp and move. It is an exercise in speed in the first place.
No question we lose something. It is a different quality of communication. We are more concerned with the process, than the … (18 comments)

Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach. November 2011 - 02/12/12 11:54 PM

This post was written in November, but for some reason I did not publish it at that time. I thought to delete it, but then looked at the listings, and it is a great comparison to today (copmare it with my blog posted last week).
Very telling change. So, I decided to post it now. Sometimes "old" stuff is as good as new, if not better.
Plaza Resort & Spa at 600 N. Atlantic Ave in Daytona Beach is a premiere condo-hotel in the daytona beach area. Here is the link to over 20 blogs that I wrote about it, … (0 comments)

Throwing a Bone To the Seller - 02/12/12 09:57 PM
Can There Be Too Much Knowledge?
I have received several offers for a condo-hotel unit in Plaza Resort & Spa. This is the largest studio floor plan, priced reasonably at $103,500. Next comparable unit in the resort of similar set up and size is $159,000.
It would be easy to assume that I have the price wrong, based on the consistent uniformity of the offers, but I would stubbornly say “nay”. Why? Because I know… Because I work with investors, and run into it often enough…
With rare exception the offers are $62K and $67K. Interestingly, at the same time … (2 comments)

Association Dues in Daytona Beach's Plaza Resort & Spa Explained. - 02/12/12 12:31 AM
Association Dues in Plaza Resort & Spa.
Jon,
I have been considering looking to buy in the Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach....but the $428 monthly maintenance fee...what is included in this? Seems high, but I know its a very nice place to live / vacation?
This is from the e-mail I have received from AR reader. I have written about it before, but could not find it in those hundreds and hundreds of blogs.
Plaza Resort & Spa is a Condo-Hotel. It is one of the oldest hotels initially built in 1911, and then completely rebuilt in 1969. It … (4 comments)

After Spring Comes Winter... - 02/10/12 08:23 PM
Something is freaking wrong with the climate. And as if global warming was not enough, now we are witnessing a very weird natural unnatural phenomenon. After Spring comes Winter...
I am watching TV and for a few days they are talking about Americans, that Egypt is not letting go, and taking them to court...
What is the crime? They were doing what they were doing for years, promoting democracy. One of them is the son of Transportation Secretary Sam LaHood, who was the head of International Republican Institute (IRI, for short, is a democracy promotion organization that operates in some … (12 comments)

I Am An American... - 02/07/12 08:46 PM
I remember first time going to Coop City in the Bronx. Co-op City is the largest coop in the world with its 35 high-rises spanning 320 acres along Hutchinson River in the North East Bronx.
It was autumn, and it was dusk when we came there... and in many windows in those high-rises there were menorahs, many-many menorahs... and my heart started pounding.
People have marked their windows showing that Jews lived there... How could that be? How could that be that there were no anti-Semites throwing stones and smashing windows?

How could that be that people were looking at high-rises … (33 comments)

Who Needs A Shrink? - 02/07/12 12:11 AM
Nobody loves the government. Even Real Estate agents… Real estate agents do not like what government is doing… Real Estate agents are smarter than the government…
Maybe, maybe, maybe…
May be not…
I think that we on AR mirror the “big” government.We just do not notice it.
Take so popular challenges on AR, especially those serial challenges, running for weeks and months. When the government comes with a stimulus (challenge) with a lot of dough (points), it works poorly.
I wrote that, then stumbled on “it works poorly” and then figured that this is a senseless phrase. The exact statement … (12 comments)

Good Wine Has To Age to Be Appreciated - 02/06/12 01:03 AM
This is not a rant. This is just an observation. This is something that everyone has to overcome here on AR.
When you join and start blogging, you have great ideas, you write entertainingly, there is substance and there is form… and there are few or no readers…
So freaking frustrating…
You write a post, and get a couple of comments, and then you read another post about the same issue, and it has 30-40 comments, or it is featured, and the comments are in hundreds. And it is no better than yours, or worse…
And nobody talks to you…
… (18 comments)

If I Want To Buy a Unit In Plaza Resort Today? - 02/06/12 01:00 AM
I received a call from a Canadian buyer. He called me a week ago and questioned me about one of my listings in Plaza Resort & Spa, a premier Condo-Hotel in Daytona Beach. I sent him all the information, we exchanged a few e-mails, and then it all came to a halt.
I called him, and he explained that he made an offer on another unit in Plaza Resort & Spa. The one, which is direct oceanfront, and mine isn't. I figured that there is another agent involved, and I know that agent, so I said that it was fine and … (8 comments)

Land of Lamborghinis and Ferraris - 02/04/12 10:55 AM
 
Land of Lamborghinis and Ferraris There are people working at sewer plants. They are good people. Good people in the world are cleaning the poop, collecting garbage, working in funeral homes…. Did they really grow up dreaming about cleaning the poop?
What were their dreams? What were their goals?
Have they failed in life?
Imagine that we all live our dreams. Imagine land of Lamborghinis and Ferraris…no Hondas and Toyotas… Land of Chris Ruth Steakhouses and no Burger Kings or McDonald’s…
Imagine boring life in Mar a Lagos of the world… with nobody to clean the poop…
Life is … (20 comments)

Getting Tired of Love... - 02/02/12 10:33 PM
Vegas Bob hit the the exposed nerve with this blog post. he put in words what I feel. he wrote the blog that I wanted to write. he breathed out the words that I wanted to breathe...
Active rain is still here, many participants are still here. But haven't we lost something? Innocence of early AR? Camaraderie of early AR? Joy of early AR?
We are still here, but we are more mature, more cynical, more business-like, less organic.
I think we were the community and people first, and business second. We were naive, and many did not believe there was … (16 comments)

How Many Units Are For Sale in Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach? - 02/02/12 09:45 PM
Plaza Resort & Spa, the premier Daytona Beach condo-hotel, is awake from the sleepy winter. A week ago there were 25 units for sale, and today only 22. The inventory is decreasing, but the prices have gone down as they always do in the slowest time of the year. They will slowly rise, expecially in summer.
Summer is when we have seasonal real estate boom in Daytona Beach Area.
So, there are 22 units for sale in MLS in Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach. Well, this is what MLS says. In reality there is 21 unit.
Unit 506, … (0 comments)

Is "Time To Buy Now, Stupid" Here? - 02/02/12 10:41 AM
I rarely reblog, and this is the sign that I really liked this blog post by John B. McKernan.
I was cautious when clicking, as I am tired of the barrage of these senseless "Time to buy now" calls. I was afraid this was just another explanation of why the buyers need to buy now (becuase we, the agents, need money), so reading this well written and well thought of post was like fresh air.
Via John McKernan (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage):
Is now a good time to sell? Should I buy now or wait? How are you making it in this market? … (0 comments)

Daddy, Why Don't You Go To The Bank And Take The Money? - 02/02/12 07:46 AM
My dear friends’ granddaughter when she was little was told that they couldn’t buy what she wanted, because they did not have money.
- Daddy, why don’t you go to the bank and take the money, and then we can buy (whatever was there that she wanted)? She is 18 today, and she already knows that you do not just go and take the money in the bank and buy what you want. But the President, who is over 18, still does not know. And he goes to the bank and takes the money... Our money... My money... Would I, personally, give him … (6 comments)

Read this If You Are Using Diverse Solutions IDX - 02/01/12 10:50 PM
I actually heard about it in the morning when my daughter told me the story. I did not quite understand how it was done, onlly knew that if somebody had access to your account, your assistant, or developer, and then they decide to wreck havoc upon you, they easily can, even if you change all your passwords.
DS provides good IDX, and I am sure that they will find the solution to the problem, but you just need to know how it may happen.
What a terrible experience
Via Bob Hertzog Phoenix Short Sale Agent, Designated Broker (Summit Home Consultants):
If You … (6 comments)

When You Can, But You Shouldn't... - 02/01/12 06:32 PM
Do you know this feeling that the property is not moving and the Sellers are frustrated and are not willing to reduce the listing price? In a situation like this I am telling my sellers that if they want to sell their Daytona Beach condo fast, I have an investor, but he will not pay more than $60K for this condo, listed for $79,900.
 
The Sellers are thinking about going forward with the investor, and here comes a full price offer. Like a bolt from the blue. Great, but how could that happen? Easy… I am looking at the offer, … (67 comments)

 
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Jon Zolsky, your Daytona Beach, Florida connection

Daytona Beach, FL

More about me…

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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