Jon's Blog

Reaching Greatness in Failure

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:16:32 -0600

Remember Mikhail Gorbachev? A popular political figure often viewed very favorably in the United States? Many of us, Russians, after the initial euphoria of Perestroika and Glasnost (the latter, by the way, is like Transparency), hated him with all our guts. He betrayed our generation. He promised democracy and Change, but all he did was trying to put a nicer face on the ugly Socialism. Sweetening the regime...

I am more at peace with him now then I was then. I give him credit, but not for what he did. I give him a lot of credit for what he did not do.

In my mind Gorbachev was a weak leader, and in a sense this was a blessing. He could have done so much more. I am grateful he didn't.

He could easily spark a bloody Civil War had he been more hard core communist with more convictions (which he claimed he was). He could allow for so much more bloodshed that he did in April of 1989 in Tbilisi, when the army used shovels to slash women and children... and less than 2 years later in January 1991 in sanctioned army assault on Lithuania's TV station...

20 people dead in Tbilisi (and hundreds injured), and 15 dead in Vilnius, Lithuania... This was the lowest death toll in repressions in Soviet history. Millions executed under Lenin; dozens of millions under Stalin; 2,500 in Budapest in 1956 under Khrushchev; 72 Czechs and Slovaks in Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1966 under Brezhnev...

Now I understand how easy it is for me to be righteous. Yes, Gorbachev did not revolt against the system as we hoped he would. He represented the whole, and Gorbachev's whole was a huge country, which with few exceptions of political and intellectual activity centers (like Moscow, Leningrad, and a few other places), was oblivious to our aspirations.

To make things more difficult for Gorbachev, he was one of them... the party elite, who had a problem seeing the future. He was a blind shepherd, who wanted to patch a few holes in the system, to pump new blood in the dead body, to prolong the agony... He was, maybe, the last one to bid farewell to an antiquated system, which was simply falling apart. The smell of decay was all over, but he got used to it, and he could not tell...

The country was under the tremendous inertia of the ideals of The Great World Power, and Communism, for which our "fathers died for"... And even at the slow pace of reforms, that we used to despise, there was an attempt to overthrow him in 1991. He was unintentionally killing the dream. Not the reality, as it obviously sucked, but he was the one, who did not stop the killing of the ideals. People do not forgive killing the ideals, even if they would forgive killing people for the ideals...

Socialism and communism were so deeply engrained in every cell of our physical and social being, that the fact that it had faded so quickly (in historical terms) is absolutely remarkable... But this is when you are looking from a distance, whether geographical, or historical... I was there. I am not impartial... I am prejudiced.

Gorbachev happened to be the one who just tried to loosen a tight harness, but the horses took off...

I do not like Gorbachev. But I now learn to understand him better.

I believe that his biggest achievement was his failure to preserve the system.

I am not sure he understands it.

* The photo is courtesy of Flickr.com

The Safest Place To Kill Americans

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:13:32 -0600

Recently Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on a killing spree and 13 people lost their lives. And it happend on a military base Fort Hood, TX. There is a controversy here, whether he is a terrorist, or a disgruntled major acting like one. With the word disgruntled being a keyword. As if terrorists are not disgruntled people from our viewpoint.

But this is not about avoiding calling events the proper names. We may keep saying "honey", though...

I have not been to Texas, but movies portray it as a great State where everyone bears arms. Everyone must be an exaggeration, of course, but just think about it: there were 300 soldiers where the killings occurred, and if not on a military base, this terrorist would have been stopped sooner. 300 trained soldiers would have put him out of his disgruntled misery much sooner, and would not have to wait for a female Police officer to come to rescue (a great lady, by the way).

Isn't it a sad story that trained military men and women could not stop a terrorist simply because they were on a military base?

Does it make military bases the safest place to kill Americans?

What a paradox!

* Photo is courtesy of Flickr.com

Palma Bella Condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:20:31 -0600

Palma Bella is one of the newest and finest condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores. Developer - Doug Cook - brought the sense of luxury that simply was not there. Not in the name, as we call luxury any Oceanfront Condo, and though the Ocean is definitely a luxury, the condos very often not.

Palma Bella is one of the five oceanfront condominium buildings comprising the Costa Bella collection in Daytona Beach Area. Out of 5 planned 3 have been completed: Marbella, Bella Vista and Palma Bella.

Palma Bella is a gorgeous building with very spacious three-bedroom and 3 baths units. Developer used best materials and the lobby is very impressive. You find yourself in the art gallery with pictures on the walls, nice tiled common areas with a social room with full kitchen facing 100' pool and the ocean. The U shaped building has a bridge on the 9^th floor making it resemble the Atlantis on the Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

The bridge is facing west, and it is gorgeous place to watch sunsets over the city. Developer was lucky that he had all units reserved, but by the time they got to Closings, the market was not in great shape and some of the buyers/speculators walked away. That became a common challenge for condo developers getting caught in the declining market.

Palma Bella features include underground reserved parking, sundeck w/oceanfront heated pool & spa, oceanfront fitness room.

All units are 9'4" ceilings, crown molding, 5 1/4" baseboards, built-in electric fireplace, European style cabinetry in Kitchens, imported granite countertops, Jenn-Air electric grills on balconies.

Of course, everything is up to new toughest codes with impact-resistant windows and doors with saltwater protection.

Check the available units today. Everything that is under $500K is a terrific price, but look at $398,500. This is an incredible price at $164.33 per sq. ft. What an incredible market.

Call me if you want a million-dollar luxury oceanfront unit for less than 50 cents on a dollar. Call 386-405-4408 or drop me a line in the e-mail.

* The photo of the ocean is taken from unit 202. The least expensive unit 302 is just above it.

Getting Closer...Ouch

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:42:26 -0600

Greta Van Susteren from FOX went to Pakistan to interview Hillary Clinton. In her first appearance on Fox after she got there was a dose of surprise. She said that even though they got to Pakistan in the middle of the night and did not really speak to many people, her first impression was that they were very unhappy with US. They were very angry with the strings attached to the money they were getting from US.

Maybe that was to make sure the money was spent exactly the way they were supposed to?

It reminded me my only travel back to Russia in 1995. My former Moscow boss and his company were hosting an international small conference. It was in typical Russian manner, hastily done, and one day prior to the conference they had no idea who was going to interpret. And here I came, and immediately got engaged.

The participants on the Russian side were CEOs of several Siberian industrial enterprises, and on the "foreign" side there was an American accountant, who was invited to "say something", and a consultant from England, representing an investment group, explaining how to get projects financed by foreign investors.

It was fascinating to watch. These were two worlds, and there was very little understanding between them. I remember one CEO, who got very angry. "Just give me the money. I know what to do with it better than anyone else".

For Russians the idea of a plan for 2-3 years ahead is a joke. There was Yeltsin at that time, but nobody knew who would be there next morning. Like in a famous poem, calling to look out of the window in the morning to see whose banners were up. Nobody knew that there would not be a killer inflation, or deflation, and whether the government would not make other changes dramatically affecting everyone and everything.

The CEO was trying to explain to the Brit that his demands were stupid, and the Brit, calm as a cucumber, patiently waited till the end of a tirade and then calmly stated: "All I hear is that you do not want the money."

"I know how to spend the money and I do not need you to watch over my shoulder" (CEO)

"Then do it with your own money" (The Consultant)

Having lived in Russia until 40, I perfectly understood that poor CEO guy, who had no chance in the world to pull it off.

Coming from America I perfectly understood the Business plan and the discipline. The bridge was not there yet then. I am afraid it is still not there.

A lot of Russians today think that the biggest problem for America is that they elected a black president. Russia is a very racist country. But here they are wrong. They do not understand that the biggest problem of America is not the color of the President's skin but the color of his ideas, and in that regard he is so much closer to Russia than to America.

We are sort of getting closer... in an unexpected way.

Condo Deals in the Oceans - Daytona Beach Shores

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:52:44 -0600

Time to update on the Condo Deals in the Oceans - Daytona Beach Shores, a popular Oceans complex. In the last months the market has changed: there are fewer units remaining for sale, the prices are somewhat higher, and multiple offers can happen...

I have clients who are still waiting to see how it changes. Well, just 5-6 months ago there were quite a few units in the 140K-$170K range. Look at the table below. There are now only 3 units for under $170K. 4-5 months ago there were 3 units for under $170K just in Oceans One, and now there are 3 in all 11 oceanfront Oceans buildings. "Real' price is over $190K.

The table below includes all 9 units for sale in all of the Oceans buildings for under $200K, 9 out of 22 total units for sale.

It is also good to remember that at the height of the market these units (remodeled) were sold for close to $500,000. (I would rather concentrate on that number, than wait to see if it falls another $10K-$20K.)

Unit #	Condo Name	Built	Bedr	Baths	Sq. Ft.	Asking
2005	Oceans One	1974	2	2	1112	$155,500
402	Oceans Five	1975	2	2	1112	$164,900
506	Oceans One	1974	2	2	1191	$169,999
1202	Oceans Five	1975	2	2	1028	$191,500
2006	Oceans Five	1975	2	2	1062	$194,900
1606	Oceans One	1974	2	2	1200	$198,500
504	Oceans Seven	1976	2	2	1280	$199,000
1405	Oceans Three	1974	2	2	1028	$199,619
506	Oceans Five	1975	2	2	1120	$199,900
	Median Price					$194,900
	Average Price					$185,980

So, which of these is the best buy? Well, the best one is not on that list. But it is for sale. We had it under contract for our buyer. It was a short sale, and then the Seller declared bankruptcy, thus effectively killing the Short sale. We asked whether our client could buy a note, never got the answer, and the buyer bought a property in another area.

Now somehow the judge got it out of bankruptcy and told them to sell it, at least that's what the Listing agent told me. She called me because we had it under contract. It is not yet on the MLS, and I might be the only one who knows about it.

Because it is not my listing, and I did not ask the Listing agent for permission to disclose the address, I can only say that it is in Oceans One, it is a 2 bdr/2 bath DIRECT OCEANFRONT unit. Not only that, this unit was practically fully remodeled and now has granite countertops, beautifully done Master Bath, tiled floors. It could benefit from replacing the windows and the sliding balcony door. Living room has the view of the ocean and the city, both bedrooms face the ocean. We had it under contract for $155,500, same as unit 2005 in the same building, which is an REO, with no remodeling except for the kitchen, and not direct oceanfront (but a unit with a great views of both the ocean and the Intracoatal).

You want it? Maybe you could get it for the same price, which would be as close to a miracle as it gets. Call me at 386-405-4408.

Considering the changing market, of course, in a couple of years this would sound more than a miracle...

Daytona ...Where Living Is Cool...

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:25:16 -0600

Daytona Beach Area...Where Living Is Cool...

It was a picture perfect day in Daytona Beach. At 79F it felt on a cooler side, crispy and clean air, blue sky...

I was showing an apartment building on Daytona's Beachside, just a block from the ocean. We looked at several units and were ready to leave, when the Seller, a good friend of mine, shouted something and pointed to the sky.

I looked up and there was the shuttle Atlantis going up and glowing in the cool blue sky. I did not have a camera with me, and it happens very fast, so all I could do was to grab my I-Phone and try to capture the magnificent moment. It is a very cool phone, by the way.

Did not come out nearly as gorgeous as how I saw it, as I could get it with my digital Canon Rebel, but it was my fault. I should have had the camera with me.

Well, need to go and check if Gary Woltal has placed his incredibly great pictures of a liftoff, like he did last time (LOL). Not that he lives here, he is in Texas, but he somehow manage to be in the right place at the right time.

I think this is another advantage to living in Daytona Beach Area, where my winter footwere is the same as summer footware (what a saving) and where the weather, life in general, and entertainment are all Cool. World class cool...

Beachside Condos in Daytona Beach area

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:57:17 -0600

Daytona Beachside is a 23-mile long but narrow Barrier island squashed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, also called Halifax River.

This is a small part of the Daytona Beach area, but when we are talking VACATION, this is what we have in mind. The rest is for locals. There are absolutely gorgeous communities in the area, but they are of no interest to tourists.

We are spoiled. Why buy anything 3 miles from the beach, when right now you can buy a condo rirght on the beach and spend less than 50 cents on a dollar? I am sure there was a time when in Manhattan people would only build on the water. Now living on Park Ave is not considered an exile to Siberia. Far from it.

Todays condo market on the Beachside is represented by 775 Beachside condos. This is quite a drop from 1,063 18 or so moths ago. Threre are 384 2 bdr/ 2 bath unit starting from $29,900 (an REO) and this is a drop from over 500 a year and a half ago. 287 of these condo units are either direct oceanfront or oceanview units.

As for prices, we were seeing lower prices until about 5-6 months ago, when 2 bdr/2 bath unit in direct oceanfront buildings like one of the Oceans were from $140K. Not now. They are starting from just a few dollars under $200K.

Together with decreasing inventory, this is a hint on the light at the end of the tunnel.

Guys, there is still time to get you dream vacation place for 35-50 cents on a dollar. Do not outsmart yourselves. And if you do, hold the stories how you could buy something great for nothig to yurselves. I think I am going to listen to too many of them rather soon.

Want a piece of oceanfront? Call me at 386-405-4408.

In The Buyers Shoes... Does It Feel Too Tight?

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:33:03 -0600

Do we know how to put ourselves in buyer's shoes? Do we understand how out-of-state or out-of-the-country customers feel when we are showing them properties?

Imagine coming to Daytona Beach area with its 23 miles of white sandy beaches, hundreds of condominium buildings dotting Beachside - this narrow Barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal. There are 775 condo units just on the Beachside on the market today.

What do our customers need the most in the market with thousands of available Daytona Beachside condos screaming "Buy me"?

384 Two-bedroom / Two baths units, and 287 of those condos are either oceanfront or oceanview units - prime target for vacation condo buyers.

Wouldn't you feel lost? Would only knowing "prices are great" be enough to lay out hard earned cash?

So they come to us, professionals, the people who can help them navigate in the sea of properties, all of which seem pretty similar.

What do we do? And how do we do it?

This is a real life scenario. A group of Canadians called me and asked to show them the condo-hotel units in the area. They were in the car coming to Daytona Beach, and were going to be in town in an hour.

When we met, we had a rather long conversation. They were quite knowledgeable about condo-hotel concept, they were reading my blog on Active Rain. But there was a bitter taste to that...

They came from South Florida. That's where they wanted to buy. Spent several days, but did not buy. Why?

They did not feel comfortable. Everything that agents showed to them was "a great buy". In any market if everything is great and rosy, we feel that something is not right, but we do not know what. It bothered them. To the point that they decided to go 250 miles north from the place where they thought they wanted to be.

250 miles to drive not to the place they loved, but to the agent, who took time to talk about condo-hotels at length on AR, who was showing strong points as well as weak (in their own words, I am not just bragging), and even though this was Daytona, and not Miami, they decided to give it a try.

After two days spent with them, they thanked me, said that they got enough information and promised to call if they decide to buy. They called next morning. Wanted to make the offer on a gorgeous condo unit in Ocean Walk Wyndham Resort.

It is bilateral now.

My beautiful daughter, who helps us with marketing, was in the office, when they first walked in. She later asked me why with clients, who told me right away that they were looking for condo-hotels, I started telling them the whole story about condo-hotels, good and bad and the difference between condos and condo-hotels, and tons of other things? Why not simply take them and show them what they were looking for? Why didn't I?

Because that's what other agents have done.

"We want to buy a condo-hotel unit, so that we can use and rent when we are not here" is what they said.

What they did not say, and what is of paramount importance was that they wanted to make the right choice in the sea of choices, and they wanted to feel good about that choice. They needed the justification, some facts, and not only feelings. That choice should have been theirs, not mine.

They wanted to put it from standing on the head (everything is great) to the feet (this is why this makes more sense that that and here's why).

Should I take them to best units (in my opinion), would they feel comfortable spending way over a hundred thousand dollars, because some dude, who benefits from that sale, told them to do so?

Yes, I think I know which units would be best for them. It would have taken me no time to do it. But selling is not telling them what to do. It is being honest, objective and educating them, so that they come to their own conclusions. If their conclusion is what you think is right, then you did a pretty good job.

And this is why not only did I take them to other condo-hotels, which were not the best, I also took them to residential condos, so that they could compare the lifestyles. And told them about pros and cons of each of those. The problem is not that there are serious cons with each of them. These Canadians are intelligent people and are able to think it through. The problem for them was when agents were skipping it altogether, leaving them only to decide which unit to buy.

But they did not feel it was their decision.

Just think about it. They ended up trying to buy a condo-hotel unit 250 miles away from the place they flew to. Of course, we still have the same ocean, great beaches, nice weather... and they feel they made a very good choice.

They did. I was there simply to help them along the way.

When being in the buyers' shoes feels too tight, we got to walk more. Like with many new shoes, it takes time and effort.

Buying a Condo-Hotel in Daytona Beach. Pros & Cons may Be Same

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:38:06 -0600

I was showing condo-hotel units in Daytona Beach in the Plaza Resort & Spa recently and my clients asked me:

- What is the worst thing about The Plaza Resort & Spa?

I thought for a moment and answered:

- The fact that the Condo Owners Association is controlled by the developer.

And then they asked me:

- What is the greatest thing about the Plaza Resort & Spa?

I thought for a moment and answered:

- The fact that the Condo Owners Association is controlled by the developer.

We started laughing simultaneously. It was funny.... and it was true.

So, why it can be bad?

In the developercontrolled association they set the rules. They control the association, and can carry any agenda they want short of criminal. Owners have to put up with that, as there is very little if anything that they can do.

Theoretically, this is not a good point for the owners.

Then, how it can be good?

In real condo-hotel world the biggest problem is not the buildings. It is the Board of Directors of condo owners association.

The Board consists of elected owners. They have no real clue about Hospitality business. And because of that, they think that there could be nothing easier than running a hotel. They usually have ideas in that regard, and there is nothing more dangerous to a condo-hotel than these ideas.

We would not attempt to do a surgery on our loved one on a kitchen table with a chef knife. But we will remodel our house without consulting a designer. And that's fine. Remodeling a hotel to your taste is ot fine, but we see it again and again.

Having a professional company running and operating the hotel is a blessing. But when you do not understand it, how can you value it?

A simple example. Exactly a year ago, a few new owners in another condo-hotel decided that they can do a better rental management for the owners. They were involved in a property management company, specializing on managing single family homes. They kicked out a company, which was doing it for years there.

I came there 2 days ago, and there was nobody on the front desk. But there was a note that they are only there until 3 PM. The Association manager told me they are leaving. They could not make ends meet. And the rentals were dismal.

Now theyare screwed. The previous company is not coming back to a property, where they "killed" the business. This will be the 3rd condo-hotel in Daytona area, that lost Front Desk. Because the Board thought they knew how to run it.

How Would Have Thomas Jefferson Voted?

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:22:27 -0600

How Would Have Thomas Jefferson Voted? Really, how?

I never studied the History of USA. I am picking bits and pieces as I go... I learned the History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and I knew nearly by heart all 600 page course book when I was taking the exam for my post graduate course...

So, I am a first grader in the history class here. And it is OK for me to ask stupid questions. Like how would Thomas Jefferson have voted on the Health Care bill?

Thomas Jefferson, who said "If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy." (Jeffersonian Cyclopedia)

It was written in 1802. Written By Thomas Jefferson, who in 1801 became the 3rd President of the United States of America. Well educated, he, between other things, "read lawwith George Wythe and was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1767.

In 2008, 207 years after writing this letter, another educated lawyer became the 44th President of the United States. And he advocates for a strong government "wasting the labors of the people", wasting billions and trillions of dollars on the way. If this is the opposite of what Thomas Jefferson wrote - remember "they must become happy" - does this mean that they will become unhappy? If we agree with the first statement, then it does. Is this Obama's goal, or he simply does not care what is going to be tomorrow as long as he fashions today?

Jefferson was a great man and a visionary. Not everyone, not even every President is. Maybe we can understand that the 44th President of the United States of America does not see the nightmare ahead of us...but how come he can't look back and recognize the nightmare behind?

115 years after this letter was written, and 92 years ago, in 1917 to be exact, another lawyer took over the power in another great country. He believed that it was possible to correct the course of history and expedite it. That strong government could make the progress happen much faster, and that all they needed was strong government that could lead people to happiness. He declared capitalism evil and promised to abolish money. Bringing people to happiness turned out to be tougher than they thought. Stubborn subjects refused to see the far fetched goals. They needed to be brought to the future with a little force. And that's how the Red Terror started.

Lenin might have read Jefferson, but somehow did not get it. He thought he would rival Jefferson. But Lenin at least was looking ahead and thought he saw the bright future. There was no precedent yet... But decades later and millions upon millions dead, there is now...

We can't see the past in the future. It had not happen yet. But every future bears the seeds of the past, and looking in to the past, you can better understand the future. This is how we learn. On mistakes made by others.

But does he understand the past?

Does Barak Obama see the future or does he want to make his own mistakes? With dire consequences?

Which part of Jefferson's writing an educated lawyer does not understand?

Twelve Commandments

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:35:30 -0600

There was Utopia, there were dreams of making the world better way before and way after. A human race is an impatient one. We are glad at first snow, but then we get tired of it and want the Spring to come... And we are impatient in everything else.

Though we understand that we can't make spring come earlier than normal, or make more sunshine, or longer days and shorter nights, we do not really accept the concept of our limited powers. We do not accept that we are going to live less than 100 years...

We know that we all die, but we are tirelessly fighting to live longer, and we, actually, do stay longer on the face of the earth...

But it is absolutely a charm when it comes to the society. Here we have no doubt that we can run any course we can conceive, and if we are smart enough, we can not only avoid a big screw up, but we can expedite our sociopolitical development...

Christians (I think Jews also, but forgive me, I am clueless in Religion) got the Commandments. In 1961, on the XXII Congress of the Communist Party of the USSR under Nikita Khrushchev, they came up with the socialist version of the commandments, not 10 but 12. It was called The Moral Codex of the Builder of Communism.

1. Allegiance to the cause of Communism, love to our Socialist motherland, and to Socialist Countries
2. Diligently work for the public good. Who does not work, he does not eat.
3. Everyone should care of preservation and growth of public property.
4. Conscientiousness and acceptance of public interest as an obligation of the individual, intolerance to perpetrators of public interests
5. Collectivism and brotherly help to each other. One for all and all for one.
6. Humanity between people: a person to another person is a friend, comrade and brother.
7. Sincerity and honesty, moral purity, simplicity and humbleness in social and personal life
8. Mutual respect in the family, care of the new generation.
9. Intolerance to injustice, parasitism, untruthfulness, careerism (making a career - JZ), money-making
10. Friendship and brotherhood of all the Nations of USSR, intolerance to racism
11. Intolerance to the enemies of Communism, enemies of peace and freedom of Nations
12. Brotherly solidarity with the workers of the world, with all nations

Sorry for very amateurish translation, I did not have an English version.

So, what wrong could have come out of this? Supposedly nothing.

Some very clever Russian (do not remember who it was) said about it, that the Codex was to build a new person. The person of the new coming era. That we worked hard on building it, and after many years we looked at ourselves in the mirror and we shuddered. We saw an ugly beast in the reflection.

The Wall That's No Longer There

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:59:10 -0600

On TV here in the US and everywhere in the world they mentioned the 20-year anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin Wall.

What is the end of Berlin Wall for us? The proof that people can win. Win the collossul evil empire, win the fear... That makes it symbolic.

The end of Cold War, the beginning of the unknown... Those who were behind the Iron Curtain will always remember Reagan's "Tear this wall, Mr. Gorbachev". These heretic words were coming from the heart, and proved to be so powerful... Reagan was not a President when we came to US, but it was because of him that we were able to come, it was because of people like Reagan, that world started changing

Every leader of the Western World attended the symbolic event, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Polish leader of Solidarnost Leh Valensa...

Who's missing? The leader of the free world? Surprise, surprise. Of course, he has more important stuff to do. Lobbying for the Olympics was, obviously, a more important event on the president's schedule

But he sent a recorded message... What a relief

* photo courtesy of Flickr

Death of Real Estate of Unnatural Causes in Daytona Beach?

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:36:05 -0600

Death of Real Estate of Unnatural Causes in Daytona Beach?

Last week we closed on a condo-hotel studio unit in the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach. This is the second unit in Plaza Resort & Spa purchased by the same client. Same deal as last time: I have not met any of the participants. Yes, I have never seen my client. In that sense this is a deal of the future.

372 sq. ft. oceanview studio with great view of the Atlantic Ave, the city, and even some view of the Atlantic Ocean.

The studio unit was purchased after the conversion to condo-hotel was completed in February 2006 for $219,600. As some others, the unit was foreclosed, and we finally got it for $20,500.

$0.09 on a dollar!!!

I am not sure what to do. To cry or be happy. I did a good job for my client, which I was supposed to do. So I should be happy. But at the same time I know that this was a crazy deal, typical for foreclosure, where time is everything and money is nothing.

Guys, do not ask me about the commission. The total commission was actually in double digits (in %), so I can't complain. After all fees were paid, the bank got a little over $6K.

What an incredible shame.

Can we call it the death of Real Estate from unnatural causes? A beautifully furnished unit in Oceanfront resort...

What's Cooking in Ocean Walk

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:59:17 -0600

Life is always full of challenges, and when there are none, people create them. That seems to be the story of Ocean Walk Resort in Daytona Beach, the most luxurious condo-hotel/time share Wyndham Resort in the area.

Two Towers, south tower completed in 2001, and the North tower in 2004, this is the only condo-hotel (resort) wich is not a conversion, meaning that it was built like that and not converted from older hotel, like all other condo-hotels in the area.

The South Tower has, I believe, 299 units, and 167 or 169 are owned by so called whole owners. The rest are time share units. Wyndham Resorts is relatively new to the property, they took over from Fairfield Resorts. Having both whole owners, like in other are condo-hotels, and time share owners here in the area is unique, and has it problems.

The property has 3 distinct groups of owners:

1. Whole owners

2. Time Share Owners

3. Commercial Owners

On the Board they are presented by 2 Board Members from Whole Owners and 2 from Time Share owners wit the remaining one representing the commercial 5 units (restaurant, catering space, etc.)

Couple of years ago there began a conflict between the Whole owners and Wyndham Resorts. Whole owners felt that they were not represented properly, and that the property was mismanaged. They revolted, and formed their own Board of Directors. Wyndham maintain another board of directors, representing Time Share and Commercial units. The situation could not have been amicably resolved and now both groups got their attorneys involved.

Tomorrow, on Monday the judge will look at the parties the first time. A small issue is at stake. The whole owners object to Commercial units being represented on the Board and have one vote. In reality, it creates a winning situation for Wyndham, as they represent both the time share owners and the commercial space, so they always have a 3 against 2 majority.

And this can change tomorrow, if the judge sides with whole owners. Would be interesting to watch the outcome of this first step in a long legal battle ahead.

Buying a Condo-Hotel in Daytona Beach

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:40:07 -0600

It was Monday November 2. My telephone rang. Showing a Canadian number. The gentleman introduced himself and told me he read my blogs. Could I show them condo-hotel properties?

Of course.

We meet in our office. They pretty much know what they are looking for, but they are open to suggestions. They have a lot of questions, they want to know pros and cons of owning a condo-hotel.

Instead of steering them in one direction (You want condo-hotels? Here's what you should buy), I am trying to make sure this is what they will be happy with in couple of years. I am not the first agent they met. They went to someone else, and most probably met more than one agent. They are not complaining, but I can feel that they are a bit frustrated. They are going to spend money and they want to spend it wisely. The agents tried to sell them without educating them. They want a fair deal, but being from Canada, they are not sure what a good deal is. They need guidance.

There are many sides to owning a condo-hotel. I can't simply say that this one is the ultimate best. It depends. I can't make it simple. And they quickly learn the issues.

There are no ideal condo-hotels in the area. Whether it is physical condition, or rental situation, or a divided Board of Directors (or even worse - a misguided Board), there is always something which is affecting the resort now, or may affect it in the future.
I am human, and I avoid some properties, and sometimes it is more of a gut feeling rather than real numbers or real facts behind. But doing it for years, I have developed this 6th sense, that tells me that with everything else equal, stick to this resort and pass on the other.

Sometimes I can only rely on instincts. I often catch myself on saying things today that are different from what I was saying 5 years ago. A lot of things happened, even those that we could not have imagined happening before.

Until 2004 the question "What would happen if a destructive hurricane comes?" was more from the science fiction. But August 2004 has changed it. Before 2004 I would say that there was unlikely the way that a condo-hotel association could be terminated, but we have seen it in 2005. Are we getting smarter? Maybe simply more experienced...

When I tell people about the potential or existing problems, two things happen. They either say that this is not for them, or they get into it with the understanding of the issues. Both scenarios are OK. The problem with condo-hotel is that people have wrong expectations and do not really know what they are getting into.

Therefore, my goal is to give realistic expectations. Constant questions and answers while we are touring the properties. Condo-hotels one day, residential condos another. After which they say "Thank you. We will let you know if we decide to go ahead with any of the properties".

And this is OK. Because this is their money, and they have all the rights to get scared, to decide to wait, or simply get in the car and go to St, Augustine or Jacksonville. They are buying a vacation property, and it can be where there is warm climate, nice sandy beach, and warm Ocean. Which is anywhere in Florida.

They called me next morning. Could I arrange showing of that unit in Ocean Walk again? And could I bring the draft of the offer with me?

It is a short sale. I called the agent as I always do. It gives me the indication whether my clients would waste time, or have a pretty good chance of closing. Sounds like she knows what she is doing. Yes, she would agree to small things that we wanted.

We looked at the unit again, met with owner's liaison, asked her questions, got the rental agreement, and now we have the offer accepted by the Seller, signed and taken off Active on MLS.

Now it is a waiting game for me and my clients. Meanwhile they are talking to their attorney and their tax man to make sure they are structuring the deal the right way. Don't forget, they are Canadians, and besides FIRPTA, I really can't help them with that. But we have time.

They told me that I helped them understand the issues, and they are thankful for that. And I am thankful that they were able to process all the information I was giving them, and, believe me, there was a lot. I give more than they would have expected. Because my goal is to have happy customers, not just customers.

if you want to call me, here's the number: 386-405-4408. Tell me you read it on Active Rain. And stay warm.

The Milky Way or the Holy Cow of Communism

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:26:58 -0600

Holy cow? No, it is not about India.

It is about 1/6th of the world, where, since I can remember myself, we have been catching up with the Rotten West (that's how they put it in the newspapers).

The Spring came in the 50s with the new leader Nikita Khrushchev. They called it the Spring as the dark years of Stalin's terror were behind, and the nation started breathing, just a little bit, and the first time since the war the chances of surviving the executioners' bullet was becoming a reality. There were still labor camps and political prisons, but a black car stopped coming in the middle of the night and take people away to the place from which there was no return. Actually, people started returning… After 10 or 15 years. Those who survived

But we knew that these were the mistakes, and that as a society we were so much better, than the rest of the World. We were about freedom for the common folks, brotherly love between the people, the society where money were a temporary evil soon to be gone, and we needed just a little bit of luck to beat the West and, finally, outrun it for the shining glory of Communism. And the world would follow us to the Communist future. We were proud to call ourselves communists, from elementary school kids to veterans. We were the home to many nations under one Party, which was taking us to the ultimate glory of life on the Planet Earth.

It was time to catch up with the West and finally outrun it and prove the moral superiority of Communism over the rotten capitalism.

There was a whole national movement - DIP (abbreviation for Догнать и Перегнать - Catch up and Outrun). Industrial machinery, expropriated from the defeated Germany was called DIP. The overwhelming enthusiasm was in the air.

Virgin lands (please do not confuse with Virgin Islands - LOL) were ploughed, new industrial giants were built, new railroads were laid, new grandiose housing projects were initiated, and we were promised that every family would have their own room and not a space in the room with 3 other families, separated by hanging sheets).

We were already producing more steel, more bricks, but because we were surrounded by imperialist forces, waiting for a moment of our weakness to attack us, so they could get our natural resources, and also silence us, so that their own folks would not have who to look to and follow, we had to spend a lot of money for our military. We, of course, were peaceful, but this was because of THEM...

Somehow the road to glory was marred by shortages of meat, eggs, milk, potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, corn and everything else edible. Empty shelves of the stores with rows of canned fish were white and clean and empty. Somehow, the weather always cooperated with imperialists, and there have always been shortages of food to put on the table. Actually, shortages were everywhere, and, of course, they were temporary... but I digress.

Back to cows. They, the cows, also had to catch up and outrun those capitalist cows... in their peculiar cow way... the milky way... The cows did not know that they were destined to become the most productive cows in the world. If a normal well fed cow could produce 3,000 kg of milk a year, the Communist Party great leaders figured that if the cows would be giving 6,000 kg – 10,000 kg a year, there will be no shortage of milk.

The kick was in the Почин (Initiative). This movement started even before the WWII, in 1935, when a miner Alexei Stakhanov set the record jack hammering 227 tons of coal in a shift with the local party organizer standing behind his back providing moral support and encouragement. His portrait even made it to Time magazine. That was his initiative, and that’s how the initiative movement started.

Initiatives were highly praised by the Party Leaders as they were supposedly coming from the people, who wanted to do more and to do better for the country. They quickly became the norm, and they were directed by the Party officials (how come that in this industry there are no initiatives? Come up with something and it better be good).

In agriculture there were plenty of their own initiatives. Like completing sowing the seeds early, so that they have more time to ripe. The initiative took over all other senses, and people were throwing seeds into the snowy land, as the weather this particular year was colder than last, but you could not sow the seeds later than it was last year. It would be a defeat, and there was no such option.

After Khrushchev’s visit to the US, where he was fascinated with corn (there was no corn in Russia), he came back with the solution to food shortage problem. The blissful corn. They planted it from the Black Sea to the Arctic Ocean and pretty much at the same time. And that imperialist corn boycotted the vast areas of Russia, where they still kept planting it year after year, and the best they could use it for was to feed the cattle. But it was not up to the farmers (collective farms) to decide what and when to plant. If the party said it was good, it was good. Even if it wasn’t.

I remember the anger of Soviet people when they read in the newspapers that in the US they were destroying some crops, but did not give it to people. They were doing it to keep the prices up. We would never have done it. We would have given it to people… if we had what to give. But we didn’t. But morally we were still so much better.

In our understanding those people, that did not get it, should have been hungry … We were looking into the mirror, but we did not see the world behind it…

So they came up with the initiative to make the cows be more productive. The trouble with that was that cows were not responding favorably to the Initiatives. Milkmaids worked hard to get more milk from the cows. There was a ferocious competition between the cows milkmaids to get the best result, and the numbers were growing. 4,000 kg, 5,000kg, 6,000 kg, and even more and way more (and we learned that milk is food, not drink, and that it is measured in kilograms, not liters). Of course, the more milk they were getting, the more water it had. And for every extra kilogram of milk you had to spend 3 times more on food and care.

We were beating you, guys, practically on all counts, you just did not know that. Watch the news and you would hear that we produced more of something, than the US and Belize combined, that we manufactured more tractors, bulldozers, planes, electric bulbs, toothbrushes…. That our cows were the most productive cows in the world, as our chicken…

Our free health care system was undoubtedly the best (and we did not know that our leaders would go abroad for simple surgery), our free education was far superior to everyone else… but we still were a darn poor country…

…Choosing cuts here in the US is a poem for my ears. Tenderloin, picnic, butt, London broil…And steaks: rib eye, porterhouse, T-bone steak, New York strip, sirloin, blade steak….I can go on and on…

In the best of the worlds life was simpler. The choices were meat, or no meat. If meat, 1/3 of its weigh was supposed to be a bone, and they will weigh the meat and then grab and weigh the bone…Our cows were bony, but it was fair and great. Because quite often there was no meat, and no bones… The cows, that made it to the fridges of party and government officials, were meat only, but this was a minor inconvenience.

Of course, we were extremely grateful that the Communist party and the government (The People’s Government) were there for us. We knew that without them we would become an easy prey to Imperialist forces…

All the good was coming from them. The day Stalin died, people cried. The whole nation cried. Because who would save us from the cruel imperialist world now? Government was everything.

Without it we were nothing… Without it there would be no meat and no bones...

P.S. Later, in Brezhnev's era, when we were still not free, but no longer that naive, and did not believe in Hell and in Communism, but were still afraid of Communism (let's call it Communism enforcement) way more than of Hell, there was a joke about the Rotten West.

"Yes, the West is rotten... but smells wonderful..."

* Photos courtesy of Flickr

Comments That Beat the BLogs

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:20:02 -0600

Has it ever happened to you, that you receive a comment to your blog, which makes you feel jealous? It reinforces what you wrote, but does it so much better? Or a commenter comes with a comment, which is better than your blog? Making you feel shallow?

It happens to me. I am blessed with some comments, that make me feel all of the above.

For some timea lready here on AR we have the option to reblog. I think I used it once or twice at most. Often these are sign of laziness by rebloggers (what an awkward word), but often I am grateful to rebloggers as otherwise I would have missed some of the most powerful blogs on AR. The latest example is the post by Janet Guiilbault Economic Cancer: That Sense of "Entitlement" It was originally posted October 23, 2009, and if not for reblogs, I would have missed it.

However, time from time I read comments to the blogs, which are so well thought, written, right on the money, and which could be full-scale blogs and bring more points to the commenter, and it strikes me that we do not have a reblog of a comment feature on AR.

That would be a rare occasion, but these comments worth being re-blogged (re-commented?). So why don't I start this in the way that I can, i.e. write about the comment that I believe should be read by way more people, that are simply commenting on my blog.

Tim Maitski is not a new guy on the block. This Atlanta agent has accumulated over 200,000 AR points, runs a pretty successful Real Estate business. This is pretty much what I know about him. However, time from time I read his blogs or comments, which are not about Real Estate, but about us as a nation (otherwise called political), and he stuns me with his analysis. He says he is not not the average Atlanta Real Estate agent. I am not in that area, and do not have any real estate interests in that area. But he is sure not the average guy in terms of his interests and knowledge.

Lately we are using the word "entitlements "more and more. And here is his comment on my blog post Fixing The Economy. For Better or for Worse?

"Jon, So much of what's going on today was written about back in 1850 by Frederic Bastiat in "The Law"

Here is a quote that is appropriate to what you write about here:

But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.

Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil itself, but also it is a fertile source for further evils because it invites reprisals. If such a law - which may be an isolated case - is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system.

The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly, defending his acquired rights. He will claim that the state is obligated to protect and encourage his particular industry; that this procedure enriches the state because the protected industry is thus able to spend more and to pay higher wages to the poor workingmen.

Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interests. The acceptance of these arguments will build legal plunder into a whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present-day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else; to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it."

Can we say it better today? Are we wiser today? Yes, Tim used a quote. He didnot write it himself. But this quote somehow shows Tim's caliber.

Thank you, Tim

It Is Not Easy To Change

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:29:15 -0600

After immigrating to the US in 1991 and settling in the Bronx (and this is a fascinating story that I will write about some day), we did not make it to Brighton Beach for another couple of years at least.

Brighton Beach, a small place on a southern tip of Brooklyn, became a popular Russian enclave after the wave of immigration in the 70s settled in this place, nicknamed Little Odessa. When we got there, even many signs were in Russian. There were Russian pharmacies, Russian insurance agents, Russian Real Estate agents, Russian stores and everything else Russian. You could hear Russian all around you, and there were a lot of older people who did not need English to live their lives.

And even not Russian speaking people managed to adjust to the changed environment. Mexicans working in Korean owned groceries on all corners learned how to say "Stupid, buy today, or you will pay more tomorrow" in pure Russian with the smile from ear to ear, so conflicting with the rudeness of the phrase...

There was even a joke, that an American stops the car on Brighton Beach to ask for directions, and nobody speaks English, and one Russian guy asked the other Russian guy "So, did his English help him?". When an American walks in a Russian store, where the salespeople spoke no English, you could here when the sales lady calls for a supervisor, who understands English, to come and serve"a foreigner".

One of those famous Russian Stores on Brighton Beach is Золотой Ключик ("Golden Key"). The way the flow of people was organized made you bump into others. I think they did it intentionally in order to create a Russian store atmosphere, where there is a crowd of people shoulder to shoulder...

Where you socialize with those next to you, and you have common dislike against those who are on the other side of the counter, as they have access to goods that you do not have access to (money is not an object here, it is the power to give to one and not give to another). This is a place where you encounter adversity and yell at each other and call other people names... It was so Russian...

The lines in the store were surreal and so weird in America where there are no lines, and no shoulder to shoulder socializing... but it was so Russian, so nostalgic for a lot of people, especially the older ones..

In the Soviet Union, where lines were an integral part of living, your status related to this lines was of tremendous social importance. Party officials did not stay in lines. There was a system of providing goods to them. No lines there. The goods were priced the same, but the value of the ruble there was much higher, as you did not have to bribe to get anything.

The salespeople was another group of people, who had access to goods and distribution. And then there were some important people, who had connections, and who were instrumental in exchanging one goods for another, so that if you had access to meat, you could get clothes in exchange.

And then there were the rest of us. People, whose rubles were pretty worthless. Nobody wanted them.

Actually, there was another group of people, who had a bit of privilege as it pertains to lines - veterans. In the Soviet Union in the 80s, when there were not really that many veterans of the WWII left, they instituted the regulation, that veterans could go to the head of the line, show their veteran's ID and buy without staying in exhausting lines.

The country loved their veterans... in general, but often not up and close. Every time a older guy would be trying to squeeze to the counter through this shoulder to shoulder monolith, the line would be getting adversarialy anxious. Then there would be a nasty exchange, where the veteran, buying a pair of women bra, would get yelled at, and would yell back telling the crowd that he was spilling his blood for these bastards, and now HAS THE RIGHT to buy the bra (cologne, toilet paper, chicken legs, high boots, you name it) without standing in line.

Veterans deserved it. It was the country's Thank you to them, and as little as it was, they cherished the mere fact of their exclusivity.

In 1989-1992 a lot of them came here with the last wave of immigration from the Soviet Union. They did not want to go, but they were tied to their sons and daughters, who decided to look for better life abroad. Life in the US turned out to be better than they expected. After they settled, they figured that they did not need to worry about food and shelter, and free medical help was like in the Soviet Union, but much better, and even those, destined to die there, underwent unheard of before procedures and got their second and third chance in life.

They soon formed the Association of Veterans of WWII (In Russia it is not WWII, it is always the Great Patriotic War, which started June 22nd 1941 and ended May 9, 1945). Somehow eventually they ended up with 2 associations of veterans. The 2 Associations of older people cold not handle their disagreements in a civil manner, and in Russian language media there was a dirty campaign. Each of those associations claimed to be the only true one representing the veterans, and tried to shut the other one...

Puzzled and confused, American media was trying to understand what that all was about, but it make very little sense.I never had Russian radio or Russian TV since we immigrated to the US, and the great fights of my compatriots did not affect our lives. I only once heard the interview with the official of one of those associations.

I remember the journalist asking the old gentleman, what they wanted, and his responses stunned not only the journalist, but myself. They wanted the American Government to acknowledge them as Veterans of WWII. They did not ask for pensions, no. So what did they want?

They wanted the government to issue Veteran IDs, so that those veterans could use them to buy stuff without staying in line.

- Which lines? The journalist could not understand it. The veteran looked at him angrily and repeated the demand.

It did not matter that there were no lines. They wanted to be acknowldged, and the only way they knew were those ID giving the right to buy. No lines? So what? The right, that's what important. Being different from other people was important. They wanted to be IMPORTANT.

The entitlements were so embedded in the brains, that their value survived 11,000 km flight, survived a different life, different reality. They still demanded the Government issued ID even when there was no practical or ethical reason for that.

These people beat the most feared enemy in the history of the world. They beat the Nazi. But they could not beat a small plastic card saying that the bearer of it is an IMPORTANT person. They could not lose the privilege that card was offering... even when there was no privilege any more.

The mighty power of entitlements. It is when not when everyone has a blanket...It is when there is a blanket and yo can pull it your way. And others can't.

* Photo is coutesy of Flickr

Fixing The Economy. For Better or for Worse?

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:13:03 -0600

There is a lot of hype about the extension of the Tax Credit. Some look at it both from a professional point of view, and from a personal perspective as a citizen. I understand that. I wrote about it in Are You Ready to Write a Check for $8,000?

Some are just happy and there is even a notion that all real estate agents gotta be ecstatic about it. Well, not me. And I hope not you.

I am trying to understand how could it happen that we became so narrow minded. We are against wasteful spending, but we are allowing the government to do it at an unprecedented pace. The realities of life are changing, but we are fighting to preserve the status quo by all means. Even borrowing from our own future.

I am afraid the biggest consequence of the way the government is fixing the economy is the one that we are not expecting. And which we are not discussing.

It is the change in our mindsets. In Democrats, Republicans, independents...

A mindset of free people relying on themselves is what makes them entrepreneurial. It is what makes them find the ways to better themselves and the Nation as a result of taking care of themselves.

A mindset of people becoming happy campers if they can get a buck for themselves in the overall destructive and wasteful giveaways is the first step to socialism. Because it is no longer important where we are going, as long as we can pick up some slack on the way.

The road to Socialism does not start when the government proposes another wasteful and politically charged giveaway. It starts when we, The People, become a group of people. When we become happy campers every time we are on the receiving end. When the interest of the Nation becomes the fragmented interest of groups, a blanket that we try to pull our way...

We were angry with banks getting trillions, but we are so pleased with home buyers getting billions... Guys, it is the same waste, different recipients. Since when we start praising the smaller waste as the Good for the nation? It is our nation's check book that is already empty, and we are using our Nation's Credit Card. Bborrowing billions instead of trillions will simply make us bankrupt a day later, but that's where we are heading... and we are happy campers?

It is when we claim that we are to protect the environment, and then decide to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward, which should have never been built there in the first place. But then we did not know... We can now say that we are wiser today and correct it... but we lack the courage to do the right thing for the future, and instead do a politically correct thing for today. We will rebuild it... As a symbol of what?

If symbols are so important to us as nation, why we can't rebuild theTwin Towers? Eight and a half years later it is still not there, while it took initially 5 years to build them nearly 40 years ago (1966 - 1971). It is not a technology that takes that long, it is our mindset that allowed this to happen.

As people we might have more than we really need. We can survive with smaller homes, cheaper cars... No society in the history of civilization ever had everything, no civilization was demanding to have what they want and get it.

The trouble is when we are ready to sell our souls so that we keep getting it even if this can hurt our future. When we willingly start hurting our future because we want something today, that we can't have, we are losing both.

We are not going to fix our trouble with our grandchildren money, but we will terribly affect their lives.

Don't we care about our grandchildren? Our Future?

The Dogs' Best Friend

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:52:48 -0600

I posted Hottober in Daytona Beach - Florida and it was a teaser for the guys in colder places. When you are shivering, then reading about 80+ Daytona Beach weather and leisurely warm waters of the Atlantic was not a nice reminder from me... Sorry, guys. I simply can't help it.

Tom Braatz from Wisconsin commented on it and here's what he wrote "maybe we should get you to find Lars and I a home in Florida and then would be really a great thing for him to bask in the sun".

First I wanted to send Tom the Buyer Broker Agreement, but then stopped as I did not know who was going to be my client. It is obviously for Lars...

Here's Tom's patriotic dog Lars.

How often we think that dogs are our best friends? Are they? I think this is us, who are their best friends.

Many people call them our babies. But are we the bosses? Or we only think we are?

Of course, they love us dearly... and our hearts melt. They know our weaknesses, and they take us the way we are. Great. But if we are really their Masters, then why do we pick up the poop?

I do not have a dog (yet). My daughter has. So, Bruno (on the left) is not my baby. But he licks me, I am still a relative... who does not pick up the poop

*Photo of Bruno b y Jon Hardison

Hottober in Daytona Beach - Florida

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:44:15 -0500

Hottober in Daytona Beach - Florida.

These are the last days of the most incredible October I can remember. A commentator on local TV station called it Hottober. Daily temperature are either record high, or close to that for at least 3 weeks straight.

Yesterday's high of 89 was a tie with the record temperature in 2005. Water in the ocean is very warm, we are having a second summer, less hot and much more pleasant.

89F may sound hot, but couple degrees less than in August already feel better for us, and we enjoy it.

Right now at 6 PM on Saturday it is 83F and it feels like 88F. It is perfect. I enjoy every minute of it.

How different it feels in the spring and in the fall. When it hits 80 in the spring, it is so hot, and you feel that you are dying without the AC. And in the fall when the temperature suddenly drops to 82F, it feels cool and pleasant, and you turn off the AC and open the windows.

What surprises me is that Daytona Beach is empty when it is the best weather. Back in Russia on the Black Sea they called it a velvet season when school started and kids had to leave. There were fewer people on the beach, which meant that finally you could find where to put your foot.

Because in my native Russia they use centigrade, I do not really compare the temperatures, it is a tricky formula, and I never do it. But it would be interesitng to compare. I got the online conversion table and figured it all out.

So, in Florida average temperature for January is 69.8F. Average July temperature is 84.2F. In Moscow, where I lived last two years before emigrating to US, July average is 64.8F - less than in Florida in January. And Moscow average temperature in January is 18.5F. Sounds cold? Not really. Let me check average temperatures in Vorkuta, the place above the Arctic Circle, where we lived 14 years prior to moving to Moscow. Average July temperature is 53F. Average January is - 5.1. But cold temperatures are 9 - 10 months and annual average is 20F.

Forget about the Arctic. It is warm and green in Florida. It is a velvet season in Daytona Beach now. Come and enjoy Hottober. Are we going to have Hotember?

Welcome Home! Oceanside Inn - Daytona Beach Shores

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:03:07 -0500

Welcome Home!Welcome to Oceanside Inn - Daytona Beach Shores

I had a closing today. One that was traditional and that we now do not have very often. Sitting at the table with the Closing agent and the Buyer felt like a thing from the past. We still did not have the Seller and seller's agent at the table, but this was REO and I did not expect the agent to come.

The unit is direct oceanfront. It is the south east corner, so in addition to all the view directly to the ocean, it also has panoramic vistas south up to New Smyrna Beach. This is the largest studio floor plan in the resort and at 543 sf thee is enough room for my client. This is the only unit on that stack with full standard kitchen. I do not know who the original owner was, as they have put it there initially, instead of small kitchenettes in other units.

The buyer is from Boston. She came here twice and both times stopped in Oceanside Inn to get the feel of the property. Stayed in different units.

After the closing we went to the condo-hotel resort and when we walked into the lobby, she smiled and greeted everyone she saw there at the front desk by name:

"Hi Nick, hi James". And they smiled and greeted her by name. And when I told them that I wanted to introduce the new owner to them, they said: "Welcome Home!"

And it was beautiful.

I love Oceanside Inn - the best condo-hotel resort in Daytona Beach Shores. They can make you feel at home.

P.S. If you are looking for inexpensive oceanfront to call your second home, just drop me a line in the e-mail or call 386-405-4408.

Congressman With Guts. What About The Brains?

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:39:03 -0500

Just heard on TV that Alan Grayson calls himself "Congressman with the guts". No questions, this is a very catching tag line. But if we think about it, I can see rednecks with a lot of guts in every local bar.

What I do not see in abundance in local bars is the mental capacity of a statesman. But I do not see it in Alan Grayson as well.

We are getting to the point where cheap and cheesy get the center stage.

What about "Congressman with the brain" for a change?

Photo is courtesy of Congressman's site. Not copywrite protected.

If you Have What To Say, Say It On YouTube

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:52:58 -0500

We are living at an interesting time. Some very high-ranking representatives of the People find it technically difficult to post the Healthcare Bill on the Internet for people to read. I would not have a problem with that if I were them. An over a thousand page bill is too long even for them to read, and they paid staff for that, so why be worrying about folks who would still not have time to read it, and then check all the references made in the bill, and then have time to understand the immediate changes and how they will affect us, and then the long term effects and how they will change our lives.

I do not know about you, I feel it as an attempt to silence us. Let THEM decide for us. THEY know better. But it does not work today. While some cann't figure how to post text on the Internet in 2009 and for whatever reason are saying that it will take a long time to scan, while nobody need to scan anything, it is in text form on someone's computer, the others simply getting the exposure using new media, like YouTube. So, if THEY want us to trust THEM, why not? Let's watch THEM and listen to THEM on YouTube.

We sure need to know who are US and who're THEM when the time for elections come.

Watch Senator Mike Johanns' (R) Nebraska address on YouTube.

Internet Is A Lousy Agent...

Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:48:25 -0500

We all know that Real Estate is local. We all know that it is one thing in California and it is another thing in Florida.

The 3,000 SF villa for $200K is not an indication of a good or bad price. It would be different if it is in Hawaii, or in Alabama.

Our office is in a mid-rise oceanfront condo-hotel, and I remember a couple walking in after seeing the marquee sign. They were laughing. They told us that we are having the sign all wrong, and there was something missing. So, i walked outside and read it: "Condo studios from $32K". Everything was OK. Come back tell them it is OK. There is a burst of laughter. Then they tel us that the sign says "from $32K. You missed a zero".

No, we didn't. It is $32K, no zeros missing. Their jaws dropped. Silence. "What do you mean?" We did not mean anything.

Turns out they just flew in from California, and in California, according to them, a place on the Ocean, even a small one would be the same... with a zero. No, not in Daytona Beach.

I spoke once to the guy who bought 7 condo-hotel units for $50K each, paid cash. He kept saying it would have cost him all the money spent to buy only one in California. that would have been such a deal... i California. But it was not a great deal in Daytona Beach. And he eventually lost all his units.

I received a call from a past client. She is looking for multi-family units. She is from California, and they have a rental there, but they are looking for the best deal. They are smart people, they know how to use the Internet. They do not like our deals, as they do not want to pay $35K-$40K a door. They are finding much better deals around the country. So, what are they finding? Or, two fourplex building and they are getting them for $8K a door. Isn't that's a deal?

I do not know. It is in Texas, and I am not sure that $8K in that location is any better than $35k in Daytona Beach. I just do not now that. Do they work with the agent? Yeah, they deal with the Listing agent and he told them this is a deal of the century. They would need to put some money to update it, but then you get tired shoveling the money. They will give one tenant a break and he will be their eyes and ears... They figured everything.

Now, a year later I asked how it is going with their killer property in Texas... and they do not look happy. They spent some money, and then their eyes and ears rented it all to a bunch of crakheads, and they destroye the property, and the landlords could not get them out, needed to flfy there... they finally w alked away. So much about the great deal for $8K a door.

When people call me to brag what they just found on the Internet, and are asking my opinion, I am not trying to reason with them. I simply say that I am a complete idiot regarding any real estate values besides my narrow beachside, which is not the county, and not even the area. It is just a 300 - 600-yard wide strip of land along the ocean. That's where I have some experience and where I have the 6th sense.

I simply ask them to call me in a year and tell me how happy they are. Guess I still have to wait for the call.

Cause Real Estate is local, dude! And Internet is a lousy agent...