daytona beach real estate: Corporate Freaggin Culture ... Or Lack Thereoff
- 03/25/09 05:31 AM
I am an immigrant, came to the country too late to climb the corporate ladder, and this part of American life is unknown to me. Any experience I have with corporations is as a customer.
I recently posted about Marina Grande on the Halifax condominium development in Daytona Beach area. The original developer - one of the largest Florida luxury condo builders - is returning the projects to Lenders. 5 projects have been returned so far in the South Florida, and Marina Grande on the Halifax is another one, that has changed hands.
The new owner - The Momentis Property Group got the two constructed and completed 25-story … (9 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Ocean Walk. News From The Grapevine.
- 03/14/09 06:23 PM
The most expensive luxurious condo resort in the area, and the only condo-resort in the area that was built as a resort from scratch, and not converted to condominiums from a hotel is Ocean Walk, an impressive project encompassing a 19-story South Tower and 25-story North Tower. They are part of a larger ocean Walk Village project, which includes Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, Wyndham Ocean Walk, Ocean Walk Shoppes and the Ocean Center, a 6-story Parking Garage....
Pre-construction sales started, I think, in 1999, and at that time $139K price tag for a 683-sf oceanfront one-bedroom sounded exorbitant. At that time you could buy a residential 2 … (4 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Evicted From Paradise
- 03/14/09 10:34 AM
I wrote a blog If I Were John Rockefeller... and my neighbor and inquisitive mind Lisa Hill, a born Daytonian, left a comment, actually asked a question. I could answer "yes" or "no", but this was a question that I often ask myself. I started answering, and soon I saw that it was more that just a response to Lisa's comment.
In the time of skyrocketing prices, and the money available to any breathing soul, a lot of agents pushed a lot of clients, friends and relatives into the buying spree. It was especially vivid with new condo developments and residential single family … (7 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: A Little Bit Of Optimism Should Not Hurt
- 03/10/09 07:02 PM
Irwin Kellner of MarketWatch, chief economist for MarketWatch, and is Distinguished Scholar of Economics at Dowling College in Oakdale, N.Y. wrote a very interesting article about the houseing market. Diane Kirvan from ReMax alerted me to it (thanks, Diane).
I hope you will find it very informative and the one that gives the perspective, that we sometimes lose. His observation that selling prices for new and resales combined are now 2.9 times median household income bring him to the conclusion that we are going in the right direction. Just 3 years ago this ratio was 4.5 times the income.
The number itself … (2 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Golf Carts On The Streets. Why Not?
- 03/05/09 01:01 AM
According to New-Jouranl correspondent TAYLOR ASHLEY, SOUTH DAYTONA residnetsw may soon be allowed to use golf carts to drive around the city.
"By this time next year, unless something comes up, we'll have golf carts on the street," City Manager Joe Yarbrough told council members Tuesday night.
A consulting firm hired by the city conducted the study, and based on their recomendations the council members decides to move forward with this proposal to allow golf carts.
Golf carts are eco-friendly electric slow moving vehicles, that are less noisier and cleaner than gas powered vehicles. They need to be recharged regularly, and can go about … (6 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: The Beauty And The ...Ooops, Us!
- 03/04/09 12:57 AM
When I am driving along the beaches of greater Dayotna Beach area, I always ask myself, why it is not something knock-out gorgeous. Why so many buildings are so plain and uattractive. It is difficult for me to comprehend that being on the Ocean opens so many opportunities to create beauty beyond belief, and the opportunity often is not used. It so often such a mismatch between the natural beauty of the ocean and the beach and many buildings, whihc do not enhance and do not really blend.
Well, many of them were built long ago. But today it is still the fight … (8 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: How To Dream Smart In Paradise
- 02/28/09 09:09 AM
This is the second part of If Not In Florida - Why Live? If Not In Heaven - Why Die?. The first is a dream in Paradise, this should be more about how to dream right, if I can say it this wait. The third part will be for frequent fliers or frequent drivers to paradise, otherwise called owners of vacation properties in paradise.
So, let's start from the very beginning: every American on the East Cost, Midwest, and up to California dreams about Florida. Sometimes, even if he/she is in California, however, Californians usually dream about Hawaii... but this is … (7 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Buy One Home Or Condo, Get One Free.
- 02/26/09 05:36 AM
The articles just published in our local News journal on February, February 25 FALLING HOUSE PRICES SEND SALES UPWARD and AREA HOME SALES CONTINUE TO CLIMB on Feb. 26 (BOTH BY BOB KOSLOW, BUSINESS WRITER) bring the long waited news to everyone of us.
According to the article, "falling home prices are starting to have a positive impact with another month of increased sales of existing houses in the Volusia-Flagler market".
The data shows that for single-family homes sold in January, the median price was $131,800 in the two-county area, which is down 26% from the same month last year.
Falling prices attracted buyers and reflected … (3 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Silent Condo Killer
- 02/21/09 01:48 PM
I was showing units in luxury oceanfront new condominium buildings in Daytona Beach Shores. My client was thinking about upgrading from a not so luxury new direct oceanfront condo to a nicer and better built one. There is no doubt that the difference is obvious. The building, the amenities, the units, everything was there to impress. Unfortunately, along with the maintenance fee.
In Bella Vista it was $576 per month for a 3 bdr/3 baths unit, in Palma Bella - $625, in Ocean Villas it was just short of $700 a month. It is practically double from what they were initially just … (26 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Understanding Condo-Hotels. Simple Math
- 02/07/09 09:43 AM
Understanding Condo-Hotels. Part IUnderstanding Condo-Hotels. Part 2 Understanding Condo-Hotels. A Glimpse At History
A few days ago I was driving along Atlantic Ave back to my oceanfront office (our office is on the first floor of a condo-hotel), and I was lazily reading the signs.
It was the middle of a slow day, not much traffic if any at all, nice, sunny and deserted. If you just drive along the ocean, you would not know which of the properties are hotels/resorts, and which are condo-hotels.
And it doesn't matter ... until you are buying there. So, I am driving and reading the marquee signs, … (3 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Understanding Condo-Hotels. A Glimpse At History
- 02/07/09 09:02 AM
Understanding Condo-Hotels. Part IUnderstanding Condo-Hotels. Part 2
Started in South Florida in early 80s, the condo-hotel concept went into hibernation after the change in tax laws in 1986 and rebounded in the second half of 90s. In Daytona first condo-hotels started when owners of oceanfront properties (BTW, from South Florida) cold not sell them as hotels in the stagnant market (the today's is not the first in history), and found it much easier and more profitable to sell units to individual owners.
Those few properties were older hotels, the Sellers/Developers spend minimum to remodel, which was required to convert. These properties … (1 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: The Place Where I Live
- 12/20/08 04:06 PM
First time we came to Ponce Inlet - a quaint small town surrounded by water of 3 sides - when we first time came to Florida in 1995. The market was terrible, the signs for sale were on every third home and we got the impression that people were simply trying to run away.
We could not figure how, but figured that if people were leaving, we better keep away. How darn wrong we were! Even in hte market as dramatically low as now those prices are long gone.
It took us nearly a decade to return to Ponce Inlet, this … (4 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Paying With My Money or Our Money?
- 12/07/08 03:02 AM
Soon after immigrating to US, we ended up in a beautiful place in the North East Bronx called Co-Op City - the largest cooperative in the world with over 55,000 residents. I remember the evenings and it was a fascinating panorama of those magnificent high-rise buildings from 24 to 33-story and windows lit in the darkness. Beautiful picture.
I had the most prestigious new immigrant's job - delivering newspapers at night, and I was lucky enough to get a newspaper route in Co-Op City, so I was out there every night including Sundays.
It was a bit surprising that so many windows … (13 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: I've Been Hijacked
- 11/27/08 04:22 PM
2 days ago in the middle of a hectic day of a real estate broker in a very slow market came a call and the gentleman, who told me he wa from PayPal, asked me if I could tell him when I paid anyting by Paypal. We do use Paypal, and of course, I do not remember all the details, so I was hesitant, but the gentleman was asking a rhetorical question. He already knew what I didn't, and this was the news that somebody got access to my PayPal account and tried to steal the money.
When he asked me whether … (32 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Ritz Carlton Has A Better Customer Service. But For Big Bucks
- 11/26/08 07:10 PM
By virtue of having my office in the Condo-Hotel, I am involved in them more than I would like it.
There are advantages of having the office in the condo-hotel and disadvantages. Advantage is that you are on the ocean. You can walk out of your office and enjoy the breeze, give rest to your eyes, just take a break and recoup. Of course, I do not do any of that, but isn't it this way in life: we are dying to have something, and then never use it. Knowing that I can go there any time, that;s what important. Also, the convenience … (9 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Greek Festival In Daytona Beach
- 11/16/08 03:27 PM
Today was the last day of 32nd Greek Festival in Daytona Beach. It took place in St. Demetrios Church. These festivals became tradition over the years, and this 4-day event attracts a lot of people, and not only Greek.
The parking lot was full, but having lived in the next building for 3 years, I knew how to fool the system, and parked just 100 yards from the church.
There is a bit of history going with this place. The 3-level house, that was where the church stands today, belonged to Mr. Olds, yes, the auto man behind Oldsmobiles. In mid 40s … (10 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Oceanside Inn. Surprise, Surprise
- 11/15/08 05:15 PM
Oceanside Inn 1909 S Atlantic Ave.Daytona Beach Shores, Fl 32118
This is a property that I really like. There are valid reasons for that, but this is for another blog. We actively sell in this property. Last year all sales there were ours. Nobody sold anything there besides us (but some of the sales were not our listings). We sold a few this year as well.
A few days ago I have received the e-mail from one of my clients, who bought a unit there with our help in spring this year. He forwarded me the e-mail from the management company. … (2 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: What is Happening with Condo-Hotels in Daytona
- 11/15/08 04:47 PM
Condo-Hotel Market is very strange. Presently there are 293 units for sale in Daytona Beach.
This number fluctuates from 292 to 308, so it is pretty stable for the last 10 months, when it dropped from over 350.
however the prices are surprising. Not that much that you can see starting prices from $39,750, which is reminiscent of 2002-2003, it is the price fall in certain properties that was not expected. take Hawaiian Inn. Traditionally a very popular family oriented condo-hotel in Daytona Beach Shores, cnverted at the very end of the 90s with prices from the developer from mid … (0 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: 3-bdr New Home in Venetian Bay, New Smyrna Beach, FL
- 11/15/08 02:44 PM
346 Leoni StreetNew Smyrna Beach
VENETIAN BAY NEW HOME
Brand new OAK model in Arbor Lakes in Venetian Bay. Home backs to a large Nature Preserve. Very quiet and very private with beautifully landscaped backyard. Clean light kitchen with brushed steel fixtures and white cabinets. In home Laundry room and safe room. Split plan with bedrooms separate from Master suite. Great quality home in new desirable community. Walk to the new Town Center with its promenade, fountains and Shops. Close to the future supermarket. Lease-Option-to-Buy is available. Currently rented long term.
Venetian Bay is a premium and the only non traditional … (0 comments)
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daytona beach real estate: Short Sale in Venetian Bay, New Smyrna Beach, FL
- 11/15/08 01:42 PM
Drastic reduction on this Brand new lakefront Bordeaux Model in prestigious St. Regis section of Venetian Bay. Quality Johnson Group Construction w/ numerous upgrades: fully tiled living, stainless steel appliances, granite counters, natural slate roof. Rich cabinetry adds to the overall beauty of this house. Under and above cabinet lights in the kitchen in addition to recessed lighting. Crown molding in the living area, lighted tray ceilings in the Master Bedroom and in the Bonus Room. This home is painted in natural tones. Open views of the lake and Parkside Town Homes in the distance. View to the lake and the … (2 comments)
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I am an immigrant, came to the country too late to climb the corporate ladder, and this part of American life is unknown to me. Any experience I have with corporations is as a customer.
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