The history of the Daytona Beach Area Association of REALTORS can be traced back as far a 1922.  It was in 1922 the Daytona Beach area received its charter from the national and state governing bodies. With less than 20 members they struggled on the same issues that we face today.  Attracting industry, yes we need commerce desperately, promoting tourism.. Yes we still are known for the World's Most Famous Beach and the most important issue then and still remains.. To improve the quality of life for our residents.  Although we have our trials and tribulations right now.. I can't imagine or even fathom how REALTORS worked in the 20's. Its a good thing I am a REALTOR today! Times were challenging back then: In 1923 began the registration of brokers and salespeople. The Swamp Land Rush... 09/08/2008

FOUNTAIN BEACH RESORT313 S Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32118 This 149-room resort is in the heart of Daytona beachside, walking distance to all the attractions. There are 19 units for sale on MLS. The lowest priced unit starts from $59,900. Unit is in good shape, north side, in the middle of the building. Studios are 385 sf plus 49 sf balcony. One bedroom are two units together, with one blocked from the hallway. One bedrooms have stoves, while studios only have microwaves and toasters. Lowest priced one-bdr is $112,900. This is pre-foreclosure, a distressed sale. 3 years ago they were $200K. This is a large true one bedroom, 2 baths (one with Jacuzzi) 770 sf, DIRECT OCEANFRONT UNIT. Sales are slow. This year only one unit was sold for $60K. Last year for the same period there were... 09/08/2008

FOUNTAIN BEACH RESORT 313 S ATLANTIC AVE, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32118 Fountain Beach Resort is a condo-hotel, converted in 1998-1999 from a hotel built in 1976. Initial prices were in the mid to higher 30s and all the way to high 40s for top floor. This is a 149-room resort with a restarant/bar, Tiki bar, outdoor non heated pool, and a miniature golf. Hurricanes of 2004 came in the middle of a price boom. The prices went to $120K for a studio, and the highest price paid for a 385 sf studio was $165,000. The building is perpendicular to the Ocean, with balconies on north and south side. There is the view of the ocean from any unit in the building. You can have a better view from units closer to the Ocean, but this is not cut and dried, as on the North side on the top 6th floor you would have... 09/08/2008

Ocean Walk Resort consists of 2 towers. South tower is a 19-story tower with 1, 2 and few 3 bdr units. North tower is a 25-story tower with about 50 one-bedroom units and the rest are 2 bdr/2 bath units. This is the only condo-hotel/time share built from the ground up. And this  is without questions the best one. Half of the complex is time share, and remaining units are wholly owned condo-hotels. Below is the list of unit for sale in both towers. If you are surprised by the difference in prices between, for example, the least expensive 2/2 for $410K and the most expensive 2/2 for $710K, don't be. One is not a direct oceanfront, even though it has the most breathtaking views, and the other one is direct oceanfront. Street Address Unt# Name Year Bed Bath Sq. Ft. Price 300 N Atlantic 1107... 09/07/2008

Mortgage Fraud -Think and use these words carefully if you are a short sale seller!  I say this because I have seller's calling me from all walks of life...from different states...with different situations..short sale situations and some sellers choose the words mortgage fraud! When I hear mortgage fraud...I ask immediately...have you called an attorney? In most instances..a REALTOR is the first person they call..and in some instances its just been me! My advice to sellers: Be very careful using the term mortgage fraud..you may in fact implicate yourself!  Seek the advice of an attorney..especially if you have..a stated income loan...or You know the 1003 application...has false information..after all you signed the darn thing and that signature might be enough to implicate yourself. My ... 09/07/2008

Restaurants in the Ocean Walk Village Taste Daytona Beach at the Ocean Walk Village. Pick a place from elegant seaside dining and fun family-themed eateries to casual snacks on the beach or pool deck, the restaurants at Ocean Walk Village offer dining options for every situation. Adobe Gila's Adobe Gila's Margarita Fajita Cantina is a Mexican-influenced restaurant serving up live entertainment and a great atmosphere, located directly on Daytona Beach. Offering great food, great drinks, great music, and great times is the Adobe Gila's mission.     Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Visitors looking for a fun, family restaurant will enjoy Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The restaurant, a tribute to the movie Forrest Gump, offers great casual seafood dining just steps from the ocean. Doc Bales' Grill Enjoy indoo... 09/06/2008

This is not a political post it's your right...and a chance to make a difference.  If you are not a registered voter it is not too late!  Both Obama and McCain offer voter's registration on their sites.  That's right sign up...and mail your application in by October for the state of Florida...and you will have the opportunity to take part in this great election. This election matters...not just for you...but the future of your children and their children...the future of the planet! Register to vote through John McCain's site        Register to vote through Barack Obama's site     Registration Deadline-29 days before the election.To register in Florida you must: · be a citizen of the United States · be a legal resident of both the State of Florida and of the county in which you seek to b... 09/03/2008

I am star struck by the net, that's right..who would have thought in my lifetime I would be connecting with people without leaving my chair..without spending millions.  This amazes me and I never take it for granted. Often times we expect the net to work for us by placing posts or just having a website..the truth is you have to still utilize other forms of contact with picking up the phone and face to face..another words prospecting whether you are fund raising or contacting buyers and sellers. Now when I say I am star struck by the net..its the whole concept along with people...the net is people..we as people build the net.  People still need to supplement additional tools to their on line marketing. While raising money for MDA I had the privilege of talking to rainers...I want to than... 08/31/2008

To read about the Ocean Walk Village - a billion-dollar oceanside vacation and entertainment destination place in the heart of Daytona Beach, Florida, click HERE. Here we are only looking at the resort component. Two towers, one 19 story South tower with overwhelming majority of one-bedroom oceanfront units, some 2 bdr units and even a few 3 bdr units. The North Tower has mostly 2 bdr large units, and about 50 one bdr units. Both towers have more than half as time share and the rest wholly owned condos (or condo0-hotels). 26 condo units are available for sale on Daytona MLS. Price starts from $240,000 for a 683-sf one bdr/ one Bath condo to 710,000 for a 1,455 sf 2 bdr/2 Bath unit in North Tower. In the last 12 months only 7 units were sold in Ocean Walk Resort from $230,000 for a 1 bdr... 08/30/2008

To familiarize yourself with this area, here's my post about LPGA Intenational. Let us look at what is happening in this very nice and well maintained community. There are 58 properties for sale on Daytona MLS presently. Prices start from $169,000 for a 1,411 sf 3 bdr/2 Baths home built in 2000 and to $999,900 for a gorgeous 3,250 sf living (5,279 sf total0 4 bdr/ 3 baths home. Let's look at what was sold in LPGA International. 49 properties sold in 12-month period starting from $128,900 for a 4 bdr./3 bath small home to a 3,107 sf living (4,037 sf) home built in 2006, all for $579,000. Considering that there are about 610 built properties in LPGA, 49 properties sold is a very good number. By the way, it took only 42 days to sell this $579,000 home, which is a very good number. Looking ... 08/30/2008

LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) is also a home to  residential communities surrounding two championship Golf Courses. Built by different builders, including Lenar Homes, and KB Homes, it features single family homes and town homes. LPGA is situated of LPGA Blvd west of I-95. Location is convenient with I-95 on one side and I-4 on teh other. 788 properties, with some not yet build upon are on the South side of LPGA Blvd. Two entrances make it easy to get in and out.   Area features: Area lakes nearby2 Championship Golf Courses Close to City AmenitiesClose to future shopping centerClubhouseCommon Area LandscapingCovered Patios IncludedGolfGreenbeltsHome Owners AssociationInterstate Access nearbyMaintenance Free LivingMaster Planned CommunityNature Preserve Nearby Conveniently ... 08/30/2008

THE SHOW WENT GREAT AND LUCKY ME... WE ARE DOING IT AGAIN LIVE, TOMORROW, 3 PM EASTERN TIME.  CLICK ON THE LOGO TO LISTEN AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO CALL IN! 1-888-522-1924 ****************************************************************************************** Tune in tonight!  6 pm eastern time "The Red Pill"  Your host Kevin Fishback and tonight I will be guest  co-hosting!    I love doing radio and would love to hear from you!  No plans call in! 1-888-522-1924  Topic:  "What I wish I would have known as my younger self!" No regrets just good sound advice! Who would have thought that the Real Estate Magazine that Kevin found me would play such a key role in our relationship? Now that's what I am talking about!  Sometimes it is true, You Reap What You Sow! If you are Daytona Beach... 08/29/2008

Ocean Walk Village - a $1 billion oceanside vacation and entertainment destination place in the heart of Daytona Beach, Florida. The concept came together at the time of stagnation, and there were more than enough skeptics, who claimed it was a failure. There was a seriousl fight as the opposition was against any perks given to the developers. But the city wanted something to start the rejuvenation process. So, they listened, and listened, and listened, but still gave this project a chance. Located right next to Historic Bandshell, the project incorprorated it in its modern structure and created a unique fusion of old and new, that is so pleasant for the eye. Ocean Walk Village takes six blocks of the "World's Most Famous Beach." Consisting of two major resorts and hotels, this complex ... 08/27/2008

  The local sheriff was here to arrest my Midori today for GOOD. She has been arrested for the MDA LOCKUP! In order for Midori to be released she has to raise bail in the amount of $3,200 and she has so far she has raised $700. Now, Midori needs our help, she has a long way to go and not a lot of time to raise the rest of that cash. If you go to her secure site you can donate any amount you want towards her bail. Midori Miller - MDA's MOST WANTED CITIZEN! "I'm going behind bars for "GOOD" PLEASE HELP BAIL ME OUT! Whether it's $1.00 or $1000Every dollar counts!Your donation is my key to freedom but most of all to find a cure for this horrible disease!  The disease is not selective..it can hit anyone of any age.  A fact that I was not aware of and the worst part..there are many variation... 08/27/2008

I am already used to the fact that every development in the area (and, I think, anywhere in the State of Florida) is met with fierce opposition. "Greedy developers", "corrupted politicians", "save the environment", "Preserve the Beauty" ... this and much more is what angry locals yell at meetings and hearings. I am watching one "victory" after another for a few last years. And each victory pushes us back. Our population is growing. We are destroying flora and fauna at an unprecedented pace. People are fighting against the high-rises. Adamantly against. However, is this really a problem for the environment? Look at Single family homes. If you take a single family home on an acre lot and compare to 300-condo unit building on 1 acre lot, you have a similar footprint, but you have 300 units... 08/23/2008

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Event Blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"   Yesterday I wrote a blog about what was previously Daytona Beach Community College; now Daytona State College. In that post, I made a comment about my daughter using Florida's Bright Future's Scholarship to attend her college of choice, because apparently it was uncool to attend college in the city where you were born and raised. Well, I received a comment on that blog post by a current student of Daytona State College, who has his own blog about DSC, and wrote a post in response to my own. Apparently Richard X. Thripp didn't like my comment about my daughter thinking it was uncool to attend college in the same city where she was born. He also said that DBCC only changed the name of the school,... 08/21/2008

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Event Blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!" A while back I wrote a post to this blog, listing all of the colleges and universities in the Daytona Beach area. I was born and raised in the Daytona Beach area, and can remember when all we had was Daytona Beach Community College, and of course Stetson University in DeLand. Not long ago, Daytona Beach Community College (DBCC) dropped the word "community" from their name, as they had expanded so much over the years. But the most recent addition was the "The School of Hospitality and Culinary Management", donated by local real estate builder Mori Hosseini, aptly titled the Mori Hosseini Center. But the newly named Daytona Beach College (DBC) was not enough for the powers-that-be. This once little... 08/19/2008

Every summer we brace up for those unwelcome guests. Charley, Frances, Jeanne, Ivan... A lot of destruction, washed away beaches, for many it was lost power in 90-degree heat and humidity, people tired of living without AC, and no fridges working. This was in 2004. Now we got Fay. Not a major hurricane, just a named tropical storm. The governor declared the state of emergency, everyone is ready, schools in the path of the storm are closed, and kids, after just one day in school, are happy that they get a break. The day started quietly. The storm was battering Brevard County, and it was still quiet in Daytona, and if not for the clouds and the ocean is rough, you would not say that the storm is coming. Tourists fled and few remaining were walking the beach feeling some sense of heroism. ... 08/19/2008

I've been in real estate since the early 90's..and one thing is certain..I have seen agents attempt to reinvent the wheel...I don't mean marketing...I mean the basics..I mean in presenting offers.. Without a contractWithout a depositWithout the terms Only words and you think your doing your customer a service? How about mine?  See I thought the intent was to sell a house..if that is the case give your customer a fair shot at it.  Without a verbal offer but in writing, a written offer. An offer they can visually see via sales contract.  With a commitment which means a deposit and how do you expect a seller to respond without terms. Think about this.... My listing agreements always say No verbal offers, that means the seller will only accept written offers. That means YOU are no exception... 08/17/2008

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Event Blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!" Right now at the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS), you can find several spectacular and unique exhibits. The first exhibit is a Chinese Kite Exhibition, by artist Sheng-li Gao. This particular exhibit will be ending soon so hurry to the museum by August 28, 2008! The Chinese Kite exhibition is in honor of the now-running Olympic Games in Beijing, China. These kites float elegantly in the MOAS Root Gallery, varying in size from about 2 to 10 feet, depicting different animals and birds. And one of the best features of the Chinese Kite Exhibits will be the live demonstrations on the art of kite-making, by the kite master himself, Sheng-li Gao. Another collection currently being featu... 08/15/2008