Well the technology fair is quickly approaching.  Have you ever felt so well accomplished that you have to pat yourself on the back and even jokingly..do it publicly...I'm doing it!  WOW we have an incredible line up and really we as a committee outdid ourselves... You see Daytona Beach, Florida is known for....   "The World's Most Famous Beach" "Spring Break" "Biketoberfest" "Bike Week" "Nascar" "The Daytona 500"  Events yes... we are a unique event city. This year is no different,   The Daytona Beach Area Association of REALTORS Proudly Presents 2nd Annual Technology Fair! Friday, May 30th at 7:30 am registration will begin.. The first 200 people who pre-registered will receive goody bags and lunch, not a dime to the members! Classes Continued Education Oceanfront Location Continental... 05/24/2008

We constantly analyze the Daytona Beach homes market looking for trends of use to everyone interested in our market. While putting together this week's Daytona Beach Homes Market Report, we found a really surprising bit of information. The inventory of homes and condos for sale in Daytona Beach, using the Daytona Beach MLS data, shows that months of inventory on the market fell by nearly 1/2 since January of this year. Here's what happened. Daytona Beach Property on the market at the beginning of the year was just under 7,000 properties. Sales were 164 homes and condos sold. In April, there were about 6300 properties on the market, but sales were 277 properites. The combination of a 10% reduction in properties on the market and a 79% in sales from January to April, dropped the inventory... 05/21/2008

My client, a couple from New York, is buying a condo. They liked the unit priced below any other one bdr. unit in the building. On a $230K unit we submit a $200K offer. They counter at $225K. We are trying to figure the trajectory, where we can get it. My guys would be happy to get for $210K, and ready to pay $215K. This is our goal, our magic number. I am sure the agent representing the Sellers, does the same calculation, and I hope we have the same number in mind. Ask my clients whether they want to counter at $210K, or they still would like to test the waters again and offer $205K. That's what they want. There is the understanding that $205 is unrealistic, and they understand it and are fine with it. Submitting the offer for $205,000. Waiting and are ready to go with a higher number.... 05/18/2008

I got that Closing yesterday. A small restaurant, the deal was very simple. The Buyer was buying a company, he is from Canada and he is working on his L-1 visa, so he needs a company that was in business for some time. The agent, who called me, was very knowledgeable, pleasure to work with. The Buyer is not a native Canadian, he speaks English pretty well, but is a bit confused by all the different terminology, transaction details, and business details. He was always accompanied by a young smiling guy, who was translating and explaining things to the Buyer. Later it turned out the guy was there for his wife, who is not only related to the Buyer, but is an agent. The smiling guy is not licensed. I do not know what the arrangement was there, but the agent was, obviously, getting very litt... 05/16/2008

Florida residents and visitors who are looking for updates on the wildfire situation, here's the information I've been able to gleen so far this week. I know a lot of you have been looking for information on the recent Florida fires, since I've been getting comments on my previous blog post, about the fires from last year. So to avoid confusion, I decided I'd better post some updated information for 2008. It started as a brushfire on Sunday. And then... This past Monday, a 600 acre brush fire broke out in Daytona Beach, very near the LPGA Golf and Country Club/housing development and mandatory evacuations were being ordered. The irony is, Volusia county has very little natural gas. Most people who want to cook on a gas stove, need to have propane tanks. Approximatelly 75-80% of our home... 05/14/2008

To help RE/MAX Property Centre raise money for Rose Roberts, one of their Realtors®, who is currently undergoing chemo in her fight against breast cancer. I met "Team Rose" at the Volusia Home Builders Association Saturday Morning bright and early to get set up for a Poker Run. By "Team Rose" I mean pretty much anyone from RE/MAX Property Centre that wasn't out showing property on Saturday and AC Coluccio from Professional Title's Port Orange Office. Sue Morrison was in charge of getting things ready and she had bagels, donuts & coffee awaiting our bikers. The bagels needed to be cut, tickets to be tended too and we had young volunteers visiting who were ready to handle the job!                 Big Lots had donated cases of Campbell's Chicken Noodle and Tomato Soups with special Breast ... 05/13/2008

This year, the Daytona Beach police explorers got creative in their fundraising. They decided to sell police caricature T-shirts, depicting our police officers as the "Scumbag Eradication Team". This is great! LOL. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. The police explorers originally only printed 300 of the T-shirts that say "Scumbag Eradication Team. Not in our Town!" Those 300 shirts all sold within 3 days. So another 250 were ordered, and again sold right away. I have no news on how long the program will continue. The Explorer team, and now the accompanying T-shirts serve the purpose of helping teens, aged 14-19 learn about careers in law enforcement. I read in a local new article that the idea actually came from the father of Police Chief Mike Chitwood, who is the polic... 05/11/2008

Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!" For those of you in the Daytona Beach area who enjoy theater, and would enjoy an inexpensive way to spend an afternoon or evening, you should familiarize yourself with the Daytona Playhouse.  This month; May 9-18, 2008 The Daytona Playhouse presents "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife". I read the description on the Playhouse web site and it looks like a lively and fun presentation =) Show dates and times are as follows... May 9 and 10 at 8:00 p.m., May 15 and 17 at 8:00 p.m., and May 11 and 18 at 2:00 p.m. Prices range between $10.00 and $16.00. The Daytona Playhouse is located at 100 Jessamine Blvd. in Daytona Beach. For more information, visit their web site or call 386-255-2431.  If you're conside... 05/07/2008

The Daytona Beach Symphony Guild will be hosting an Annual Luncheon Sunday, May 5, 2008 at Indigo Lakes Golf Club. The Indigo Lakes Golf Club is located at 312 Indigo Drive in Daytona Beach, FL.The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m.For more info, call 386-675-8335.   Also, this Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at the Peabody Auditorium, you can appreciate the Music And Dance from Ecuador, by Yarina.  The show starts at 7:30 p.m.  For more info call 386-671-3461.If you're considering buying or selling real estate in the Daytona Beach area, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS.  05/03/2008

It isn't often my 9-5 life and my weekend life blend in together, in fact this will be the first time ever and I will be hanging out in the Real Estate World while wearing my Leathers! We are getting together to help this beautiful woman pictured to the left. Her name is Rose Roberts, a licensed Florida Real Estate Agent who hangs her license with RE/MAX Property Centre of Ormond Beach. Rose was diagnosed with Breast Cancer earlier this year. She went in for a lumpectomy, but ended up having a complete mastectomy. Like many Real Estate agents, Rose does not have health insurance to cover the surgery, chemo and every day bills. Rose is a very successful agent, however one just doesn't jump right back into work after having a surgery like the one she's had. There is a lot of healing invol... 05/02/2008

Daytona Area Condo Market was a little busier this year than in the first quarter of 2007.Let's look at numbers. There were 117 condominiums sold in the 1 st quarter of last year at an average price of $333,218.This year there were 127 condominiums sold at an average price of 309,879 (7% decline). Does it give us the idea of how the condo market is going to perform next year? Not really. There were 4 or 5 new condo buildings selling off their last units, and they may have affected the prices pushing them just a bit up. We may most pro0bably expect the same dynamic with pretty much same volume, but we might see lower prices, and in my estimation, there could be a 10-11% drop in average prices in the area.Today there are 1,805 condo units for sale in Daytona MLS. Prices range from $67,500... 04/20/2008

Daytona Beach real estate is not different from any other area in Florida. If you are talking to agents about the market, you feel some dose of optimism. Agents are saying that the market is busier, and they think that this is the beginning of the warm up, or the market going to where it should be.Well, if we look at Daytona real estate, and more specifically at condo-hotel market, it does not support that rosy view, and reflects what many of us noticed, when agents see not what is there (which is the bear market), but what they rather would like to see (which is the bull market). From January 2007 to April 2007 there were 17 condo-hotel units sold in the area. Average price $116,971.In the first quarter of 2008 only 5 units were sold. Average price is $74,800. The drop in prices is qui... 04/19/2008

The preliminary plat for the mega-entertainment project Daytona Live! was approved Wednesday by The Daytona Beach City Commission. 71-acres across from the Daytona International Speedway will include offices, a hotel, restaurants, retail and mutli-family residences. The plat approval aloows the Developers to do the project in phases. The first phase is the office buildings and the second is mixed-use, with mostly retail component. International Speedway Corp. plans an 8-story corporate headquarters, which will bring about 100 jobs that are now filled outside Florida to its existing 1,000-plus administrative work force, according to the city's economic development board. The plans call for 220,000 sf of retail space with nightclubs and restaurants; 220,000 sf of business and professional... 04/18/2008

Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events Blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!" Did you watch America's Got Talent last season? Do you remember who won? Well I did, and I do! The winner was Terry Fator, the Ventriloquist and Puppeteer, who had an incredible singing voice too. It was such an awesome finale. Terry Fator just broke down and cried. He was so passionate about what he did. Can you imagine working in an industry that is thought of as being only for children, while desperately wanting to be taken seriously in an adult venue? Terry's dreams came true when he was voted by all of America, as the 1st place winner by all of America. He is now touring the country with his show. Now for the really cool part. Terry Fator is going to be performing this Sunday, April 20, 2008 at... 04/17/2008

Custom built ICI expanded Windermere model, impeccably maintained 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3-car garage estate home located in golf & gated community in Prestigious Pelican Bay. Expect to be impressed as soon as you enter this beautiful decorator's delight with custom window treatments and blinds, upgraded fixtures & fans, all top of the line appliances, central vacuum, volume ceilings with plant shelves & decorator niches & electric fireplace with crown molding.  Serenity awaits you on the over-sized lanai area with screened, heated, pool & summer kitchen.  Perfect for entertaining!                                      Professional landscaping with palm trees and a deep well irrigation system finish this beauty!  Call Susan Southerland Century 21 Sundance today to see this great home!  Price... 04/08/2008

Daytona is embracing a possible loss of its newspaper, at least the way they had it for so many years. News-journal is one of the last newspapers where the majority stakes belongs to the Davidson family for 79 years. The legal battle started in 2004, when Cox Communications from Atlanta, which owns 47.5% shares in the company, filed a lawsuit against the News-Journal paying $13 million for naming rights of the News-Journal Center, a performing arts center in Downtown Daytona Beach. Attorneys claimed that the Davidson-controlled company misused corporate money "while pursuing the Davidson family's personal interest in the arts" (Cox asks court for independent News-Journal overseer.)News Journal loss is a sad moment for all of us here. The very Performing Arts Center, that caused the laws... 04/04/2008

In Florida there is a tradition to give names to the areas, like Treasure Coast (where you can still find treasures from Spanish galleons), Internet Coast, Space Coast and our Daytona's Fun Coast for its events like Speedweeks, Bikeweeks, Biketoberfest, Turkey Rod Run, Black Colege Reunion, Spring Break and a number of smaller ones. Hence our compnay's name is FunCoast Realty. This is what everyone knows. However, not everyone knows that it is reflected in our phone numbers. Area code 386 stands for FUN, and that's how it was chosen. This is not the only case, if you take Brevards' County area code 321, it is the countdown for the shuttle launch (space Coast).Check if your area code makes any sense. Isn't it fun to know?For some fun in real estate not only you absolutely have to come to... 04/03/2008

                                                                                       "THE VILLA", JIM CAMP'S BEAUTIFUL SPANISH MANSION CAN BE YOURS FOR A DAY, A WEEKEND, A MONTH.  THIS 1920'S HISTORIC SPANISH VILLA COMPLETE WITH 2 ACRES OF GARDENS, POOL AND CABANA IS THE PERFECT RETREAT FROM TODAYS HECTIC WORLD.  GO BACK TO THE 1920'S GLAMOUR AND CLASS OF AN ERA GONE BY.Anyone who knows me, knows one of my loves is beautiful architecture so yesterday an unexpected treat for me and my friends came in the form of a private tour by the owner of "The Villa". Almost two acres of 1920's glamour and sophistication greeted us. Beautiful mill work , ceiling moldings, staircase rails, elegant windows of beveled glass, original tiled floors and bath rooms, secret balcony's and garden court yards... 04/03/2008

Need a break? Power down tonight for Earth Hour, March 29th from 8p.m. to 9 p.m. With all the excitement of meeting Ann Cummings tomorrow I almost forgot. We opted to stay home and participate and will drive to Orlando tomorrow! I need a break, do you? If so take a break and power down and participate in Earth Hour tonight! Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by The Activerain Network and it's members and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Midori Miller AKA The Daytona Real Estate Trainer and CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty. Midori Miller and CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty are not responsible for the accuracy or content provided by The Community. 03/29/2008

Daytona Beach Real Estate Blog. Houses, Condos and More, by Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!" If you already live in Daytona Beach, or if you're planning to move to Daytona Beach, here's another great reason to live here. Daytona Beach has many cultural events that even the locals don't know about. As a native of Daytona Beach, and a 4th generation Floridian, I've been utilizing many of my real estate blog posts to educate the local residents as well as the visitors about the fabulous things to do in Daytona Beach, and the surrounding cities. I realize this post, as well as many of my other posts, are not really about real estate, but as a REALTOR®, I'm out in the area so much that I find out about all kinds of wonderful, cultural activities that I want to share with my readers, custom... 03/29/2008