Daytona Beach Real Estate Blog: March 2008

Last week I posted my first blog about this year's real estate Parade of Homes for Volusia County. The models have been open for over a week, since the winner was already chosen. You can read about this year's winner, and a real estate market update in this link.

Up until now, the homes have just been open for people to come and go into each model they wanted to see. And home buyers will continue to be able to do that. But today is the actual start of the Parade itself.

If you want to join the actual "Parade", it starts with the Showcase home by ICI, at 637 Woodbridge Drive in Ormond Beach, in the prestigious, secured , golf community of Plantation Bay.

• (I recently blogged about an ICI "Green Comunity", called Chelsea Place that is also located in Ormond Beach. Call or e-mail me if you're interested in that community.)

You can pick up your 2008 Parade of Homes guidebook, presented by the Volusia Home Builders Association, at any local SunTrust Bank location, or you can view the entire guidebook online at www.news-journalonline.com. The order of the homes actually goes back and forth between East and West Volusia county.

If you're interested in any of the Parade models, or if you'd like to buy either a new or a re-sale home in East Volusia county, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron and Company, REALTORS®. Adams Cameron & Co., is the largest real estate brokerage in Volusia County, with more offices, more agents, more volume and more sales than any other real estate brokerage in the area! (So of course it was a "Smart Choice" for me to join them.) When buying new construction, it's a smart choice for real estate buyers to be represented by a REALTOR®! Call me today, and we'll make a Smart Team =)

If you're visiting Ormond Beach this weekend, or thinking about buying real estate in Ormond Beach, I have an excellent way for you to familiarize yourself with the city. The Ormond Beach Historical Trust will be hosting Trolley Tours this Sunday at 1:15. Just be sure to call first and make your reservation!

The cost for the Trolley Tour is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors over 65, and $5 for children ages 5-12. The tour will be originating in the Casements parking lot. When you call for your Trolley reservation, you might want to ask about a tour of The Casements, which was at one time, the winter home of John D. Rockefeller. Just follow the link to read more about that. 

To make your reservation for the Trolley Tour, and to ask about The Casements tours, call 386-677-7005.

And if you're planning to buy or sell real estate in Ormond Beach, make a Smart Choice and call Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co.

Visit my web site at www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

Daytona Beach residents, visitors and those who may be looking to buy real estate here, as long as you're here, why not try something slightly different and off the beaten path? If you're a fan of the arts, or looking for a bit of culture, tomorrow is the last day to see "Ruthless" at the Daytona Playhouse. "Ruthless" is a spoof on Broadway, with lots of plot twists as you watch the story unfold of exactly how far an 8 year old with go to play the lead in the school play!

Show time tomorrow is at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 to $16.00.

If you're a local in the Daytona Beach area, you might also be interested in volunteering. There are positions open in many areas!

The Daytona Playhouse is located at 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach. If you need more information, you may call 386-255-2431.

If you're looking for some other things to do in the Daytona Beach area, just a few miles south is the city of Port Orange. You might be interested in reading a post about a fun evening my husband and I had as we headed out for a relaxing dinner at a Port Orange restaurant directly on the Intracoastal Waterway. Or you might enjoy an afternoon with family and friends at the Riverfront Veterans Memorial Park in South Daytona. Or how about an extraordinary experience, climbing the 194 steps to the top of the Ponce Inlet lighthouse? Or you can walk down to the jetty and enjoy the beach. Or perhaps you'd rather head north, toward Ormond Beach for a nice day at Tomoka State Park. You can share the same experiences I had with my family when I was a child.

Have I given you enough suggestions yet? If not, just let me know. I'm a Daytona Beach native. I'll be happy to share my favorite spots with you =) 

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a great time! And if you're in need of any real estate services, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., to buy, sell or lease real estate in the greater Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and all the other cities in East Volusia county. I'm a member of both the Daytona Beach Area Associaton of REALTORS® and the New Smyrna Beach Board of REALTORS®.

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com 

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, customers and clients.

For this post I'd like to make you all aware that until May 23, 2008, the Southeast Museum of Photography, in the downstairs gallery, is featuring "Zona: Siberian Prison Camps, by Carl De Keyzer.

For westerners, it's hard for us to fathom what Stalin put these prisoner's through. The camps were only officially disbanded in 1960. And Carl De Keyser traveled to Siberia and took photos of approximately 35 camps, and revealed the horrid lives of the inhabitants of these camps. Many of the photos are in vivid color, and are immediately startling.

The Southeast Museum of Photography is at Daytona Beach College, located at 1200 W. Int'l Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114. Admission and Parking are free. The Museum hours are

• Tuesday through Friday,  11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and
• Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• The Museum is closed on Monday.

I realize the subject matter of this exhibit is not of a joyous nature, but historians and photography enthusiasts should enjoy the breath-taking experience. For more information on Carl De Keyzer's images, call 386-506-4475 or follow the link just above.

f you're just visiting, but are considering making a move to Daytona Beach, I'd love to help! Make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs.

Yes, this is another real estate blog... kinda. I see the question being tossed around a lot amongst other real estate bloggers, as to whether blogging actually works or not. 

Yesterday, I wrote a quick post to this blog, about the 3 new real estate listings I had just taken. But I neglected to mention one thing. The lead that brought those listings came directly through my Active Rain real estate blog. A man who is trying to help his parents get their investment properties sold, after having a bad experience with another local REALTOR®, did an internet search and found my real estate blogs. He sent me a message, asking me to contact them right away. That was on Tuesday night. I listed 3 of their houses yesterday (Wednesday), and posted the information here last night.

I've also received 2 very good buyer leads in the last few weeks, once again, directly through Active Rain. We'll see how those turn out. One of them has been e-mailing me every day, asking questions and having me send different listings. Since I'm in Florida, I'm accustomed to working with potential buyers and sellers who are planning to move to Daytona, or one of the surrounding cities, from other areas. Sometimes it takes a while for them to get their financial affairs in order, before they're ready to start scheduling appointments to see the listed houses or condos. And sometimes, their plans change. You never know how things will turn out. That's just part of the excitement of this job, right?

So this post is to encourage anyone might be feeling discouraged. For many REALTORS® and sellers, the last couple of years may seem like an eternity. But as I've mentioned in many of my posts, so far this year, I've had a lot more phone calls from interested buyers and renters of real estate. I'm not in property management, but I've been renting the units in the condo-conversion project I have listed, on behalf of the seller. So I'm sticking to my slogan for this year. "Real Estate is Great in 2008"! Or you could always remind yourself that "Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude".

None of us are always "Up" in our attitudes. We all get discouraged at times. It's in those times that we look to others to help encourage us. Then when we're up, we have a responsibility to encourage those who are down. "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You."

If you're a buyer or seller of real estate in the Daytona Beach area, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa C Hill with Adams Cameron & Co. 

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com  

Today I listed 3 VERY affordable houses in the heart of Daytona Beach Florida! These listings are so new, I haven't even had time to process all the photos, create e-flyers and get everything on my web site, let alone fill out all the paperwork for the Daytona MLS (Multiple Listing Service). But I wanted to get the word out fast. What better way is there to do that, than to get the information on a real estate blog?

Here are the basics.

• 1613 3rd Street, Daytona Beach. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1620 square feet $125,000
• 1618 3rd Street, Daytona Beach. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1636 square feet, $130,000
• 537 North Street, Daytona Beach. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms, 680 square feet, $65,000

Check back soon when I have all the photos, videos, e-flyers and detailed information prepared. These homes are all priced to sell, but all offers will be entertained. 

To buy your next house in Daytona Beach, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa C Hill for all your real estate needs!

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

Volusia county residents, and visitors who may be considering making a move to the Daytona Beach area, you may or may not be aware that since October, we have been enjoying the 2007-2008 annual Daytona Beach International Festival, featuring World Class Musicians!

There are only a few concerts left in this season. So don’t miss The Irish Rovers, this Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m., at the News Journal Center at 212 S. Beach Street in Daytona Beach.

If you’re a member of *other local arts organizations, you may receive a 15% discount. This is a new program that offers discounts to adults who are “Friends of the Arts”. (*Some restrictions apply.)

Next week is going to be a big week, when Itzhak Perlman, known as the Greatest Violinist Alive, performs at the Peabody Auditorium on Thursday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m.

The Daytona Beach International Festival is just one more reason to move to Daytona Beach. If you're considering buying real estate in Daytona, or any of the surrounding cities, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs!

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

Easter and the bunny. Whatever that means to you, it's not what this post is about. This post is about the many people who think it's such a great idea to go out and buy a cute little snuggly bunny for their children, for Easter.

People, rabbits DO NOT make good pets for children! I've had a couple of rabbits. My last one came to live with us via another REALTOR'S® children, who found her wandering around their yard. Their house bordered the woods. But this was not originally a wild rabbit. Someone had abandoned her. The children chased her until they caught her, then brought her inside to show their mother. It's a good thing she was a young bunny because by nature, rabbits are prey. They can have a heart attack out of fear!

Their father then built her the Trump Tower of rabbit cages, in which she stayed until the family decided to take a month-long vacation that summer. My REALTOR® friend knew I had guinea pigs and cats (and am obviously a sucker :P) and asked if I would rabbit-sit while they were on vacation. Of course, I said "yes".

Before I finish my story of "Oreo", I'd like to insert a few rabbit facts.

1. If you do not spay or neuter them (around $120) at a young age, they're VERY likely to eventually get cancer and die.
2. They're very frightened of loud noises, which can give them a heart attack, which means they're not happy around young children!
3. They don't like being lifted. I would tell you how to do so without stressing them, but I don't want to encourage anyone to buy an "Easter Bunny", so I'm not going to share that information.
4. There's no guarantee that they'll EVER want to be held. It depends on their personality, which will take a long time to fully develop.
   
5. They can be litter trained, but YOU DO NOT get to choose the spot! The rabbit will decide where it wants to potty (usually in the farthest corner from the door). Then you can place a litter tray in that spot.
6. Even after being spayed or neutered, if they don't feel like they have their own area that they don't have to share with anyone else, they will continue to "mark" their territory!
7. Rabbits must be brushed on a consistent basis. Their fur will get matted if they're not brushed, and they continually shed. Their hair is so fine, it will stick to everything.
8. Rabbits are "gnawing" animals. Their teeth will always be growing. If they don't have something to gnaw on, their teeth will grow too long for them to even eat anything.
   
9. Even when they're given plenty of gnawing toys, they'll still chew on anything and everything they can find.

Have I deterred you from wanting a rabbit yet? I hope so! Now I'll continue with my bunny story.

I fell in love with Oreo (that's what the children had named her and I never changed it.). Since I had cats and guinea pigs, I already knew that a rabbit's personality is similar to cats (I call it rabbitude) and their needs are similar to guinea pigs. (Guinea pigs are also not good pets for children!) Needless to say, Oreo never went "home" =D.

We put her cage on our screened in pool deck, just outside the family room French doors. Her cage opened from the top, AND it had a side door. My husband would open the side door in the morning and let her run around on the pool deck all day. She would go back into her cage if she wanted food or water, or just to be in her own space. She also came to be best friends with our black cat, Kiara. At that time, we only had the one cat. The 2nd cat, Whiskers joined our family several years later, when I found him abandoned at a house I was showing. (Of course I blogged about it.)

While Oreo was on the pool deck she proceeded to chew on every door frame and ate a hole in one of the window screens. Thankfully, she outgrew that stage as she matured.

Each evening, I would put Oreo back in her cage. Of course she made me chase her around the pool until she LET me pick her up. But she was smart. She eventually figured out that if she was going to have to get in her cage anyway, she was better off to just hop in the side-door on her own! So each evening, I would go out and say "Come on Oreo. It's time to get in your cage", and she would hop in. Of course, she also knew there would be fresh veggies and hay in the cage at that time as well. But every once in a while, she still made me do a couple of laps around the pool before she hopped in... usually when it was cold or raining. *sigh*

One interesting things about Oreo was, she loved the cold weather! When it was in the 40s, she would run and do this little sideways, hop-twist-jump thing. It was hilarious! And she could always outrun the cat when they were playing! She'd let the cat chase her, then turn around and run right back in the direction she'd just left. She usually went right under the cat on her trip back! The cat would never even see what had happened! It was so funny to see the cat on the far end of the pool deck. Sitting down with the strangest look on her face, looking for the rabbit and wondering what had just happened.

Anyway, during the last year or so that we had Oreo, several times, she just stopped eating. And when rabbits don't eat hay (they must have plenty of Fiber!) they get diarrhea. I would attempt to clean her up and trim all excess fur from between her back legs, so she wouldn't get any sores or infections. The last time she did this, while I had her at the vet's office, the vet let me know that she thought Oreo was nearing the end of her life span. We were never sure of her age, since the children had found her, and we don't know how long the original family kept her before they abandoned her, but the veterinarians can usually guess at a ballpark age.

I took Oreo home and started feeding her baby food and water through a baby dropper. (She wouldn't even drink water). The first few days after she stopped eating, she didn't act sick. But every time I walked across our living room and looked out the sliding glass doors, to see where she was, I noticed she was getting more and more lethargic.

After about a week, she died. I fed her around 6:30 that evening and put her in her cage, in the private section, laying on a pile of clean, fluffy towels. I shut the door so she'd feel safe and secure, and not be tempted to go explore something on the pool deck. I checked on her every hour. At around 8:30, I talked to her and petted her, and told my husband and I didn't think she'd make it through the night. At 9:30, she was dead. That was last August (2007).

The way our house is built, you can step out onto the pool deck from almost every room. It's strange, but I still think I see her out there, then remember she's not there anymore.

To finish this post, I'm just going to share with you, some videos I have on my You Tube channel. I'm so glad I made these videos. It makes me happy to watch them and remember what a happy little fluffball she was. But please remember, my videos are depicting the good times, and not showing how much work went into her regular care. I'm also going to insert a link to a video that was made by one of my You Tube friends who works at an animal shelter, of 29 rabbits that were dropped off there last week. Some of them had to be euthanized, others need surgery, and they all need to be neutered and spayed. If you must have a rabbit, or any pet, please do the research first, then adopt one. Don't impulsively buy one from a pet store.

Watch this video, if you can help save a bunny. The embedded videos are of my own pets, bunny included =)

Thanks for reading and Happy Easter. God bless.

Cat and Rabbit Playing (2006)

Chillin Pets

Pets at Play

Did you know March 15 through April 15 is Florida Heritage month? I only recently found out, and I'm a 4th generation Florida native, born in Daytona Beach, just a few short miles from Ponce Inlet. There's even a FHM Commemorative Poster.

Ponce Inlet Florida hosts a lot of local events, since there are so many fantastic public gathering places there. People who have bought real estate in Ponce Inlet are the biggest advocates of how wonderful it is to live there! But I digress.

This post is to encourage everyone to attend Florida Heritage Day this Saturday, March 22, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and the event is being held at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Children of all ages (this includes you mom and dad, grandma and grandpa) may all enjoy the park too, or head down to the beach and the gorgeous jetty. You can enjoy an entire day in this area, at the southernmost part of Ponce Inlet.

For more information on Florida Heritage Day at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, you can call 386-761-1821.

From growing up in Volusia county, I have special memories for each and every city, including Ponce Inlet.

If you're a bit of a history buff, perhaps you'd like to find out more about the history of the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, and all the surrounding buildings.

For all your real estate needs, contact Lisa C. Hill with Adams Cameron & Co. 

A real estate dilemma... Proper communication in real estate business... or any business!

I was just reading a post by Jason Crouch, who is the owner of a real estate brokerage in Austin, Texas. Jason's post is titled "How to properly leave a brokerage-Am I wrong to expect a call?" Jason was discussing the reasons why REALTORS® choose to leave one brokerage and move to another. But he was most puzzled by why some agents just transfer their real estate licenses, without even having the courtesy of having a conversation with their soon-to-be previous broker.

• If you're not in the industry, just in case you're not aware of the procedures, real estate agents and REALTORS® are independent contractors, not employees, and as such, if one desires to leave a brokerage and move to another, all they need to do is transfer their license, using one simple form.

After reading Jason's post, as I was typing in a comment, I realized I should just share something my parents experienced when they were in full-time ministry. This was a lesson in communication, that my mother learned the hard way.

When I was younger, my father began pastoring a church here in Central Florida. Although my dad had been a guest speaker at this church on many occasions, he had just begun officially pastoring there, so my parents didn't know all of the members of the congregation. As you know, the job of a pastor is to "shepherd the flock", but to do so, you have to really get to know the people. So the people who did know my parents pretty well, took it upon themselves to have several pot luck dinners and other such typical church gatherings, to show their support of my parents, and encourage the other church members to get to know my parents.

Fairly early on, some of the long-time church congregants came to my mother about one woman who was doing a lot of griping and complaining. So my mom started going out of her way to always ask this woman how she was doing and make small talk, and be encouraging to her. And the woman would always act like everything was just fine, and never tell my mother any of the things she was saying to other people in the church. 

Well, my mother always taught me that pretty much anything can be worked out through open communication. So my mom finally decided to pay this woman a house call, where they could talk privately, in a non-confrontational manner, in the comfort of this woman's own home. So my mom brought over a vase of flowers and some home-baked goodies and stopped by for a chat.

To make a long story short, the woman talked about everything BUT her complaints. She would only make small talk and not discuss anything more. So my mom finally asked her in a more direct manner, if she had any problems with the changes that had been made at the church, and assured her that it was OK for her to say whatever was on her mind. But the woman denied having any issues at all! She continued pretending everything was fine... but never came back to the church!

My mom told me this story because she wanted me to understand that some people can't handle confrontation, even when it's not really confrontation. (I've since then experienced a similar situation with someone who was a friend, that I never would have guessed was petrified of even the slightest confrontation!) Some of us are direct and to-the-point and wish people would just get to the point and say what they mean! But there are people who will never tell you what they're really thinking, not matter how you approach them.

In Jason's case, as he is wondering why some agents leave a real estate brokerage without ever having the courtesy to discuss their reasons for leaving, I can't speak for Jason, but from my perspective, that may not even be a confrontation. I left a brokerage last year and just walked into my manager's office and told him I was leaving. I gave him my 2 main reasons and said that any other reasons were minor and not even worth mentioning, and that I had no real problems with any of the people. And I told him my reasons for transferring to the new brokerage. The entire conversation may have lasted 10 minutes. And I frequently stop by now, just to socialize with all the friends I made there over the years.

Like Jason, I can't understand why some people have so much trouble just speaking their minds. But I guess those same people can't understand how I can be so direct. I frequently make jokes with the people who know me, that I am the voice of what everyone else is thinking, but afraid to say. LOL!  And I suspect that it's people with the direct personalities who get the most frustrated with the ones who beat around the bush, or are never able to have an open conversation. I can only guess at how shy people feel, since I've NEVER been even remotely shy.

I would say Viva la Difference! But as Jason said, because a REALTOR® had left his brokerage without the courtesy of even a small conversation, that bridge is burned. If you're one of the people who finds it difficult to discuss your issues with others, if I may, let me offer a tidbit of advice from the proverbial Sales 101 handbook. If you're thinking of the next phone call or meeting or appointment as a problem or a confrontation, you're more likely to handle it wrong. But if you look at it as an opportunity to solve a problem, or even better yet, if you look at it as just a conversation, or brainstorming session, it opens your mind up to an easy dialogue. And that's my 2 cents =)

If you're interested in buying or selling real estate in the Daytona Beach area, you need a REALTOR® with the communication skills to handle any obstacles that may arise during your real estate transaction. Make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa C. Hill for all your real estate needs.

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

Each year in October, the city of Port Orange, which lies just south of Daytona Beach, has a huge event called Port Orange Family Days.

Well, this year the city of Port Orange is also having "Port Orange Family Days: Kidz Days" this Thursday through Sunday, March 20-23. There will be a carnival every day, and there is a free booth where kids can create their own Easter hat to wear in their very own Easter Parade!

As usual, the event will be held at the Port Orange City Center, but it will compliment the events being held by First Baptist Church (an Easter egg hunt!) on March 22, and the sunrise service at 7:30 a.m. by Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church on March 23 (also at the City Center).

On Friday night at 8:00 p.m., don't miss the Movie Under the Stars, at the Port Orange Amphitheater. Then be sure you don't miss out on the Kidz Expo, Saturday from 9:00-4:00. Also on Saturday, Radio Disney will be broadcasting live from 11:00-2:00. 

This event is just one of the reasons I love living in Port Orange. This city goes out of it's way to maintain a family environment.

For more information on Port Orange Kidz Days 2008, just visit the special web site they've created just for you.

Want to know more about Port Orange? Check out these posts...

• Plan A Fun Outing in Port Orange
• Picture Yourself in Port Orange
• Reasons to Move to Port Orange, Florida
  

Port Orange, South Daytona, Daytona Beach residents and everyone else who wants to have a great family outing, I hope to see you this weekend at Port Orange Family Days: Kidz Days.

If you don't live here and are considering buying or selling real estate in Port Orange or any of the surrounding cities, I'm a member of the Daytona Beach area Association of REALTORS® and the New Smyrna Beach REALTOR® Association. Make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs!

Volusia county real estate buyers and sellers, you owe it to yourself to make the most of this year's Parade of Homes. The Parade models will be open daily, Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Real estate values in Volusia county are very close to leveling off, making this Parade of Homes an excellent one to attend. Many houses that are on the market for re-sale are subject to the seller's motivation level, or how much they're able to negotiate, based on how much they owe on their mortgage. That's not to say there aren't some great bargains on the market in the Daytona Beach Area Association of REALTORS®. I have quite a few great real estate listings of my own, with motivated sellers.

In the Daytona Beach area MLS, we still have 2.5 years of inventory, but with the resolution of the property tax situation, and mortgage rates remaining low, and so many houses and condos being more affordable, and the increase of calls from real estate buyers since Christmas, the time on the market is going to drop significantly.

Whichever type of home you decide to buy, either brand new or re-sale, there are pros and cons to both. Of course, the option of brand new is appealing, and the Parade of Homes is a great way to see many options (including the ones you can't afford- LOL). One thing to keep in mind is you should have a REALTOR® to represent you, even if you're buying a new construction home! I've recently read several online horror stories from buyers who bought new construction houses and pre-construction condos. 

You may also be interested in viewing the sponsors of this year's Parade of Homes, and this year's winning home, The Emerald, by ICI Homes, located in Plantation Bay, on the site of the Volusia Home Builder's Association. If you're interested in "going green", don't forget, ICI is the builder that I featured in my post about Chelsea Place in Ormond Beach, the first community in this area to go green.

Whichever type of home you decide to buy, please don't hesitate to call!

Make a Smart Choice today and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs!

Do you think you'd like to live in Daytona Beach Florida, but don't know what to expect? Well, I've written a billion (OK, that may be a slight exaggeration.) blog posts about Daytona Beach real estate. But I haven't said much about South Daytona, which is such a beautiful city, right next door to Daytona Beach!

Well, a few days ago, during the course of one of my typical real estate days: show houses, go to condo project office, run errands, eat, etc., (I had to type "eat". Now I'm hungry!) ... I decided to stop by the Riverfront Veterans Memorial Park in South Daytona to call a few clients and enjoy the view while doing so. That's one of the perks of being a real estate agent. I can work from wherever I want to work =) And this gorgeous park is located directly on the Halifax River/Intracoastal Waterway. The river on this day was slightyly choppy, and it looked like it migh storm in a little while.

As I made my phone calls, I got out of the car and started wandering around the park and noticed quite a few things have changed since the last time I visited this South Daytona park. Some of the updates, I was already aware of, like the new bathroom facilities and children's play area. But those are the things I noticed just from driving by. But as I was walking around I noticed a new boat ramp! Awesome! And there are plenty of extra long parking spaces, to accommodate your vehicle and boat trailer too!

Then I decided to take some pictures of the river, from the dock, where you'll always find people fishing. There was only one couple there on that day, and since I was on the phone, I didn't get a chance to ask if the fish were biting. Although I doubt it, since just a few yards away, several young girls were excitedly screaming and frolicking in the shallow water. I asked them what the were finding and was informed that there were tiny baby crabs under all the rocks. I wanted to kick off my shoes and join them! No, I'm not kidding. That is totally something I would do! As a matter of fact, when my daughter was much younger, we had one of her birthday parties in this riverfront, South Daytona park. They have picnic areas and pavilions for cookouts and parties.

And then I found something really cool! They now have a canoe and kayak launch! I'm sure there are more in the area, but this is the first one I've seen.

So if you're interested in buying or selling real estate in South Daytona, FL, make a Smart Choice and call me today. I'm a Daytona Beach native, selling real estate all over Volusia County. And if you already live here, the Riverfront Veterans Memorial Park in South Daytona is a great place to spend some time!

All about Lisa Hill.

View Daytona area MLS real estate listings.

View real estate video tours.

(*This post has now been added to the Active Rain Photo MeMe's group)

If you're interested in buying or selling real estate in South Daytona Florida, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS® for all your real estate needs.

If you're buying real estate in Florida, and you're using a REALTOR® professional, then depending on where you live, there's a good chance your real estate agent is using the FAR/BAR Real Estate Contract for Sale and Purchase or the FAR/BAR "As Is" Real Estate Contract for Sale and Purchase. One of the great things about the FAR/BAR real estate contracts is a clause that was added a few years ago, regarding Home Warranties.

• If your REALTOR® is using the FAR/BAR "As Is" contract, the home warranty clause is found on lines 98 and 99.
  
• If your REALTOR® is using the regular FAR/BAR contract, the home warranty clause is found on lines 99 and 100.

There are many differences on the two contracts, but the verbiage for the home warranty clause is the same on both.

I don't know of any REALTORS® who don't like the addition of this clause. It's just one less item among hundreds, that we have to remember. But it needs some tweaking. Here's the problem. Most home warranty plans offer more than one option. For example, the plan I prefer has several tiers, depending on whether or not the coverage is for a house or condo, the square footage, and whether the policy is for both the buyer and seller, or only for the buyer.

As an example for this post, I'm going to use the price options for buyer coverage only, on an average sized house.

• For $395, which is paid at closing, if anything that is covered by the plan breaks during the one year policy (policy goes into effect at closing), the new owner pays a $55 service call fee and the warranty company will repair or replace whatever is broken.
• For $365, which is paid at closing, if anything that is covered by the plan breaks during the one year policy, the new owner pays a $75 service call fee and the warranty company will repair or replace whatever is broken.

So have you spotted the problem yet? If not, allow me to help.

The actual clause in our FAR/BAR real estate contracts first specifies who will pay for the warranty. This part is only a problem if a REALTOR® has agreed to pay for the warranty, so the pre-specified options have to be crossed through, and the agent's name and brokerage has to be written in. But that's only a minor issue.

The next section is just the line to specify which home warranty company will issue the plan. This is only a problem if an agent makes it a problem, which is unnecessary. So the biggest problem can happen on the last line. 

You'll notice the verbiage on the last line says the home warranty plan is "at a cost not to exceed $________." Now in my experience, I've found that most agents don't attend the instructional classes that are offered each time the contract is changed (usually every 2-4 years) and/or, they don't comprehend/pay attention to what they're reading.  So most REALTORS® just fill in this blank with the amount of the policy they want for their buyer. So what happens when the REALTOR® who is representing the seller provides the warranty that costs the seller less, but costs the buyer more if there's a problem with a covered item, during the coverage period? Granted, we're not talking about large amounts of money here, but things can get very heated during negotiations, when emotions are running high.

Fortunately for my buyers and sellers, I do attend the instructional classes that are offered, each time the contract is changed. I also read the fine print. And the last line of this clause can be fixed with a very simple modification. I just cross through the words "a cost not to exceed" and replace them with "of". So the last line of this clause will now read "at a cost of $________ .

This simple fix is just one of the many ways I give my clients the best service, by looking out for their interests.

If you're a real estate buyer or seller in the Daytona Beach area, stay tuned when I share another tip this week. I can't give away all my secrets, since I don't want to educate my competition too much *ssshhh, they might be reading this* but I do have one more important item on the FAR/BAR real estate contracts that needs to be addressed, since I see agents do it ALL the time! I've even tried to explain the problem to them, but they won't take me seriously until they find themselves in a big, sticky mess!

If you're unclear on the definitions of anything you've read, read this Glossary of Real Estate Terms.

Click here to learn more about top producing real estate agent Lisa Hill.

Click here to view MLS listings from the Daytona Beach area REALTOR® Association.

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

In the Daytona Beach and surrounding areas, there are still several new construction projects underway. This is just a short list of new condo projects that can be found in Daytona Beach, South Daytona, Daytona Beach Shores and New Smyrna Beach.

• The Wave, located at 2801 Hill Street, New Smyrna Beach, FL. This is an 8 story building with construction now at the 3rd and 4th floors.
• Beach Street Courtyard, located at 123 S. Beach Street, Daytona Beach, FL. This is a 2 story building, still under construction, nearing completion.
• Islamorada, located at 2071 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores, FL. This is an 11 story building with construction now at the deck and 2nd floor.
• Halifax Landing, located at 2801 S. Ridgewood Ave., South Daytona, FL. This is a 14 story building, directly on the Halifax River/Intracoastal Waterway. This building is very close to completion. The finishing touches are currently being done.
• Oceanwalk, located at 5300 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach, FL. This project is a series of 6 story buildings. Construction is currently at buildings 12 and 14.
• Palma Bella, located at 3235 and 3245 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores, FL. This is a 12 story building that is now completed. The interior finishing is underway.

There are many other condominiums being built in Volusia county right now. I'll keep you posted as I collect new information. If you're interested in buying a brand new condo, either completed, or pre-construction, make a Smart Choice and call me today!

Lisa Hill is a top producing real estate agent with Adams Cameron & Co. Lisa works from the Port Orange office, but as a native of Daytona Beach, she covers all of Volusia county. For houses, condos, commercial real estate or any type of real estate, Lisa Hill is the Smart Choice!

It's been quite some time since I posted my blog about Tomoka State Park, located in Ormond Beach. We went there all the time when I was a child. You can read that post here: Florida Parks and Childhood Memories.

At some point, after writing that post, since I had written so many posts about the parks, museums, art shows, beaches, Science Centers and more, all located in the Daytona Beach area, I started the Things to Do/Places to Visit group here on Active Rain. That group is for Localism posts that are primarily to inform visitors, or people who are considering a move to your area, about... well, Things to Do and Places to Visit. It is NOT for promoting real estate, except for maybe a small footer on the post.

Anyway, at some point, Christina Williams ran across one of my Localism posts, about things to do or places to visit in the Daytona Beach area, and suggested that I submit something to the Back to Nature contest that was being held in the REALTOR LIFE group. I actually submitted several of my posts, but the one that was chosen as the 1st place winner was my Florida Parks and Childhood Memories post, about Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach, with a whopping 1500 free points as the prize. WOW!  And the Grand Prize of 2000 points went to Lindsay Pendleton for her post titled "The Inner Child Journey: Baton Rouge, LA",

The contest ran for a while, and the points took a while to get distributed, so I had forgotten about it, and was pleasantly surprised when I received the notification that I was being awarded 1500 points for my winning post in the Back to Nature contest.

So I wanted to offer a great big "Thank You!" to Christina Williams, The REALTOR LIFE group, and the judges of the contest. Now it's making me want to think of a contest for the Things to Do/Places to Visit group. I'll be looking into how it works, so stay tuned  =D

Last week, I posted to this blog, a question I found on Trulia that in my opinion, was a violation of the Federal Fair Housing Law. The post was titled Violating the Federal Fair Housing Laws. Several people disagreed. Well, once again, I have found a question on Trulia that is a Fair Housing violation. And I doubt anyone will disagree with me on this one!

Neighborhood Assistance Please Looking for a family/children oriented neighborhood with good schools in seminole county. My daughter is going into 3rd grade and I want her to have that "friends in the neighborhood" opportunity. Perhaps Casselberry, Winter Springs ideas. Any suggestions????

That was the exact question. I copied and pasted it. Here's the link to the question.

Yes, you read my title correctly; I had a busy week last week, in Daytona Beach real estate.

As I’ve been stating since this year started, my business has picked up tremendously. Many of you have attributed it to my attitude and decision to have a personal slogan for this year: “Real Estate is Great in 2008!”. (I really should just add a new page to my web site, just for my annual slogan.) Whatever the reason, I’m having a great year. But it’s not exactly what I expected... sometimes God works in mysterious ways.

I’ve mentioned in several of my other real estate blog posts that I have a condo-conversion project listed in which the seller decided to start renting the units, since the sales were so slow. Well, in the last 3 ½ months, we’ve rented 24 of the 42 units.

Ironically, when I listed the project, I had a feeling God was going to open some different doors. Well, considering I’ve never done any rentals before, I’d say this is definitely a different door! And although the money may not be as much as real estate sales, I'm staying active in the industry, and I'm getting paid! No 2nd job will be necessary for me! (I have other listings and full real estate closings as well.)

And to clarify, I’m not doing any property management. The seller has a building superintendent that doubles as the building manager. I just show the units, explain the terms, collect the initial application fee, deposit and first month's rent, then give the tenant his or her keys. I also update the building chart, as to which units are still available. So far, the project has been fairly enjoyable. Very early in the process, I learned the best ways to keep things running smoothly.

As for advertising...

• I first took as many great photos as I could.
• I then created slide-show videos of the models and posted them to my personal real estate channel on www.WellcomeMat.com.
  
• Then I embedded the video widgets on my personal real estate web site, where I created a page specifically for the condo sales and rentals in this project.
  
• And of course, I placed several of the units in the Daytona Beach Area Association of REALTOR's® Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which includes all the great photos and a thorough description of the property, the location, the area, and the special events that are close by.
• The seller paid for a large banner that hangs off the 3rd floor railing, indicating the great leasing incentives, and it has my cell phone number on it. Plus my 2 company signs with my name riders, and the temporary signs that I set out when I'm in the office there.

But I believe that more doors are going to open for me, from this project. The full extent of what God is doing, is yet to be seen. But I know that for me anyway, Real Estate is Great in 2008!

Real estate buyers, if you want to buy an affordable condo in Daytona Beach, Florida, contact Lisa Hill today to view this beautifully remodeled building: Surfside Villas Condos. Or view my full web site that is packed full of blog topics and links, MLS listings, Real Estate Video Tours and Slide Shows, Market Updates and much more at www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com.

Real Estate: Buying, Selling, Pre-Qualifying & Communicating. If you’re a seasoned real estate agent, I’m preaching to the choir. And if you’re a real estate buyer or seller, you may be pretty knowledgeable yourself. But after a call I received this week, it’s regrettable that this post is actually necessary.

As a REALTOR® a big part of my job is to pre-qualify my real estate buyers before I show them any houses or condos in the Daytona Beach area. Even more so if they want to see one of my listings. I owe it to my sellers to make sure that anyone who views their home, is actually qualified to buy it! But that wasn’t the case this time.

It’s no secret that many buyers will call and expect real estate agents to run out the door and meet them at whatever house they’re sitting in front of. But seasoned agents will not do this. (I’m not even going to re-address the safety factor. You can read about that in my blog post titled “Realtor Safety Awareness-Buyers, You Need To Read This Too!”) We already know that there are a lot of inconsiderate people who will waste our time and think nothing of it. I could speculate on whether or not they realize we work on straight commission, pay for our own gas, pay ALL of our own taxes, buy our own supplies, pay for advertising, only get a percentage of the commission and not the whole thing *rolling my eyes on this misconception* and then there’s the fact that many buyers are not loyal, and are working with at least one other REALTOR® at the same time, etc., etc.

So to get to the point, last week I got a call from a lady who told me she had people who wanted to buy her house, and she would need to buy another home. I’m not going to go into all the details, but I will say, her house is not even on the market and she sounded very naive about the real estate selling and buying process. So as we were talking about what she wanted to buy, I was periodically asking her questions to pre-qualify her, and to protect her in case someone was trying to scam her in some way.

My 1st question was if she was sure her buyers were seriously interested in buying her house. This lady’s answer was vague, because she was anxious to get back to what she wanted to say, which was more about what she wanted to buy. The only answer I received was that they had called her twice so they must be serious. *sigh* So I asked if they were willing to pay her the amount she wanted, and how she had determined her asking price. At this point, I’ll interject that this conversation was very difficult because I was really getting a lot of resistance to the questions I was asking. If you’ve been in this business for any significant length of time, many times you just know that something isn’t adding up, or that someone is about to waste a lot of your time if you let them. So her response was that they hadn’t talked too much about the price because she just knew they wanted her house. *now drop head into hand, close eyes and rub temples*

So we continue with more talk about what type of home she wants, where she wants to be and how much she wants to spend. (Must be in Port Orange, Daytona Beach Shores or South Daytona, needs a condo or townhouse with a garage or carport and can only spend $100,000 to $125,000) Now we’ve added major complications. Who would think that with all the inventory we have on the market, that I could find someone who wants something that doesn’t exist? *now thinking about how to get off the phone*

So it’s time for another pre-qualifying question. My next question was whether or not she would be paying with cash, or if she needed financing. At this point she gets frustrated with me and wants to know why I’m asking her all these questions. So I soften my voice and very gently try to explain that as a REALTOR®, my first step in working with a buyer is to pre-qualify them, to make sure I can help them with their needs. At this point she decides to just not hear my answer, and goes back to telling me what she wants. *now sigh and have forehead resting on my desk*

I tried to ask a few more questions, but she just decided she wasn’t going to answer any more. (Silly me. I thought conversations were supposed to go 2 ways.) I finally told her I would search the MLS and send her a list of properties within her specifications. But of course she doesn’t have e-mail, and wants me to send them via snail mail. *stifle urge to scream*

I sent the lady a few listings, but I really don’t expect to hear back from her because

1. I don’t think she has a serious buyer for her house.
   
2. Unless she is willing to answer my questions, I can’t help her.
   
3. There really isn’t anything on the market that will meet her needs.
   

And to be honest, the more I’ve thought about it, the more I think she may be dealing with scam artists. I’ve written a couple of posts about this growing problem, but if someone is not willing to answer any questions, I can’t even progress to the step where they’re willing to listen to my concerns. As a professional, and an expert in my field, I have the knowledge that could save people from losing their homes. But what do you do when they won’t listen?

So I’m once again addressing a post to both real estate agents and the real estate buyers and sellers.

To the buyers and sellers: real estate agents are well aware of the fact that many of you want to do it all yourself, but do you know that we have to go through ongoing training, obtain Continuing Education, and personally go out of the way to educate ourselves in areas that you may not be aware of? Real estate is constantly evolving. And now a huge part of that evolution has become, how do we protect our clients against real estate fraud?. Perhaps you can help me. Shed some light on what I've written here. What are your thoughts as you read this?

Real estate agents: We all have our own way of doing business, which is great! It gives the consumer the choice of with whom they want to work. But one of my strong points is the ability to quickly adapt to the customer’s communication style, and develop a life-long real estate relationship. But you can’t win them all. So my question to you is, “How do you handle difficult customers”? I’m sure you each have your own frustrating stories. So were you able to overcome the initial difficulties or did you just walk away from the looming nightmare?

What are your real estate stories? If you want, you can just leave me a quick comment that you’re going to blog about it, then show me some link love =)

And finally, consumers, you may be interested in these blog posts about

• Real Estate Safety,
  
• Real Estate Scams,
  
• REALTOR® Business Practices,
  
• Contingencies in Real Estate Contracts,
  
• Changes in Real Estate Laws,
  
• Areas of Specialized Real Estate,
  
• Choosing a Real Estate Agent,
  
• The Real Estate Sales and Closing Process,
  
• Choosing a Good Listing Agent,
  
• New Home Owner’s Association (HOA) laws.

For detailed real estate information, visit my web site: Daytona Beach Real Estate. Visit this link for information on Port Orange Real Estate.

Real estate buyers and sellers, and the agents who help them, this post is for all of you!

I was just reading a post by Lola Audu about some happy real estate buyers of hers who had been approached by a scam artist. Fortunately, the buyers called their trusted real estate agent instead of taking the word of a stranger who was trying to make them believe that their home had liens against it and was going into foreclosure. It’s a shame that these real estate scam attempts are becoming all too common.

My reason for writing this post is to point out one of the aspects that real estate sellers and buyers often overlook, which is the relationship between REALTOR® and client.

• When we were in a seller's market, the seller's resented paying a commission to REALTORS® because they thought they could do it themselves. And in that real estate climate, there was a good possibility they could. But knowing the basics is not the same as being a real estate expert who is in the field full-time, and who is also required to obtain ongoing continuing education.
  
• Now that we're in a buyer's market, seller's are desperate to sell, and really need to make as much money as possible. Of course they would like to save money by not having to pay a commission. The only difference now is, it's next to impossible to sell real estate without the professional tools that REALTORS® have.

Now I am not going to try to justify the actions of some unscrupulous REALTORS®, because unfortunately not all REALTORS® have the expertise that is necessary to survive in this tough market. And many of them are just as desperate for a paycheck as their sellers are to sell. But if there's one thing I know without question, it's that there is not one person on this planet that can succeed in any endeavor, without help from someone. We are all interdependent in one way or another. ActiveRain is proof of that. We come here to share experiences and ideas, to network and form business relationships, to learn, and to help others. And it's that same type of interdependence that comes into play where the rubber meets the road: when REALTOR® and client work together in a trustworthy, beneficial relationship.

You see, if Lola had not built this type of relationship with her clients, her clients may have lost their home to a scam artist. (Or we could backtrack to the point where her buyers may have never found their home without her help.) If you’re not familiar with some of the scams that are currently being reported, read my post titled “Home Owners Facing Foreclosure-Beware of Scam Artists”. However, in the case of Lola's clients, they were not facing foreclosure. But the man who came to their door had a lot of facts that made him sound quite convincing.

So REALTORS®, this is just a gentle reminder that our clients depend on us, and despite what some people believe, those of us who are still hanging in there know that this job is hard work! And to real estate buyers and sellers, this is my way of letting you know that most REALTORS® genuinely care and will work diligently for you, when the time comes for you to buy or sell. And we all know that when you build lifelong relationships that are built on trust, the long-term rewards extend way beyond one real estate sale.

View Daytona Beach Real Estate MLS listings for sale

For any real estate buyers or sellers in the Daytona Beach area, Port Orange, Ormond Beach or surrounding areas, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa C. Hill with Adams Cameron & Co.