Look at this photo from 1904 showing the beach scene in Daytona Beach at Seabreeze Blvd.

Beach Driving in Daytona Beach 1904 Style

As you can see, although automobiles were just starting to make their arrival, the horse and carriage was the main mode of transportation. It’s a wonderful scene with people dressed up for their trip to the beach. We see many people congregating and walking. At the top we see a single horse buggy that looks like a racer. He’s very close to the surf. A car that close today would sink into the sand and be in real trouble. Things have certainly changed over the years, but driving on the beach remains one of the unique attractions of Daytona Beach. Of course, the sun and beach are wonderful attractions for visitors and locals alike, but there’s much more to do in the area. If you like outdoor activities, our golf courses, waterways and parks, then you’ll find a lot to do here. If you’re looking for less activity and vehicle free beaches, then there are plenty of areas to the south and north that are both vehicle free and fewer people. North of Ormond Beach, the beaches are more natural and there are many pelican and other birds. We’ll be posting more photos of the area on a regular basis. We are processing photos now from the Art of the Automobile show that was held on Beach Street in Daytona over the weekend. To learn more about living in Daytona Beach or Daytona Beach real estate –> click here.

It’s All About Discount to Market Value

Bank and mortgage lenders dealing in short sales or REO or foreclosed properties are getting better at knowing market value. They are a lot better than they were two years ago. That being said, it is possible to get great deal from distressed properties. However, if you remember nothing else, remember this – not all foreclosed and short sale properties are great values.

A Better Home Buying Strategy

Want the best possible deal? Here’s one strategy. Find the most narrow area and focus your efforts. The best value is the highest discount to market. That means that you need to understand the market. The market for Ormond Beach homes, Port Orange homes (click here) and Daytona Beach homes are different. Further, within those cities, neighborhoods and communities are different. If you want the best deal, pick an area with a good number of homes for sale and then learn what’s sold and what’s for sale. Then and only then will you know if you are buying below market.

It takes a lot of work and it takes a real estate agent who is willing to work hard for you. Yes, that’s my specialty. I work closely with my clients to find the best deal for them. And – we do it. We’ve found tremendous bargains with a combination of patience and hard work. If anybody tells you it’s easy, you just might want to run.

Now, to get an idea of the foreclosure and short sale homes in the area, click on the following pages:

Daytona Beach Foreclosures (Click Here)
Daytona Beach Short Sales (Click Here)
Ormond Beach Foreclosures (Click Here)
Port Orange Foreclosures (Click Here)
Port Orange Short Sales (Click Here)

We were out doing a photo shoot of a new listing at the Mediterranean condo building in October when this shot was taken. This shot was taken around noon time. Normally, noon is not as good time a time as around sunrise and sunset for landscape photos, but the dramatic sky and the contrasted with the palms and seawall make for a pretty nice picture.

Now this is a digital photo and it has been enhanced a bit in Photoshop, but only a little. The sky over the ocean was very nice that day. The day was warm, in the low 90s.

The area of the beach is not as crowded as it is closer to the pier. Many people enjoy walking and running along this stretch. The Mediterranean building is located south of Bellair Plaza. Check out the map below for the exact location.

The market price for Daytona Beach real estate is being driven by short sale and foreclosure transactions. If you are selling any property, whether or not you’re in financial distress or not, the price is being determined by these transactions.

The logic is quite simple – Why would a buyer want to pay the so-called market price, when they can buy 20-40% below market?

All the deals that I’ve done recently have been short sales or bank owned foreclosures. The prices were below market. Based on that and the experience of other agents in my office, we need to understand the true nature of the current market.

The True Nature of the Current Daytona Beach Real Estate Market

Condos in Daytona Beach and homes in Daytona Beach are selling below market value. Now, if all homes and condos are selling below market, what’s the real market value? It’s is, and always has been, what homes are selling for today.

There are two markets and that’s why 6,000 plus homes and condos are listed in the Daytona Beach MLS and there are many others that are being sold without listing in the MLS. It comes down to distressed properties and non-distressed properties. If you are attempting to sell a non-distressed property, you will need to be creative by offering incentives. The incentives may be something like  lease purchase or owner financing where you are tapping a market that cannot qualify for a mortgage in the current environment. You really need to offer a reason other than price because you can’t compete on price without losing significant equity.

Buyers are looking for bargains and if you home is priced at market, that’s not a bargain. We don’t see this situation changing anytime soon. Many ARMs and balloons are yet to come due – all the way out to 2011. It’s really a double whammy for a lot of people – they must accept the big adjustment because they can’t refinance the ARM, or worse, they can’t refinance when the balloon comes due because they can’t get mortgage money.

We see more distressed properties entering the market for the next few years. Worse, we fear that many of the people who are in negative equity situations, who need to sell, with walk away from their homes, making matters worse.

The situation is better for buyers, but many people are fearful of prices dropping further and waiting. This may be a prudent strategy, but if they are not involved in the market, they will miss the bottom. I suggest that anyone interested in buying or selling in this market, read our Daytona Beach Market Reports. We publish weekly and monthly reports with sales figures, interests and other important relevant information. You can always call me at 386-566-7503. We cover Ormond Beach, Port Orange, Palm Coast, Ponce Inlet, Holly Hill and surrounding areas.

It’s hard to believe that a small town like Daytona Beach has two Olympic gold medalist. Just a few minutes ago, Mainland grad and Ormond Beach resident Phil Dalhausser won the Olympic gold in beach volleyball. He and his partner Todd Rogers beat a Brazilian team for the gold.

Phil is known as “the thin beast” and man was he a beast in the third set. The exhausted Brazilians were no match for Phil as he blocked shot after shot. His partner said in an interview after the match that he just watched.

It was exciting match that was even after two sets. There was no doubt about the final set though. Dalhausser started blocking the Brazilian’s spikes early and often. The final set score was 15-4 which is a total drubbing in this sport. Congratulations Phil and Todd.

Our other gold medalist, Ryan Lochte won two gold medals in swimming. One in a relay, and an individual gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke.

So, in the middle of Tropical Storm / Hurricane Fay, on the other side of the world, Daytona Beach athlete win our third gold medal of the 2008 Olympic. Pretty Cool!

A few years ago, my husband Michael and I went to Hawaii for a wonderful vacation. We had a great time and we were introduced to the Hawaiian or Traditional Mai Tai. After coming back, we had a lot of trouble finding anyone who could make this drink. Well, years later, we believe we have uncovered the secret. The Mai Tai is believed to have originated at Trader Vic’s.

Now, Daytona Beach is not quite the tropics, but hey, it’s close enough. The video below will show you exactly how to make the Perfect Mai Tai.

I’ll tell you, there are some days after dealing with the Daytona Real Estate market, that this drink just melts the stress away. At our holiday party last year, Michael made 4 pitchers using this Mai Tai recipe. He would have made more, but ran out of Curacao. I hope you enjoy.