Lisa Hill's Real Estate Blog

Port Orange 2008 3rd Quarter Real Estate Market Update

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:33:48 -0600

THE Port Orange Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

If you'd like to buy real estate in Port Orange FL, then you'll be interested in this post. I just recently posted the 3rd quarter 2008 real estate listings and sales for Daytona Beach, and the 3rd quarter real estate listings and sales info for all of Volusia County. This post is my continuance of the 3rd quarter real estate market reports of each city in Volusia county; this one is for Port Orange.

I've written many blog posts about the beautiful city of Port Orange. Here are just a couple...

Port Orange FL - A Great Place to Live

Plan A Fun Outing in Port Orange

For the 3rd quarter of 2008, there were 336 new listings entered into the Daytona Beach area Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for the city of Port Orange. Some of these listings were actually houses or condos that had not sold, and when their previous listing agreements had expired, they were re-entered into the MLS as new listings. So although there were 336 houses and condos entered into the Daytona Beach area MLS in the 3rd quarter, not all of them were new listings.

As I've been researching and posting these reports each quarter, as well as annually, Port Orange has fared better than many of the other cities in Volusia County. The same held true once again, when I researched the 3rd quarter results for Port Orange. During the 3rd quarter of 2008, there were 155 sales in Port Orange. This is a much better ratio than the Daytona Beach 3rd quarter results of 466 listings vs 122 sales.

CHART OF PORT ORANGE 2008, 3RD QUARTER LISTINGS VS SALES.

For more information on the fabulous city of Port Orange, here are a couple of communities that may interest you...

Countryside-Upscale Port Orange Community with pool, clubhouse, tennis.

The Villages of Royal Palm- Country Club Style Community in Port Orange.

To finalize your research before making your decision to buy or sell real estate in the Volusia County area, follow these links...

Volusia County 2008, 1st quarter real estate listings vs sales data. This blog contains the full reports for each city in Volusia County, for all of 2007.

Volusia County 2008, 2nd quarter real estate listings vs sales data. This blog also contains the full reports and charts for each city in Volusia County for all of 2007, but with a different format. You may want to view each post to decide which one you prefer.

For a final comparison of Port Orange real estate house and condo sales, here is the 2007 Year in Review.

And last but not least, here is the 2007 Real Estate Year in Review for all of Volusia County.

To end on a happy note, follow this link to view sunsets from all over Volusia County. I love sunsets, and I have photos of sunsets from Port Orange, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach and more.

Lisa Hill is a Daytona Beach native and currently lives in Port Orange. Lisa has experience selling real estate in every city in East Volusia County. For all your real estate needs, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®.

Buy Port Orange Real Estate

View Real Estate Video Tours

Going Green. A FREE Way to Protect Endangered Habitats.

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:26:46 -0600

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

It's called The Rainforest Site. I don't think I could come up with a more appropriate name for a site that offers an easy way to help endangered habitats. It's FREE, and all you have to do is click a button.

A couple of days ago, I posted a blog about my cat's recent life-or-death situation. Apparenty, the real estate market is so bad that many people can't afford to keep their pets. And I provided a link to a site where you could just click a button, and provide help for animals who need it. While I was on the site, I clicked around and found there were several other attached sites that offered help for other causes. Protecting endangered habitats on The Rainforest Site was just one of those extraneous sites I found when I was clicking around.

It actually makes perfect sense. People who care about the environment, and people who are interested in helping animals, are usually well-rounded, caring people. So I hope you'll enjoy the site, and don't forget to Click the Button to provide help for Endangered Habitats; Take another step in Going Green.

Click here if you're interested in finding out how I got my kitty when I was showing a vacant house. The real estate sellers had moved out and abandoned their cat.

This information is provided by Lisa C. Hill, a REALTOR® with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®. Click here to Contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs.

Lisa Hill is an eco-friendly, and pet-friendly real estate agent in the Daytona Beach area. Visit Lisa Hill's web site for all your Daytona Beach area real estate needs. View Lisa Hill's Daytona Beach area MLS real estate listings for sale here.

Is the Real Estate Economy So Bad that People Can't Afford Their Pets?

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:24:56 -0600

THE Port Orange Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

I was shocked when I recently read an article in our local newspaper, indicating that due to the economy, people are being forced to give up their pets. Of all the things I've heard about this horrible economy, this has to be one of the most depressing. I'm going to share something that recently happened with one of our pets. But make sure you read all the way to the bottom for a FREE way, yes I said a FREE way to help the pets that have lost their homes!

Just last week, one of my cats came within hours of dying. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say, after one night in the animal hospital, and the next 4 days and nights at the veterinarian's office, the bill was very high. So high that since the very first night, every person my husband and I have told about the incident has made an inconsiderate, obnoxious, or rude comment about the amount of money we spent to save our cat. Apparently, many people have a pre-determined dollar amount that they consider the maximum they would spend to save a pet. My husband and I had a different outlook.

My husband was the one who took our kitty to the veterinary hospital on the night he almost died. When he was told how much it would cost to help our kitty, he called me. I was borderline hysterical, and in no condition to make a decision, but even I was shocked at the dollar amount. But my husband made the decision to save "Whiskers". I was heartbroken at the thought that I might lose my kitty, and my husband knew that.

That evening when he got home, my husband was in no mood to talk about the events at the animal hospital, so I waited until the next morning to ask a few questions. Apparently he had taken a very analytical approach to his decision to pay for Whiskers' treatment. He said that he took into consideration the age of the pet, the type and severity of the illness, what quality of life Whiskers would have after treatment, whether or not we could afford the treatment, etc. And his decision was to pay for the treatment. And to be honest, we almost couldn't afford it. Our anniversary is this month, and my birthday and Christmas are next month. But I would rather have my sweet kitty than any gifts. Whiskers is the best gift I can have for all 3 of these upcoming celebrations. On every occasion, in some way I'll be celebrating the life of my furry friend.

But I realize that sometimes, people really can't afford the surprise health crises and astronomical costs than can be incurred. And I would always put the health of my "people" family first. But I can't say that I would assign a specific dollar amount to a pet, well in advance of any problems, without even knowing what my financial situation may be at that future date. But apparently that's what some people do.

I know. I'm kinda cranky right now. But you would not believe some of the inconsiderate comments I've received in the last week, in addition to the difficulty I've had in trying to get Whiskers to take his remaining medicine (we won't go there). I still bear the battle wounds.

I've had this post planned since before Whiskers got sick. So you just got the bonus of a recent, personal (TMI?) story, and maybe a few things to think about in regards to your own pets. But what I really wanted to provide was a link to The Animal Rescue Site. Yes, it's actually called The Animal Rescue Site.

The Animal Rescue Site has animal rescue stories, toys for your pets, it supports several other pet sites, sells paw-print sticky notes, and plenty of other merchandise. Most importantly, don't forget to Click to Give FREE Food and Care to all the abandoned pets.

Oh, and Whiskers is well on his way to a full recovery =)

This blog is just general information by a Port Orange real estate agent. If you followed the link embedded in Whiskers' name, you know by now that I found this cat when showing a vacant house to some buyer friends of mine. The sellers of the house had moved out and left the cat behind.

If you're looking for a pet-friendly REALTOR, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs.

Find Port Orange and Daytona Beach area real estate listings.

Port Orange Florida, a great place to live!

Daytona Beach 2008 3rd Quarter Real Estate Market Update

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:45:47 -0600

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

This blog post is for the city of Daytona Beach, 3rd quarter real estate market report. A few days ago I posted a blog with all the 3rd Quarter Real Estate Sales Data for Volusia County. I'll soon be covering each of the other individual cities in East Voluisa County.

For the 3rd quarter of 2008, there were 466 new listings entered in the MLS for the city of Daytona Beach. Although these are categorized as new listings, some of them had expired from the MLS after not being sold, and were re-entered as new real estate listings.

For the same time period of 2008, there were 122 real estate closings recorded in the Daytona Beach Area Association of REALTORS®.

Admittedly, the number of closings vs listings leaves something to be desired, but the overall ratio is better than last year's sales, and any improvement is welcomed! You may want to click here to compare these statistics to those of the 2nd Quarter Real Estate Listing and Sales Market of Volusia County. Check the chart to view only the Daytona Beach statistics.

For all your real estate needs, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa C. Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®.

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateVideos.com

Volusia County 3rd Quarter 2008 Real Estate Sales and Market Report

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:42:38 -0600

THE Volusia County Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

If you're considering buying real estate in Daytona Beach FL, you probably want to know the current climate of our real estate industry. I'm happy to provide you with that information. I'm way behind on this post, but "better late than never" =)

First of all, click here to view the 1st Quarter 2008 Volusia County Real Estate Sales and Market Report.

Next, click here to view the 2nd Quarter 2008 Volusia County Real Estate Sales and Market Report.

Each of the preceding links also include a data chart to mirror the text, as well as a comparison chart, tracking the annual real estate sales since the year 2000.<-- just all of county the this link for comparison report volusia is>

Now for this year's 3rd quarter real estate sales and market data. My own real estate sales picked up quite a bit in the 3rd quarter, but I wasn't sure if it was just my own Web 2.0 marketing efforts and real estate listing videos (which got a LOT of views in this time period!), or if our entire are was showing signs of improvement. Well, the good news is, our entire area showed significant improvement. Much fewer real estate listings went on the market in the 3rd quarter, and much more real estate sales were closed in the 3rd quarter. It was an all-around win-win for real estate for Volusia County.

Now if you're not familiar with Volusia County, it is the Daytona Beach area. It also includes Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and several other cities. Here is the text breakdown for our 3rd quarter real estate sales. We'll start with how many new real estate listings were placed on the market during the 3rd quarter (there will be some re-listed properties in this number as well) You'll see a slight separation of the last 2 cities because although the distance between the far north end of east Volusia County and the far south end of east Volusia County, the Daytona Beach area and the New Smyrna Beach are have seperate REALTOR® Associations and MLS's. I'm a member of both REALTOR® Associations and sell real estate in all of east Volusia County. Being a Daytona Beach Native is a huge benefit when it comes to selling real estate =)

Now for the East Volusia County 3rd Quarter 2008 Real Estate Listings Data...

Daytona Beach real estate listings 466
Daytona Beach Shores real estate listings 199
Holly Hill real estate listings 87
Ormond Beach real estate listings 437
Ormond-by-the-Sea real estate listings 54
Ponce Inlet real estate listings 78
Port Orange real estate listings 336
South Daytona real estate listings 73
Wilbur-by-the-Sea real estate listings 9

Edgewater/Florida Shores real estate listings 152
New Smyrna Beach 382

And now for the East Volusia County 3rd Quarter 2008 Real Estate Sales Data...

Daytona Beach real estate sales 122
Daytona Beach Shores real estate sales 51
Holly Hill real estate sales 28
Ormond Beach real estate sales 166
Ormond-by-the-Sea real estate sales 37
Ponce Inlet real estate sales 31
South Daytona real estate sales 34
Wilbur-by-the-Sea real estaet sales 2

Edgewater/Florida Shores real estate sales 12
New Smyrna Beach real estate sales 10

For all your real estate needs, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa C. Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS.

View real estate MLS listings - video tours here.

Buy Volusia County real estate MLS listings for sale.

Volusia County Fair (again)

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:54:47 -0600

THE Volusia County Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

Hello to all my Daytona Beach area real estate blog readers. This one is another fun post =)

Just a reminder. The Volusia County Fair is almost over. Only 2 more days... don't miss out! This is the last weekend for the year. And there are some great concerts lined up, as well as hundreds of adorable animals, and the most awesome rides a fair can have! Trust me about the rides. They rawk! LOL

The last music concert is Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. for only $10.00. Here is Saturday's event schedule. And Here is Sunday's event schedule.

Last week, I posted extensive information about our fair, which is at the DeLand Fairgrounds. And Volusia County includes Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and more. I included my video in that post, from my family's fun at last year's fair. I'm adding it to this post as well. If you like rides, but can't make it to the fair, be sure to watch the whole video. I'll take you on the rides with me toward the end of the video. <=D

If you're visiting, and considering a move to Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach areas, Ponce Inlet, or anywhere in East Volusia County, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS. Lisa Hill is a Daytona Beach native, with experience selling real estate in every city in East Volusia County, Flagler County, and more. I'd love to help you buy a house, condo, land, or whatever your heart desires.

View Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach (and more) real estate MLS listing video tours.

Lisa Hill, your real estate expert for SEO on Web 2.0

Has Google Just Nullified Our Copyrights?

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:42:09 -0600

This post contains what could be a blogger's worst nightmare. If you've never paid any attention to Google's business tactics, this post will give you the briefest, yet easieast synopsis of the Google giant, and just may scare the pants off you. (Please put them back on as soon as possible.)

I don't know how many of you have previously heard about Google's 2002, attempted launch of it's venture called "Book Search". Basically, Google wanted to create a huge online library of sorts. But this plan led them to one huge roadblock: thousands, if not millions of copyrights, for which Google would have to pay tens of millions of dollars, for the rights to scan/digitize every book into their "Book Search".

Well, during the last 6 years, while the copyright battle has continued to wage between Google and the publishing houses, all along, Google has continued to scan/digitize these copyrighted materials, long before any resolution was reached. But just last week Google finally decided to settle on this massive copyright copyright case, by agreeing to pay astronomical amounts of money to the publishers. Sounds like a win for the publishers, right? Read the details more closely!

Now many of you may have seen in my comments, how frequently I mention my dislike of Google. Not the products, but the conglomerate and their "bully" tactics. Before I continue with my copyright post, here's a bit more Google history...

To my knowledge, only one other time, has Google actually backed down from a battle (sort of). That occurrence happened when Google tried to force eBay to use "Google Checkout"; when eBay already had it's own payment plan, Paypal, and refused to comply with Google.(Yay!) Fortunately, eBay and Paypal had the money to stand toe-to-toe against Google. So in a truly petty fashion, Google then decided to have a little party in Boston that just happened to be during the same week of the annual eBay Live user conference, when the eBay "power sellers" get to rub elbows with the powers-that-be at eBay. But the real clincher was the shuttle service that Google was offering, to bring eBay's power sellers from the eBay party, to Google's party, where they could introduce "Checkout" to them. So eBay's counterstrike was to pull ALL of their ads from Google! (I loved it!) This was a truly shocking move, since Google relies heavily on it's "AdWords" and "AdSense" revenue. And they've done their job at convincing many people that they can't survive without paying the Google monster. But eBay's final move did the trick. Google quietly cancelen their party. And eBay eventually began advertising on Google again, but on a much smaller scale. And interestingly enough, eBay lost very little revenue during the boycott! (Hah!) However, Google still launched one more bomb against eBay, with their "programmable search", which WE have all been using for over a year now! (And as usual, all the internet users care about is the convenience of the Google products.)

Now back to the topic at hand. When you look beyond the surface, and consider the long-term ramifications of Googles' "copyright settlement", and the continued digitization (Is that a word?) of millions of books, I wonder if we may eventually, all be at risk of losing the rights to our automatically copyrighted works. After all, if we wrote it, we own it, right? I'm not so sure. It looks to me like Google has back-doored us, and changed the laws as we know them. As we continue to face an ongoing battle to stop the scum suckers who steal the hard work of others, has Google just laid the groundwork for laws to be changed?

Read this article about Google's Alleged Settlement in the amount of tens of millions of dollars to the publishing houses that own the rights to the books that will now be digitized. Be sure you read all the way to the end. Then compare it to the results of the "programmable search" slam that they used on eBay.

Google has an alleged history of repeatedly stomping all over the rights of smaller companies, and even laws, by taking their battles all the way to the supreme court, while allegedly bleeding all the money out of their adversaries. (I personally see Google as a corporate giant that represents the stereotypical U.S. Conglomerate... read between the lines on that one.) It has always been my opinion that Google is a corporate bully. I don't deny that they have some excellent products. I use many of them myself. But I despise their tactics. Do your own homework on Google. They have great products, so of course nobody wants to think poorly of them, or make waves. But does the end justify the means? How would you feel if you were up against them? With this copyright settlement, you very well may be!

OK. I'll stop my tangent now. Follow the links, then after reading the article(s), let me know if you think this settlement just drilled a huge hole in our own personal ownership of what we place online. I've seen many blog posts, expressing concern about losing their work to the owner of the platform to which they're posting. Before Active Rain was sold, there were MANY of these types of posts... all questioning if we owned our own works. And Active Rains repeatedly said that yes, our work is indeed our own!

Compared to Google, Active Rain is hardly a blip on their radar. (Let's just hope AR never gets large enough to find themselves in Google's cross-hairs.) But aside from that, what if Google suddenly decided to take your work and place it elsewhere, as part of a huge compilation/blog database, or whatever they think of next? Could... or Would you even pay the first attorney's fee? And how many Google products do you use, thus feeding this corporate giant even more?

Here's a line from the first link in this post, about the Book Search settlement... "By settling the case, Google has made it much more difficult for others to compete with it's Book Search service." It sounds like Google had a lot of this planned, right from the beginning.

One last tidbit... Did you know that in Google's early days, their "statement" was... "Don't Be Evil". I'm not saying they are... I'll just let you read all the links I've found about Google and their business practices, (And you can find hundreds more) and let you draw your own conclusions. But as far as our own copyrighted materials go... in the face of Google's "copyright settlement", do you think your work is safely copyrighted? Or would you end up like so many of the publishers in the settlement, that can still say they own these copyrighted works, but have no real protection? At least the publishing houses received a settlement, (after 6 years) but I wonder if the settlement even covered their legal fees?

*P.S. I just received a very informative, yet long e-mail from someone who truly has the lowdown on Google. I'm going to ask for permission from this individual, to post some of his e-mail here. If you think what I posted is surprising, or if you don't think it's a big deal, you'll be truly shocked by what I know now! This goes WAY beyond what even I had ever imagined!

Lisa Hill is a Daytona Beach Native, selling real estate in the Daytona Beach area. Contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs.

View Daytona Beach MLS Real Estate Listings

View Daytona Beach MLS Real Estate Listing Video Tours

Sunsets and Real Estate from Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet & More

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:14:37 -0600

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

I love sunsets. As I was reading a blog here on Active Rain, by Eileen Begley, featuring sunsets in her home town, I got the idea to write a blog featuring sunsets in the area where I live and sell real estate. It's actually all of East Volusia County, and even beyond that, but I have a habit of taking photos of sunsets. I have a lot of them! So I thought I'd share them with you =) I should mention that a couple of these photos were taken by a friend of mine. I just couldn't resist using them, since they're so beautiful!

Lisa Hill is a Daytona Beach native, with experience selling real estate in every city in East Volusia County and beyond. Lisa's expertise includes, but is not limited to, Daytona Beach, Port Orange Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach Shores, Wilbur by the Sea, Ormond by the Sea, South Daytona, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater and currently, a little bit out of the way of her normal work area, but a place she's very familiar with... Crescent City.

For all your real estate needs, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs.

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

View real estate MLS listings for sale

View some of Lisa's MLS listings on real estate video tours here

Real Estate Tools for the Techie or the Not So Techie... The Sony Mylo

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:37:38 -0500

THE Port Orange Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

For all you real estate tech geeks, you might like this. But then, you probably already know about the Sony Mylo®. From what I can see, it looks like the perfect text messaging gadget. The way the keypad is laid out, it looks very easy to use, and keep in contact with your real estate sellers and buyers, and other REALTORS® who want to show your listings. And if it does what it claims it can do, I would be fully on board with the social networking peeps. (I'm only about 50% on board right now... chalk it up to a short attention span.)

Of all places, I was standing in line at the grocery store, flipping through an In Touch Weekly magazine, (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) when I spotted, at the top corner of one of the pages, looking very out of place amidst all the gossip, a picture of a very cool looking Instant Messenger gadget. And above it, in large print, it said "Win It Daily!". Well that certainly got my attention! With all the social networking available in Web 2.0, this could be a helpful piece of technology.

In the description of this Sony Mylo ad, it says... "The Sony Mylo gives you what you need to stay connected with free Skype calls, IM on AIM, GoogleTalk, Yahoo! Messenger and more - with no monthly bills or long-term contracts." But when I visited the Sony web site, I couldn't find any information about the "Win It Daily" statement. So I searched the site for the daily giveaway. Unfortunately, I found out why the daily giveaway information was so hard to find. I overlooked the missing word... "Free". It's one of those giveaways where you have to fill out a million surveys, buy at least 3 products, yada, yada, yada. So we'll just skip that part and stick with the fact that the Sony Mylo looks like a really cool product. And it's affordable too. It retails for $300, but I searched around the internet and found some rebates and specials. I appears you can get a Sony Mylo for as low as $200. That made it much more appealing to me. Don't forget it states that it comes with "no monthly bills or long-term contracts".

As a REALTOR®, with all the expectations of social networking involved with Web 2.0, it can be exhausting, trying to stay abreast of everything, and most importantly, take care of our real estate clients. It's nice to find simple, and inexpensive ways to keep up with the rapidity of business technology.

Check out the Sony Mylo. What do you think?

This blog post is brought to you by Lisa C. Hill, The Smart Choice for all your real estate needs. To buy or sell real estate in Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach... or any city in East Volusia County, contact Lisa Hill, with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®.

View real estate MLS listing videos for sale.

Lisa Hill, your real estate expert for SEO on Web 2.0

It's Time Again! Time for the Volusia County Fair! (And some real estate data too)

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:17:30 -0500

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

I love the Fair. Every year, residents of Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, DeLand and every other city in between, decide to go to the Volusia County Fair. Our fair has become almost like Disney World. Half of the structures are permanent. And there are always concerts, a huge midway, more rides than one can ride in one trip, and the food! OMG, the food! LOL. Just make sure you don't eat a corn dog before riding the Gravitron.... been there, done that. 'Nuff said o_O

If you're in the Daytona Beach area, or anywhere in Volusia County, we have a fair that's beyond belief. This ain't your typical fair. Be prepared to feel like you're in an amusement park. The fun for this year will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, with the Miss Volusia County Fair contest.

On November 2, we can enjoy an amateur talent show. There are too many rides to list, and you won't believe how many animals will be on display. They're so sweet! In the video below, you'll see how hard it was for me to tear myself away from all the sweet little critters at last year's fair. But you can also see how much fun my family had on the rides as well.

So come to the Volusia County Fair! If what I've written doesn't convince you, then hopefully my video will =) This year's Fair dates are Oct. 30 to Nov. 4. Hours are Mon. - Thurs., 4:00 - 10:00 p.m., and Fri. - Sun., noon - 10:00 p.m. Admission is FREE if you're age 5 and under, $5.00 for children ages 6-12, $8.00 if you're over age 13. (Other admission discounts are available.) For more information, call 386-734-9514.

If you're interested in buying or selling real estate in Volusia County, I've sold houses, condos and vacant land in every city in East Volusia County, and then some. If you want more information on real estate in Volusia County, follow the link for each city below, to see the real estate sales data, charts, graphs and history of that city, from 2000 to 2007. And from my web site at www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com, you can see the quarterly reports for 2008. Unfortunately, I have yet to post the 3rd quarter real estate report for Volusia County.

Daytona Beach FL real estate report 2000-2007

Daytona Beach Shores real estate report 2000-2007

Port Orange real estate report 2000-2007

Ormond Beach FL real estate sales data 2000-2007

Ormond by the Sea real estate charts and sales data 2000-2007

Ponce Inlet FL real estate sales data and graphs 2000-2007

South Daytona FL real estate sales data and chart 2000-2007

Holly Hill FL real estate sales report and graph 2000-2007

Wilbur by the Sea real estate sales data and chart 2000-2007

New Smyrna Beach FL real estate sales data and report 2000-2007

Edgewater/Florida Shores and Oak Hill real estate sales data and graph 2000-2007

Now back to the fun stuff. You can buy your Volusia County Fair tickets, and midway bracelets online! Last year when my familly went, there was quite a line, so it's a good idea to buy your tickets in advance. You can also view the list of concerts and events online, so you and your family can plan which days or nights you want to attend. I personally like to go on the night when you can buy the sale bracelet and ride all the rides until closing time. Woo Hoo! (I know. I'm still a child.) This year, that day is Wednesday, November 5th. <=D On Nov. 5, the rides bracelet will be $15.00 instead of $20.00; and you can ride all the rides until closing!

If you need directions, click here for a map and directions to the Volusia County Fairgrounds. And last but not least, if you like to attend the concerts, or view the livestock judging, just click the preceding link.

I'll see you at the Fair!

This information has been brought to you by Lisa C. Hill, (The Smart Choice) real estate agent for Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®. Make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs.

Movie Night! Every Friday Night at Chase's on the Beach, in New Smyrna Beach FL

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:51:35 -0500

THE New Smyrna Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

Residents of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, or the Daytona Beach area, if you have plans for next Friday night, you need to cancel them! Why? Because CHASES ON THE BEACH in New Smyrna Beach has something new planned for us on Friday nights. Beginning Friday, October 24, 7 pm we can now enjoy MOVIE NIGHT! Unfortunately, we've already missed the kickoff classic movie, "BEACH PARTY" starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Doesn't that sound fun? So check Chase's web site, and mark your calendars for Friday nights at Chase's this fall and winter. There will be more fun, classic movies with a beach theme, each Friday night.

I've previously written a couple of other blog posts about Chase's on the Beach. It's a unique, fantastic restaurant, located right on the beach in New Smyrna. This "restaurant" has a large swimming pool and a children's pool and play area as well. They feature live music, and once they even had a luau. It's always a good idea to stay abreast of what's happening at Chase's. One of my real estate buyer's is a huge fan of Chase's so for his closing gift, I gave him a gift certificate so he could pick an event to enjoy, or just have dinner and/or drinks with his friends and family. He chose the latter =)

To read a couple of my previous posts about Chase's on the Beach, in New Smyrna Beach, just follow these links...

Great Dining in New Smyrna Beach

Luau in New Smyrna Beach (this is a past event)

If you're planning to buy real estate in New Smyrna Beach, I'd love to help. If you're still in your researching phase before making your final decision on where to buy your next home, or vacation getaway, or if you're planning to be one of our seasonal residents, feel free to contact me, Lisa Hill for information on things to do anywhere in Volusia County. I was born and raised here, and I've sold real estate from Edgewater/Florida Shores which abutts the south side of New Smyrna Beach, all the way to Flagler Beach, which is actually the next county, to the immediate north of Ormond Beach and Ormond by the Sea.

While you're making your decision on where to buy real estate, keep New Smyrna Beach in mind, and pay close attention to Chase's Restaurant's events and parties. Still want to learn more about New Smyrna Beach? Here are some other blogs I've written about things the area has to offer... Music Concerts, small theater productions, Gallery Walks, and remember, New Smyrna Beach is only 15 minutes from Port Orange, and a few more minutes from Daytona Beach; Here is a fun way to spend a day or evening in Port Orange. And don't forget to visit the Daytona Beach Flea Market. It's been voted "One of America's Top 5 Flea Markets" by USA Weekend.

But back to New Smyrna Beach. If you've never been, you owe it to yourself to spend some time there. There are always fun things for the whole family to do. And it's quaint, homey, eclectic style is very different from the touristy feel of Daytona Beach. But in New Smyrna Beach, being only a few minutes from Daytona Beach, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. And Chase's on the Beach almost always participates in the fabulous comunity events that are constantly being offered in New Smyrna Beach.

For all your real estate needs, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®. Or, like 85% of all real estate buyers do, you too can search for homes in New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, Port orange or anywhere in Volusa County by visiting my web site at www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com, or view video tours of my listings at www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateVideos.com.

And have fun at "Movie Night", each Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Chase's on the Beach in New Smyrna Beach, FL.

A NEW PARADIGM FOR BUYERS AGENTS. TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR BUSINESS

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:06:56 -0500

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

I just read the post below, by Lenn Harley. I liked it so much that I decided to re-blog it. It just has so much sage advice for real estate agents, and provides real estate buyers with a look at the other side of the coin. It's posts like this that I believe, help to bring about a "meeting of the minds". It's all too often that problems occur, strictly because of miscommunications. Plus, this is just a good read =)

Now in the Daytona Beach area, not all of this advice will apply. I say this because our market works differently. Perhaps I'll elaborate on that in another post. For now, if any real estate buyers in the Daytona Beach area are reading this post, I'd really love to hear your opinion about the advice that Lenn provided below.

If you're planning to buy or sell real estate in the Daytona Beach area, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill with Adams Cameron & Co., REALTORS®.

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com

www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateVideos.com

Via Lenn Harley:

IMPROVE YOUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND SELL MORE REAL ESTATE BY TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR BUSINESS. Use your time wisely and save it for serious home buyers.

We often read about agents who show properties to buyers for months and sometimes years. That's very nice and may result in a sale. OR NOT. However, in the long run, I believe that buyer's agents will improve their business and income if they take control of their business and establish ground rules for the agent and the buyer.

GRANT ME THE FOLLOWING PREMISES:

Real estate agents know the listing inventory far better than the average consumer.

Real estate agents understand market value far better than the average consumer.

Real estate agents are more familiar with mortgage financing than the average consumer.

Real estate agents are more familiar with the Contract of Sale than the average consumer.

Real estate agents have observed more home inspections than the average consumer.

Real estate agents are more familiar with real estate settlements than the average consumer.

EXPERIENCE IS THE AUTHORITY. Given the above, why do so many licensed real estate practitioners permit consumers to control the home buying process?

THE INTERNET EMPOWERED CONSUMER often believes that they are, through "their own research on the Internet", experts in finding, buying, financing, inspecting homes listed for sale. I dispute that premise. A consumer who is a first time home buyer, second time home buyer, home seller, etc. cannot possibly have the knowledge and experience of a real estate agent or broker who has closed or managed 5-20-100 or 500 sales transactions for buyers or sellers.

ARE WE MANAGING OUR BUSINESS or ARE WE A WALKING KEYPAD?

The walking keypad syndrome manifests itself when a licensed real estate practitioner permits a consumer to

Select the homes to tour.

Obtains loan approval without consulting with the agent.

Contacts the agent an hour before they wish to see a house they found on the Internet.

Many consumers believe that, because of all the information and free advice found on the Internet, that they are competent to make real estate brokerage decisions without consulting an agent. Free advice is not always good advice.

THE NEW PARADIGM FOR REAL ESTATE BUYERS AGENTS:

The Internet presents use with wonderful opportunities to offer our services to buyers who conduct their search for homes on the Internet. However, don't be fooled. Most consumers use the Internet to FIND HOMES, NOT AGENTS. We welcome buyer contacts from our blog or web page. However, the Internet empowered consumer is not likely to have your best interest in mind. Agents must learn to engage Internet leads or referrals with friendly helpful services. However, we must maintain control.

DON'T BE A TOUR GUIDE. Make sure the consumer is qualified for the price range for homes about which they inquired. We have a duty to the home sellers to make sure that buyers touring their home is qualified.

Just because a consumer calls does not mean that you must run out and show a property to a perfect stranger. Experienced agents know that if they run out and show a house to a consumer without some pre-qualifying discussion, not only may the agent be wasting their own time, but how much respect can a buyer have for an agent that is willing to admit them to any house anytime?

If a consumer will not give you income information to qualify them for the price range, they cannot be taken seriously. Folks cannot test drive a vehicle without providing a drivers license and often a credit report permission. Why should be take folks in homes without knowing that they qualify for that price range?

DON'T PUT BUYERS AND AGENTS AT RISK OF INJURY. Schedule home tours when there is sufficient time to avoid rushing. Don't let the buyer persuade you to look at "just one home" after dark or in peak rush hour for the area. House numbers are hard to find and walking unfamiliar properties in the dark is dangerous.

DON'T LET THE BUYER ARRANGE THE TOUR. Arrange the tour route based on geography and not the ones that the buyer want to see first, etc. I have spoken with buyers who want to prioritize the tour. The agent has the tools to arrange efficient tours and not backtrack all around to get to homes. The agent is the one who makes appointments and needs to schedule accordingly.

DON'T MEET STRANGERS AT A LISTING. If possible, meet buyers at an office or convenient location and drive them to properties. This gives the agent the opportunity to have a friendly conversation with the buyer. Nothing bonds a buyer and an agent better than a friendly conversation. Concurrently, you aren't sending a consumer to a listed property without an agent.

DON'T BE A DOORMAT. At peak traffic times, it is possible for a buyer to be delayed. Based on the weather, time of showing, traffic, etc., have a reasonable wait time, 15-20 minuted pre-determined. If the buyer has not arrived without calling, cancel the appointment and go about your business. Waiting an hour for a buyer to show is not going to make them show.

LEARN TO IDENTIFY SERIOUS BUYERS FROM LOOKERS. Always ask a consumer if they are working with an agent. Last minute calls from consumers who want to look at one home on short notice is a clue. They are usually already working with an agent who can't accommodate the buyer at the desired time. Don't be a stalking horse for other agents. If you try to recruit the buyer for yourself, you'll have nothing more than a disloyal buyer.

AVOID LONG BUYER AGENCY AGREEMENTS. Buyer representation agreement that are for 3-6-12 months are an invitation to the buyer to look, look, look for 3-6-12 months. Short initial Agreements encourage the buyer to look now and make decisions. The agreement can always be extended if the parties, buyer and agent, are working well together. However, a short initial agreement gives the agent an opportunity to make sure that the buyer is serious, qualified, available, accessible. Long agreements don't make buyers loyal. All that does is give the agent the contract on which to pursue litigation if the consumer buys with another agent or on their own.

SCHEDULE TOURS EARLY AND OFTEN. Let the buyer understand that, to help them find the best home for their money in their preferred location, you, their agent will be out previewing and researching homes for them to view. If the buyer is not willing to schedule future tour dates, they may not be serious buyers. If at the end of 2-4 weeks the agent doesn't believe that there is a likelihood that the buyer is ready, there is not need to do any more previewing or research.

NEXT!!

Calling Seth Godin!!!

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:01:40 -0500

I guess I'm just a copy cat. But I'm following instructions. I was told to re-blog this post, in order to help get the attention of Seth Godin. I haven't checked out Margaret Rome's book yet, but you can bet I'm going to.

Isn't it great that we have a platform like this, where we can join together to help each other out, speak our minds on whatever we're thinking, have our own voice that doesn't include the typical "spin" of the media (that one's my favorite) and help to educate the public on real estate in OUR parts of the country. Blogging rocks!

Good luck with your book sales, Margaret! You're getting plenty of support from us here at Active Rain.

Via Bryant Tutas Broker/REALTOR(R) Tutas Towne Realty, Inc:

Hi folks. My good friend and fellow ActiveRainer, Margaret Rome, is getting close to launching her first book "Real Estate the Right Rome Way". I'm sure most of you know Margaret but if not....stop over and check out her profile.

Margaret and I joined AR at just about the same time, July of 2006. In fact, as far as I can, tell we actually joined on the same day. Her first post and my first post were both on July 8, 2006.

Margaret and I have always had a connection. We are very much alike and handle our businesses the same. I still believe we were separated at birth. Here are a few similarities.

We are both "solo" agents

We both specialize in listings

I have a TLW she has a TLH.

We both have tempurpedic craftmatic adjustable beds!!!

We are both soooooooo good looking.

Anyway....Margaret is really wanting to get Seth Godin to review her book and maybe write a blurb on the jacket. So she decided to have a little contest to see who could come up with a good idea to get Seth's attention. My idea was to get as many Rainers as possible to place this phrase in their next post:

Hey Seth Godin!!!! Come over and review Margaret Rome's new book"

I figure Seth has his Google alerts activated and if enough of us do this he will not be able to ignore us and will have to come over to see what's going on. If you are not familiar with Seth he is a master marketeer and a best selling author. Getting him to review Margaret's book would be HUGE!!

So.....if you would, next post you write, just take a minute and copy/paste this phrase....

Hey Seth Godin!!!! Come over and review Margaret Rome's new book"

.....and place it at the bottom of your post. Or the top. Or the middle. Let's show Seth the power of the Rain. How simple is that?

Fun at Midori's Expense <=P

Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:08:38 -0500

THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Events blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!"

Believe it or not, in all the time I've been blogging here on Active Rain (about a year and a half), living and working in the same area as Midori Miller, who's been blogging here longer than I have... I think about 2 years... I've never actually met her in person. I know. I've been slacking. But the week before last, I listed a house very close to her office. (D'oh! Sorry Midori. I had to go there... any volunteers to watch my back?) So, as I was pulling into the neighborhood to take photos and video of my new listing, I realized I was passing her office parking lot, and made a quick turn and popped in to surprise her.

As it turns out, Midori had just received, and was opening the new flip camera that she had won. Umm, I can't remember from where or whom she won it. Anyway, while Midori tried to figure out how to work her new camera (Lysa Napolitano figured it out for her =P) we all just sat in their lobby and chatted. And then I got to play guinea pig for Midori while she learned to use her new camera. Hey, I just realized I was the first person on Midori's new camera. Kewl. But I digress ;) So Midori asked me a few questions on camera and has been threatening to post it ever since. However, while Midori and one of the agents at her office (whom I've worked with several times and can honestly say is a really good agent) were then reviewing the footage, I took the liberty of video taping them... as they watched the video tape of me... sounds exciting doesn't it?

Anyway, since Midori keeps threatening to post the footage of me, yet she's neglected to do so, I decided to go ahead and post mine. Woo Hoo! FTW!

So enjoy this video of Midori and Susan. It's VERY short. And I took the liberty of adding some fun music. =)

Royalty-free music in the video can be found at www.incompetech.com

Click here to view my personal real estate web site.