Several years back I decided to purchase an ocean view condo at the beach in Ormond By the Sea which is on the east coast of Florida just north of Daytona. There are many reasons why I decided on "Fairwind Sbores" but the biggest was that I felt that Ormond was very much undervalued in comparison to other beach communities close to Orlando (only 70 minutes from downtown). Plus I liked the sleepy nature of the town, and the building was a low rise which is what I was looking for.


Anyway, I started to write in the Fairwind Shores newsletter and I thought I would share this month's column because I thought it might be of interest and relevant if you are thinking about purchasing a condominium- particularly one that you may use as an investment property. You will see I have added notes here and there that I think might make the article more relevant to you. Here it is:

Michael Gonick's Real Estate Tips - Fairwind Shores- Volume I
I wanted to write some items in the next couple of newsletters regarding the state of Fairwind Shores because I look at
our condominium from a fairly unique perspective:
First, I am an owner.
Second, I am a real estate agent.
Third, I have sold or found buyers for a number of units in Fairwind Shores.
You can say I am bullish on our buildings. A good portion of my business is Orlando based. I have little interest in selling or bringing buyers to any other condo or development in Ormond Beach except for our building. Why?
Because I know ours is the best in Ormond By the Sea for a number of reasons.
A general rule of thumb- if a Realtor purchases in a building you know that is a good sign!

In this issue, I would like to put my Realtor hat on and tell you, from a Realtor's perspective what makes our buildings attractive to potential buyers and renters. I will touch upon some things we can do to make our residences even more appealing to prospects but get into more detail next time on this.
As an owner I would like my unit to have the maximum "value". As I see it, in this economy, this is good for all of us.
What makes Fairwind Shores unique and the biggest selling points...
1. Basically, every unit in our building is designed to be a corner unit.
2. We have a tennis court.
3. We have lobbies.
4. We have underground parking
5. We have elevators
6. Our rental policies
7. Cleanliness and new additions
1. I thank the architects of our building for the wonderful layout making every unit basically a corner unit- windows with views of the ocean on multiple sides as opposed to the "tunnel" effect that the other buildings in our area have. I think the builders of Fairwind Shores were ahead of their time and it is the single biggest selling point of our condos.
When looking at a condo building, what are the unique style and attributes that set it apart from all the rest?

2. Some of you may look at the tennis court being empty and think to yourself there may be a better usage for that space. I beg to differ. First off, I am a tennis player! YES I am the guy you see "serving" on the weekends and playing with my buddies. Is there another condo that has its own tennis court around us? I don't think so. It is an attractive feature not only for prospective buyers but for renters as well. Don't take the tennis court for granted. If the court looks good like it does now....big selling point. If it is neglected, it is a big negative.



3. Same goes for the lobbies. Our lobbies are a huge selling point for safety and security. Honestly, in my humble opinion, spending a couple of bucks to make them more attractive and updated would be a good investment for us. I think it should be something to consider in the near future. The saying is "You have only one chance to make a first impression".

Our condo building is the only low rise to have lobbies at all, and it was one of the major reasons I decided to purchase. Visitors must be buzzed in and I can monitor who is at the front door from my TV screen.
4. The fact that we have covered, underground parking is a major plus. Safety, security and also less wear and tear on our vehicles.
Also a unique feature of our buildings.

5. Our buildings have elevators which make units viable on all levels to people with physical disabilities who might only be able to purchase on the first floor in other buildings without elevators.
When you are looking at a condo that you may use as an investment, be thinking about amenities that would make it attractive for the most amount of people.

6. Our rental policies, including renting monthly is very attractive. First off, our buildings will stay in better shape than those buildings that rent weekly. Fairwind Shores, because of our rental policies, makes our condominium more attractive to owners (like me) who want to have their condo as primary residence. I wouldn't even have considered a weekly rental building....yet I like to know that there is the opportunity to rent out if I wanted to here.

7 Our property appears to be cleaner and better maintained than at anytime since I purchased here 5 years ago. Bravo to whomever is responsible- I guess this would be the board as well as the crew keeping our place fresh. The lawn looks great. The additional outdoor shower coming off the beach on our property is brilliant. I would never have thought of it but I would definitely point it out to prospects if I had units listed and/or buyers interested.

Our best interest, as I see it is to put our best foot forward at all times in a difficult economy and being able to showcase
the fantastic amenities and unique attributes of our condominium complex.
Please feel free to contact Michael Gonick, Realtor from Coldwell Banker at 407-383-2563 or
michael@michaelgonick.com.

Well if you love modern contemporary architectural style you may have been sitting on the fence waiting for something dramatic to happen with this property...and it has. My listing at 26 S. Lawsona Boulevard has been reduced $50000 to the unbelievable price of $499,000.  Click here to see more and call me soon to preview if you are interested.  This is a motivated seller and he wants it sold quickly.

I just listed a fantastic lot in College Park.

Beautiful cleared 152 ft deep lot in established neighborhood available to build the custom home of your dreams. Endless possibilities,  fantastic location a few blocks away from Lake Adair and the shopping, restaurants and all that College Park has to offer.  More pictures, map, survey and info here.

As part of their "Cinema Art" program, the new Plaza Cinema Cafe features critically-acclaimed independent films, alternative productions, restored classics and first-run foreign movies.  On Wednesday and Thursdays only you can see their feature presentation for free...simply by clicking here and printing your free voucher.  Bring it to the theater and you are good to go for any of the show times on Wednesday and Thursday.  Your parking is free for 3 hours with validated ticket.


This week's featured movie is "Pandorum", and you can get showtimes and info here as well as a map to the theater.  For parking enter on S. Court Aveune from either Pine or Central.


Support the Downtown Arts District.  It's good for Orlando.

Well.
I just don't think it is fair.

San Jose PLUS Palo Alto PLUS Santa Clara = Number 24.
What the heck?  Detroit gets the assistance of Ann Arbor and Ypsilant!  (Ypsilant?)
Do not even get me started about Tampa/St Pete.

Please do not let our 27th placement deter you from moving to Orlando. Surely if we were allowed to add Daytona Beach to Orlando we would have been able to leapfrog over Milwaukee.
After all, I hear they have some great high school football in Daytona.


Here is the list of the top 50 "sports cities" courtesy of The Sporting News.



1. Pittsburgh
2. Philadelphia
3. Boston
4. Chicago + Evanston
5. Los Angeles
6. New York
7. Phoenix + Tempe
8. Miami
9. Dallas-Fort Worth
10. Detroit + Ann Arbor + Ypsilanti
11. Houston
12. Nashville
13. Atlanta
14. Washington
15. Tampa-St. Petersburg
16. Minneapolis-St. Paul
17. Raleigh + Durham + Chapel Hill, N.C.
18. Denver + Boulder
19. Salt Lake City + Provo
20. Indianapolis
21. Anaheim
22. Cleveland
23. Charlotte
24. San Jose + Palo Alto + Santa Clara
25. New Orleans
26. Milwaukee
27. Orlando
28. Baltimore
29. Cincinnati
30. St. Louis
31. San Diego
32. Portland
33. Oakland + Berkeley
34. Columbus
35. San Antonio
36. Toronto
37. Oklahoma City + Norman
38. Austin, Texas
39. Vancouver
40. Buffalo
41. Gainesville, Fla.
42. Calgary
43. Storrs, Conn.
44. East Lansing, Mich.
45. Montreal
46. San Francisco
47. Memphis
48. State College, Pa.
49. Kansas City
50. Jacksonville

This is the longest streak since the National Association of Realtors began recording keeping in 2001....with gains all over the country with the biggest gains outt West.

This from the Florida Association of Realtors dated Oct 1, 2009:

Record streak continues for pending home sales

WASHINGTON – Oct. 1, 2009 – Pending home sales have increased for seven straight months, the longest in the series of the index which began in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in August, rose 6.4 percent to 103.8 from a reading of 97.6 in July, and is 12.4 percent above August 2008 when it was 92.4. The index is at the highest level since March 2007 when it was 104.5.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said not all contracts are turning into closed sales within an expected timeframe. “The rise in pending home sales shows buyers are returning to the market and signing contracts, but deals are not necessarily closing because of long delays related to short sales, and issues regarding complex new appraisal rules,” he said. “No doubt many first-time buyers are rushing to beat the deadline for the $8,000 tax credit, which expires at the end of next month.”

The Pending Home Sales Index in the Northeast jumped 8.2 percent to 85.3 in August and is 12.0 percent higher than August 2008. In the Midwest the index rose 3.1 percent to 90.8 in August and is 7.6 percent above a year ago. In the South, pending home sales increased 0.8 percent to an index of 104.6 and is 8.2 percent above August 2008. In the West the index surged 16.0 percent to 130.5 and is 22.3 percent above a year ago.

“There is likely to be some double counting over a span of several months because some buyers whose contracts were cancelled have found another home and signed a new contract to buy,” Yun explained. “Perhaps the real question is how many transactions are being delayed in the pipeline, and how many are being cancelled? Without historic precedents, it’s challenging to assess.”

Yun also noted that the data sample coverage for pending sales is smaller than the measurement for closed existing-home sales, so the two series will never match one for one.

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said first-time buyers need to act now. “Potential first-time buyers must make a contract offer very soon to have a reasonable chance of qualifying for the tax credit,” he said. “Congress needs to extend and expand this program because it’s stimulating the economy and reducing inventory close to price stabilization points.”

McMillan said a sizable number of homebuyers already in the pipeline could be let down because of the tight deadline. “We know there is a pent-up demand because sales are below normal levels for the size of our population. The faster we absorb excess inventory, the sooner we’ll turn the corner on home prices, prevent additional families from becoming upside-down in their mortgages, and give Wall Street the confidence to extend credit to other sectors,” he said. “Each home sale pumps an additional $63,000 into the economy through related goods and services, so the benefits of extending and expanding the tax credit far outweigh the costs.”

Yun said the forecast for home sales and prices depends very much on whether a tax credit is extended. “All we can say for certain is sales will decline when the tax credit expires because we are not yet on a self-sustaining recovery path. It also raises a risk of a double-dip recession,” he said. “Extending and expanding the tax credit is the best tool in our arsenal to encourage financially qualified buyers to stimulate the economy and help reduce the budget deficit.”

© 2009 Florida Realtors®