A Real Estate News Website

Commentaries

The Infinite Number of Monkeys and Infinite Number of Typewriters Theory of Golf2 comments.
March 2, 2013 – Golf is a game of perpetually unrealized potential. Statistically, my round of 51 is just a matter of time. It's my potential (if not my destiny). Just like the theory that an infinite number of monkeys given an infinite number of typewriters will eventually reproduce the world's greatest books.

Time for GOP Candidates, and Obama, to Step Up on Housing Policy1 comment.
January 13, 2012 – The Republican front-runners and President Obama should break their silence in favor of all American home owners.

Fed Report Blames Housing Bubble on Speculators4 comments.
December 13, 2011 – Blaming investors for the housing bubble is like blaming smokers for lung cancer. The Fed should look in the mirror.

Strange Days
December 2, 2011 – Banks flush with cash but not lending.

The Summer of our Discontent
October 12, 2011 – Economic growth has been frustratingly disappointing.

Bank of America Gets Buffetted
August 31, 2011 – Warren E. Buffett, swooped in again to save another bank.

Riots and Revolutions1 comment.
August 19, 2011 – Does homeownership lead to less strife?

Americans Bullish on Home Ownership Despite Economy, So Why Won’t Washington Listen?1 comment.
August 2, 2011 – If you’re worried about the future of home ownership in America, you have good reason.

Federal Housing Finance Agency News Release: Absolutely Useless Information
July 21, 2011 – When is up really down?

Americans Bullish on Home Ownership Despite Economy, So Why Won’t Washington Listen?4 comments.
July 21, 2011 – Outlandish proposals on Capitol Hill are weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of home owners, sellers, and potential buyers

Fertile Fields for Foreclosure Fraudsters1 comment.
June 23, 2011 – Lack of industry and regulatory oversight leaves a vacuum being filled by opportunists.

Mortgage Interest Deduction Under Attack
June 16, 2011 – Federal initiative coincides with deepest housing depression.

In HBO’s ‘Too Big to Fail,’ the Heroes Are Really Zeroes1 comment.
May 27, 2011 – Ostensibly it's a story of their success against all odds. Except that the movie actually depicts something entirely different: failure upon failure.

They Once Were Lenders
April 26, 2011 – Mortgage modification scams; who's involved and why its not getting any better.

Reynolds, Cliffs: Love It and Leave It
April 16, 2011 – The Best Way for Golf Community Owners to Execute Their Vision Is to Let Others Do It

Linger Longer's Offer to Sell Amenities to Property Owners is a Non-Starter1 comment.
April 14, 2011 – Linger Longer Development Corp., (Reynolds Plantation) has gotten its financial panties in a wad.

Changing Times
March 8, 2011 – Homeowner wealth has declined. The median net worth for a homeowner is estimated to have fallen from $230,000 in 2007 to about $170,000 in 2010.

Mortgage Fraud Begets Foreclosure Fraud4 comments.
February 11, 2011 – You cannot have lemon juice without a lemon. That is common sense, right?

Who was Responsible?3 comments.
February 9, 2011 – Deadbeat Homeowner vs. Bankster Video

Weather Showdown: Palm Coast vs. Up North1 comment.
January 30, 2011 – Rubbing it in.

Economic Development: Groundhog Day – The Movie All Over Again8 comments.
January 26, 2011 – Unlike the ''other'' ED, there is no magic blue pill for Economic Development.

Foreclosure Help: Fannie Mae Interactive Tool - Too Little Too Late
January 6, 2011 – It's a fairyland view of a broken system.

The True Housing Market Revealed
December 27, 2010 – Home sales slipped in the 3rd quarter following the end of the Federal tax credit.

Will Sell Homes for Food
December 20, 2010 – 2009 was a tough year for Florida Realtors®. 2010 has not been much better. But 2011 will be a year of positive trends.

Where Are the Financial Crisis Prosecutions?2 comments.
December 8, 2010 – The world was almost brought low by the American banking system and we are supposed to think that no one did anything wrong?

Commentary: Help Wanted, 15 Million Workers to Drive Expansion
December 6, 2010 – The recession officially ended in June '09. However, nearly 15 million people remain unemployed and countless more are working fewer hours than they would like.

Flagler BOC didn't ask the Right Questions at Special NOPC Meeting11 comments.
December 3, 2010 – Choosing to go to trial, commissioners ignored potential cost and legal merits.

ABC Liquor Store Opens in Palm Coast3 comments.
November 20, 2010 – Residents first wondered why the city allowed the building. More recently, people were wondering when it would open.

Peter Schiff Predicted the Housing and Financial Crises2 comments.
November 17, 2010 – When you're right, you're right. Why didn't we listen?

Builders on Amendment 4: Bad for Jobs, Economic Growth and Democracy2 comments.
October 25, 2010 – Amendment 4 is a jobs killer that will raise your taxes.

Environmentally Sensitive Lands Fund: How Are We Doing?7 comments.
October 11, 2010 – (Updated 10-20-10) Recently botched purchases with hints of cronyism cast a shadow on the program.

Florida TaxWatch Report Uncovers Crippling Costs of Amendment 4
October 6, 2010 – Amendment has drawn diverse and nearly-universal opposition from Florida's leading Editorial Boards, business groups, tea parties, unions, civic organizations and Gubernatorial candidates.

Making a Case for Home Ownership
October 5, 2010 – Sizable backlash against recent article in Time magazine disparaging homeownership.

Flagler County's Purchase of Pellicer Flats was a Mistake6 comments.
September 25, 2010 – I'll think twice before voting for the next continuation of the millage tax to replenish the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Fund.

Readers Not Buying Time Magazine Cover Story Attacking Homeownership1 comment.
September 7, 2010 – Its many inaccuracies have raised the hackles of the publication’s readership.

Florida Dept of Community Affairs Flexes Muscle Rather than Brains5 comments.
September 2, 2010 – DCA's ruling that Palm Coast's Comprehensive Plan Amendment adopting a Northwest Corridor Overlay Area makes no sense.

Commentary: Why Are Loan Modifications So Difficult?3 comments.
July 21, 2010 – Some mortgage servicers may still be waiting for policymakers to offer more carrots to do modifications.

Amendment 4's Slick Campaign Will Prove Costly to Floridians4 comments.
July 20, 2010 – Amendment 4 - a Trojan Horse measure that will leave tens of thousands of working-class men and women without a job.

Toby Sits Down with Reynolds to Discuss the Conservatory Gorilla Flap18 comments.
June 27, 2010 – In retrospect, my characterization of Reynolds as the 2,000 pound gorilla was inappropriate.

Reynolds Gorilla Commentary Follow Up14 comments.
June 16, 2010 – I've heard from several readers on both sides of the issue; praise from one side and scorn from the other.

Is Reynolds a Good Guy or a 2,000 Pound Gorilla?14 comments.
June 15, 2010 –Are the developer's plans for The Conservatory at Hammock Beach in the owners' best interest?

Hurricanes – How Much Should We Worry3 comments.
May 28, 2010 – According to NOAA, a Category 5 hurricane will come within 87 miles of Palm Coast every 220 years on average. I'm 66 years old. How old are you? Do the math.

The Burst of the Housing Bubble did Little to Change Buyers Habits1 comment.
May 17, 2010 – In spite of the number of lawsuits filed and, more recently, criminal investigations and convictions' American consumers continue to leave themselves vulnerable to fraud.

Say NO to Amendment 42 comments.
April 19, 2010 – Flagler Chamber of Commerce chairman comes out against Florida's Amendment 4.

Nice Titles Do Not Make Bad Laws Better6 comments.
March 10, 2010 – Amendment 4 will be on the upcoming ballot. Its passage will effectively kill Florida's economy. Amendment 4 is not about hometown democracy. It's about stopping growth at all costs.

House and Senate Give Appearance of Helping Homeowners Affected by Toxic Chinese Drywall
December 3, 2009 – Resolutions passed to encourage but not mandate

Crescent Bankruptcy's Effect on Local Golf Courses Still Murky1 comment.
November 18, 2009 – Cypress, Pines, and Matanzas said not to be part of bankruptcy, but guess who paid the back property taxes?

Home Security Systems: Scam or Not?1 comment.
October 21, 2009 – The advertising is misleading. Are the companies too?

Amendment 4 test case turns town into special interest 'battleground'
October 12, 2009 – Cure much worse than the disease.

The Corporate Veil – How Many Corporate Identities Does a Company Need?2 comments.
August 24, 2009 – Does the practice amount to a corporate shell game?

Future Developers will Build Fewer Golf-centered Communities1 comment.
August 6, 2009 – The real estate bust and financial markets crisis exposed weaknesses in builders' golf community development model.

Who's to Blame for the Real Estate Bubble?4 comments.
June 20, 2009 – The housing market collapsed, helping to set up the collapse of the financial markets which followed. Many lives changed forever. Almost no one was untouched; jobs lost, homes foreclosed, bankruptcies, credit ruined, and retirement delayed. Certainly we can blame someone, but who?

Property Owner Against Incorporation of Hammock7 comments.
June 17, 2009 – Ocean Hammock property owner speaks out against incorporation of the area known as the Hammock.

Is Duke Energy Playing Showdown with Morgan Stanley over Crescent Resources?
June 7, 2009 – Did Duke Energy play the bankruptcy card to force Morgan Stanley into selling back their 49% share of Crescent Resources?

Who's Watching the Store at the Federal Reserve?2 comments.
June 1, 2009 – Video shows that nobody is watching the store at the Federal Reserve. They do not know where the trillions of dollars went.

How not to Buy and Sell Real Estate – Learning from Our Mistakes3 comments.
May 31, 2009 – Real estate markets are cyclical. The most recent downturn was the worst in my lifetime (I'm 65). Unfortunately we can't do it all over again but if we could, what would we do differently? Certainly we don't want to make the same mistakes again.

Ocean Hammock DRI Change Request Puts County Commissioners on Hot Seat2 comments.
May 23, 2009 – Commissioners could lose however they vote.

Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment would Worsen Economic Crisis4 comments.
April 10, 2009 – Title misrepresent's amendments intent.

Milton Friedman answers Phil Donahue on Greed5 comments.
March 3, 2009 – Phil Donahue challanges Milton Friedman on greed. Friedman answers.

Letter to Palm Coast City Manager 2-28-091 comment.
February 28, 2009 – Are council members serious about their instructions?

The Bobby Ginn Enigma16 comments.
February 20, 2009 – Both good and bad on a grand scale

Politics is Like Theater2 comments.
February 18, 2009 – We choose the cast but not the script.

Palm Coast City Council Breaks Trash Talk Promise 2 comments.
February 13, 2009 – Off-camera decisions.

Home Town Democracy or Tyranny by an Agenda Driven Minority?1 comment.
January 19, 2009 – Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Agenda Driven Reporting Twists Data8 comments.
January 10, 2009 – Creators of self fulfilling prophesies.

Why Banks should Renegotiate Loans Rather than Foreclose7 comments.
January 8, 2009 – Stopping declining values is good for everyone.

Clever Video for Those Suffering from Housing or Financial Market Anxiety1 comment.
December 23, 2008 – Laughter really is the best medicine.

Cliff's Sells $40 Million in Real Estate at Tiger Woods Course Venue7 comments.
December 15, 2008 – Using selling tactics honed at Ginn Resorts

Are You Smarter than a Multi-Billionaire? 2 comments.
December 11, 2008 – If he's so rich, why ain't he smart?

Real Estate – the Fallacy of Government Oversight
December 4, 2008 – The inmates are runnig the asylum.

Palm Coast City Council will Reconsider 10% Commercial Hauling Franchise Fee
December 3, 2008 – Over objections of City Manager.

Flagler Co. Sheriff's Office Months Behind in Serving Notices1 comment.
November 22, 2008 – Compounding housing market problems.

Palm Coast Businesses and Their Customers (YOU) Face a New City Tax7 comments.
November 18, 2008 – Tax disguised as fee will raise prices you pay at local businesses.

GoToby.com Reader Comments Encouraged11 comments.
November 11, 2008 – But no bashing. Please read this.

Refundable Club Initiation Fees, Read the Fine Print 4 comments.
October 29, 2008 – They aren't as refundable as you think.

New Journal's Tristam Blasts Gated Community Dwellers9 comments.
October 20, 2008 – Thinks 16-year olds better qualified to vote. Toby responds.

European Village Hanging In13 comments.
October 17, 2008 – Against the odds, residential and commercial condo owners are fighting to succeed.

Troubling Developments In a “Hometown Democracy” Testing Ground1 comment.
October 8, 2008 – St. Pete Beach finds Hometown Democracy doesn't mean "power to the people."

Neither Florida's Weather nor Bobby Ginn's Future Can be Predicted Accurately2 comments.
October 5, 2008 – Bobby Ginn's problems - tropical storm or hurricane?

Who's to Blame for Fannie and Freddie Collapse7 comments.
September 23, 2008 – Bloomberg columnist thinks it's the Democrats.

Let's be VERY Clear About the Importance of Project Continental16 comments.
September 12, 2008 – Those who oppose Project Continental simply do not understand the issues.

County Commissioners Darby should shut up. He and Hanns should get out of the way5 comments.
September 5, 2008 – They ignored economic development for 16 years.

Where are Ginn Company's Debt Negotiations Headed?3 comments.
August 20, 2008 – (Updated August 26) It's taking too long to be a simple restructuring of a credit vehicle.

When Alan Greenspan Talks, Everyone Listens, but Should They?2 comments.
August 14, 2008 – Alan Greenspan speaks out on the housing market again, but from which side of his mouth this time.

Daytona Beach Florida News-Journal's Hypocrisy is Over the Top7 comments.
August 11, 2008 – To the N-J, transparency is a one way street.

GoToby.com Readership Climbs – Toby Thanks You
August 8, 2008 – Toby shares website stats and interesting facts.

Palm Coast City Manager's Comments on Reducing Building Permit Fees are Disingenuous5 comments.
July 14, 2008 – Palm Coast has been collecting too much money for building permit fees for years, more than $7 million (with interest).

Selling Your Palm Coast Real Estate or Just Listing it?5 comments.
June 3, 2008 – Sellers are last to know the market has dropped. The Palm Coast, Flagler County housing market peaked in 2005. 2½ years later, some sellers still haven't gotten the message.

Open House Sign Update7 comments.
May 27, 2008 – Most Palm Coast City Council members follow City Manager Landon's lead in opposing a resolution that would allow real estate open house signs on a city right of way.

Draft Resolution for Real Estate Open House Signs Too Burdensome11 comments.
May 23, 2008 – A typical open house will cost more than $300 in city signage fees.

Real Estate Commissions Smaller than You Think3 comments.
May 1, 2008 – Commissions often get divided among many people. Each share is smaller than you might think.

Product Claims it Lets You Pay off Your Mortgage in 1/3 to 1/2 the Time6 comments.
April 8, 2008 – "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and that's enough to make a decent living."

Has The Ginn Company become Resorts R Us?1 comment.
March 5, 2008 – A mishmash of Ginn's development names needs to be revamped. The quality of the developments themselves should be the focus.

Real Estate Developers, like most People are not Bad and They Help Palm Coast2 comments.
February 14, 2008 – Palm Coast, FL – City Council has adopted an anti-development stance. But the golden egg does not come without a goose.

Planning Board Approval Overturned by Blundering Palm Coast City Council.6 comments.
February 8, 2008 – Two Planning Board decisions appealed to City Council. Council bungles one and is stuck between a rock and a hard place with the other.

Planning and Growth Management - Palm Coast and Flagler Taking Right Steps
January 18, 2008 – The City of Palm Coast is revising its Land Development Code (LDC) and Flagler County is revising its Comprehensive Plan.

Mediation of Dispute between the City of Palm Coast and SeaGate Homes Fails – Trial Expected5 comments.
December 28, 2007 – Back in March of this year, the City of Palm Coast denied local developer, SeaGate Homes, a request for a FLUM (Future Land Use Map) amendment and its related zoning application for a PUD. SeaGate proposed Ryan’s Landing, a 67 home development on 27.79 acres off Ryan Drive. Mediation attempts have failed and a trial seems imminent.

Drop in New Construction has Impact on Impact Fees2 comments.
December 18, 2007 - The reaction of officials to the loss of impact fee revenue tells a lot about their underlying motive for establishing the fees in the first place. It's not what they said it was.

Florida Hometown Democracy - a Really Bad Idea10 comments.
December 11, 2007 – The Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment is a proposal to take responsibility for planning away from local planners and elected officials and require voters to decide on EVERY comprehensive plan amendment.

Flagler County Property Appraiser’s Letter on Property Taxes2 comments.
December 6, 2007 - In a letter to the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, Flagler County Property Appraiser, Jay Gardner, addresses property tax issues. He points out that the upcoming tax reform measure proposed by the state legislature does little to solve the tax inequities and suggests that the distribution of taxes should be changed.

Palm Coast Tidelands Article Stirs Controversy7 comments.
December 5, 2007 – To date, there have been nine reader comments with opinions on both sides of the issue, also some phone calls and emails. Here are my thoughts.

Why Palm Coast, Flagler Needs Real Estate Development. A Reader's Opinion4 comments.
October 29, 2007 - A recent headline in the Wall Street Journal asked, “Is Florida Over?” The article makes a case that our state’s population growth has slowed to a crawl and that Florida may have actually begun to shrink.

Hurricane Mitigation Retrofits -Tallahassee Strikes Again. Hold onto Your Wallets Folks.2 comments.
October 12, 2007 - New law requires expensive hurricane mitigation upgrades if you apply for certain building permits.

Impact Fees – The Hidden Tax on Housing - Updated3 comments.
October 9, 2007 - Impact fees, inspection fees, administrative fees, and utility connection fees account for approximately $18,665 of the cost of a new Palm Coast home. What is their effect on housing costs? This update of a January commentary includes the effect of two subsequent fee increases.

Amid a Lousy Real Estate Market, Law Suits, and Rumors, is Bobby Ginn Imploding? Not from My Viewpoint.1 comment.
October 4, 2007 – Bobby Ginn’s world seemed to be unraveling. Property owner law suits, a NASCAR fiasco, and a sluggish real estate market have let some of the helium out of the high flying Ginn blimp. But moves behind the scenes seem to be having a beneficial effect.

Public Hearing of Centex Palm Harbor PUD Amendments Scheduled for Tuesday1 comment.
October 1, 2007 - This is not a done deal. The council will listen to and consider all public comment. Many are so angry over the Centex pullout that they seek only retribution. Blinded by their anger, they see any deal with Centex as a bailout. Many are misinformed of the facts. Regardless, they will be present and vocal on Tuesday.

Housing Market Not as Bad as Media Projects and not Nearly as Bad as the 1980s.
September 25, 2007 - Much of the mainstream media’s focus is on the present. Today’s bad news sells. Good news is boring. Analysis and perspective are too much work and take too much time. This is apparent in their reporting of the burst of the housing bubble and the resulting demise of the housing industry.

Do You Hate Centex More Than You Love Palm Coast?7 comments.
September 20, 2007 - Last night’s meeting of the Planning & Land Development Regulation Board showed that some people do. That didn’t surprise me, but the ineptitude of the P&LDB did. Seldom have I seen so many words condensed into so few thoughts.

Bashing Real Estate Developers – a Favorite Flagler Pastime6 comments.
July 26, 2007 - A reader posted a comment to an article about the Sawmill Creek development, a gated, golfing community currently under development. He questioned the sanity of developers. Here are his comments and my reply.

There’s a Big Disconnect between Palm Coast’s Needs and Its Proposed Land Development Code3 comments.
July 11, 2007 - The Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map (FLUM) are complete. The Land Development Code (LDC) is supposed to set forth the rules under which the Comp Plan and FLUM are implemented. At least in the draft form, they do not. Neither do they indicate that the city staff understands the critical need to attract more business and industry to Palm Coast. But what would you expect of a document developed by technocrats in a vacuum.

County Commissioners Out of Touch with Critical Need to Increase Commercial Tax Base
June 28, 2007 - Flagler County Commissioners took their first shot at the new budget. They missed the mark. They weren’t even facing the target. Just when we most need Enterprise Flagler and an empowered Industrial Development Authority, commissioners are reducing their budget and emasculating their mission.

SeaGate Loses Bid for Approval of Ryan’s Landing Project. Palm Coast Loses Free Land for Park
March 25, 2007 - Palm Coast City Council manhandles local developer. Council tries to extort free park equipment in return for city approval of proposed development.

Don’t Paint All Developers with the Centex Brush1 comment.
March 8, 2007 - The Palm Coast City Council meeting on March 6th gives some insight into what may be a developing pattern. The meeting had nothing to do with Centex. Centex was not even on the agenda. However, their name came up several times.

Introducing the CAVE People – Citizens Against Virtually Everything7 comments.
February 11, 2007 - Some think that you could substitute Councilman or Commissioner for Citizen in the above phrase. Unfortunately, Palm Coast suffers from the combination of a left-leaning Daytona press and the presence of a very vocal group of activists with no, or few. credentials and too much time on their hands.

Real Estate and Stock Markets are Different - One is Liquid and Efficient. The Other isn’t.
January 26, 2007 - Imagine investing $300,000 in a stock knowing only its selling price of two months ago. We do it in real estate all the time.

Impact Fees – The Hidden Tax on Housing1 comment.
January 17, 2007 - Impact fees, inspection fees, administrative fees, and utility connection fees account for approximately $17,000 of the cost of a new Palm Coast home. What is their effect on housing costs?

WSJ Article Titled “Speculators Helped Fuel Florida’s Housing Boom” – Brilliant
January 9, 2007 - An otherwise good article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal was headed “Speculators Helped Fuel Florida’s Housing Boom.” Well golly gee. I’ll bet there were still a few dozen people out there who didn’t know that.

Flagler County needs more waterfront dining1 comment.
December 12, 2006 - The tragic loss last night of the Shark House Restaurant flames the need for more waterfront dining opportunities in the Palm Coast area.

Why we moved to Palm Coast
October 30, 2006 - I grew up in Rochester, NY. I had a chance to move south, to Charleston, S.C., in the mid 80's. In Charleston, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. But each year the winters seemed longer, grayer, colder, and damper. My dad told me that it was because of my age. He said "People don't like the temperature less than their age." Anyway, after nearly 15 years in Charleston (a truly beautiful city and a wonderful place to visit), and some other major changes in my life, I began looking for a warmer climate.

September sales of existing homes and condos. What do the numbers mean?
10/25/06 - The number of existing Florida homes sold in September was off by 34% from September 2005 but the median price of homes sold was only off 1%. Condos sales dropped 45% with the median price off 8%. Some think that because prices are only off slightly, the market is not in trouble. I don't agree completely.

A Humorous Look at Hurricane Preparedness
This humorous piece telling Floridians how to prepare for a hurricane was sent to me in an email. The author remains anonymous. However, it does a wonderful job of showing how Floridians can see the light side of a potentially serious problem. Enjoy.

Is the Palm Coast, Flagler County Market Up or Down?
What’s happened to the Flagler County real estate market? Why has is slowed down so much? Are prices really going down? Read more and comment…

What's the long term future of Flagler County's real estate market?
Why is the long term outlook for Florida real estate so strong? The Boomer Generation will drive the demand side while slow growth advocates and material and labor shortages will constrain the supply side. Read more and comment…