Smart Homes for Seniors – “Real Estate Matters” November 15, 2025 Video Podcast

For more than 11 years, Real Estate Matters has been the voice of real estate in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Veranda Bay, the new luxury Intracoastal Community in Flagler Beach, sponsors the show.

Smart Home technology is not kind to age. Where to begin. Begin with advice from a professional.

Be sure to check out the new Flagler County Map of Developments and Subdivisions.

Raw Show Notes

Our behind-the-scenes guide to the show’s flow, covering many topics we didn’t have time to get to on the show. This is raw and likely contains typos. Data reflects the date of the show’s recording.

Show Notes 11-15-2025

Recorded 11-13-2025

Welcome to Real Estate Matters, for over 11 years, the voice of real estate in Flagler County and Palm Coast. Welcome to the quiet side of Florida.

I’m Toby Tobin, the publisher of GoToby.com, contributor to the Palm Coast Observer, and a Florida-licensed Realtor with The Landmark Group at Compass. Co-host, Annamaria Long, with the Flagler County Homebuilders Association, is in the studio with me today.

Thanks to Our Sponsors:

• Our Lead Sponsor is Veranda Bay – A private developing community of lots and luxury homes on the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler Beach, featuring custom homes by Olsen Homes, AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, ICI Homes, and Hulbert Homes. Newly opened sections feature homes by Toll Brothers and Dream Finders. To learn more, visit VerandaBay.com.
• Flagler County Home Builders Association
• Hammock Community Church – On A1A in The Hammock – Small enough to know you but large enough to serve you. North of the toll bridge with the message sign out front. It’s not just for Hammockians. Like me, many people cross the bridge.

Guest: Kim Lyzncki from Daisy. Daisy specializes in helping homeowners and builders design and ionstll smart home technology.

Early November (as of 11-13)

• 72 Homes sold via the Flagler MLS at $375,495 vs 144 homes at $363,495 last October, DOM = 84 this year
• $250K and lower = 5, 1 was cash, DOM 21
• $1M or higher – None
• Homes listed – 1,252
• Homes Pending – 317
• Median Price of homes pending – $385K
• GINNdex is down from 4.9 in July to 3.95 – under 4.0 for the first time in 13 months.

Analysis

The market is waiting for lower rates and more certainty, but still showing signs of strength.

News

Any updates on the FHBA impact fee lawsuit?

Are we smart enough for smart homes?

Technology is not kind to age. Flagler County’s population is ageing with 31.4% of its residents aged 65 or older. That’s up from 24.6% in 2010.

I’m a prime example. I was once a technical guru in both the large computer mainframe environment that burgeoned in the late 1960s and in the early years of the desktop computer.

In 1982, I was the only salesperson for the only authorized IBM PC dealer in Rochester, N.Y. Companies like Bausch and Lomb, Xerox, and Kodak counted on my expertise. I founded the local IBM PC Users Group.

During one of last year’s tropical storms, I lost power at my house. I spent the night at my son’s super smart townhome. Upon getting into bed, I could not remember either the name of the voice assistant or the name of the bedroom. I had to get out of bed to turn the lights off manually.

What are the major components of a smart home?

How important is component compatibility?

What are the biggest mistakes people make when choosing components of a smart home?

Can you map out a plan that you would recommend for first-time buyers?

What if my new smart home becomes obsolete?

Are some systems more portable than others?

How are smart homes vulnerable to hackers? Should I worry about them getting into my system?

How much will it cost to make my home smart?

What are the recurring costs of having a smart home?

Flagler County Residential Development Map

Thanks to an introduction article by Flagler Live, the map has received over 6,800 views. You can find it on GoToby.com on the first page. Click on the map image to reach the live map page.

Filler News:

For Sale By Owner transactions – better known as FSBOs – comprised just 5% of home sales during the past few years, beating out last year’s lowest on record of 7%, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Meanwhile, a record high of 91% of home sellers sold their home with the assistance of a real estate agent.

The FSBO market share has been gradually shrinking over the last four decades, even as technological advances have entered more aspects of a real estate transaction. In 1985, FSBO sales comprised up to 21% of home sales. The FSBO share has stayed mostly in the single digits since 2010.

The White House is floating the concept of a 50-year mortgage.

Adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, made up about 10% of all mortgage applications in September – the highest share in nearly two years and well above the post-2008 average of 6%. ARMs, also known as variable-rate mortgages, usually start with lower borrowing costs than fixed-rate mortgages but can increase over time. That step-up in payments is what got many homeowners in trouble two decades ago, when ARMs peaked at 35% of all mortgage applications in 2005.

Wrap up:

Video podcasts of Real Estate Matters are now available on GoToby.com. Click on Podcasts on the top navigation bar.

If you have a question or a suggestion for Real Estate Matters or GoToby.com, reach out to me.

(386) 931-7124 or email me at Toby@GoToby.com

I’m Toby Tobin and I approve this show.