Pregled posta

Marketing

The Florida homes came about in an interesting way. I was at the airport going to Florida in 2005. I bumped into my friend, Edgar. I knew that Edgar lived in Naples and commuted to Cleveland for business once a week. He and his wife had a beautiful home in Naples. Just in passing, he gave me the names of some people to talk to down there since I was interested in real estate. The Naples real estate market was still pretty fluid and being a buyer’s market you could get some pretty good deals.

I couldn’t wait to get off the plane. I called around for some information about the lead Edgar gave me on a new development called Horse Creek Estates. I found the address and went directly to the president’s office.

As usual, the secretary gave me the once over and reluctantly agreed to let me see Alan Schiffman. Alan was pleased to meet me. He probably thought to himself that here comes the gravy train with blond hair and a heavy Romanian accent. Wrong. Just as wrong as all the dealmakers I had met before him.

Alan and I stayed in negotiations for about three weeks. By the time the deal was sealed, I had five lots at Horse Creek Estates. The best part is that I got them for the price of three lots. These lots had luxury homes ready to be built on them.

The Southern lawyers from Arkansas had just given me my money back from the hotel and I had a very short time to reinvest the money in real estate so that I would not pay capital gains taxes.

I eventually sold three of the lots for a good profit and built two homes on the remaining two lots. We loved going to Naples and staying at the Ritz Carlton. I found out that the Ritz properties were selling lots for homes right on the hotel’s golf course. I knew I wanted to buy a lot or two. I went to talk to the people at WCI sales office and I wanted to buy a lot. I went to see a builder and I said that I wanted a house on the Tiboran lot. The architect was from the Ohio area and he gave me a very good price. The WCI people told me that this house was going to cost me $2.4 million. I went back to the sales office. They wanted $725,000 for each house. I told them that I wanted two lots and was willing to pay $675,000 for each house.

They were offended and told me that WCI does not bargain. I told them that they have to start bargaining now.Add a captionThe Florida homes came about in an interesting way. I was at the airport going to Florida in 2005. I bumped into my friend, Edgar. I knew that Edgar lived in Naples and commuted to Cleveland for business once a week. He and his wife had a beautiful home in Naples. Just in passing, he gave me the names of some people to talk to down there since I was interested in real estate. The Naples real estate market was still pretty fluid and being a buyer’s market you could get some pretty good deals.

I couldn’t wait to get off the plane. I called around for some information about the lead Edgar gave me on a new development called Horse Creek Estates. I found the address and went directly to the president’s office.

As usual, the secretary gave me the once over and reluctantly agreed to let me see Alan Schiffman. Alan was pleased to meet me. He probably thought to himself that here comes the gravy train with blond hair and a heavy Romanian accent. Wrong. Just as wrong as all the dealmakers I had met before him.

Alan and I stayed in negotiations for about three weeks. By the time the deal was sealed, I had five lots at Horse Creek Estates. The best part is that I got them for the price of three lots. These lots had luxury homes ready to be built on them.

The Southern lawyers from Arkansas had just given me my money back from the hotel and I had a very short time to reinvest the money in real estate so that I would not pay capital gains taxes.

I eventually sold three of the lots for a good profit and built two homes on the remaining two lots. We loved going to Naples and staying at the Ritz Carlton. I found out that the Ritz properties were selling lots for homes right on the hotel’s golf course. I knew I wanted to buy a lot or two. I went to talk to the people at WCI sales office and I wanted to buy a lot. I went to see a builder and I said that I wanted a house on the Tiboran lot. The architect was from the Ohio area and he gave me a very good price. The WCI people told me that this house was going to cost me $2.4 million. I went back to the sales office. They wanted $725,000 for each house. I told them that I wanted two lots and was willing to pay $675,000 for each house.

They were offended and told me that WCI does not bargain. I told them that they have to start bargaining now.

Day 52: Travel Day
***
After leaving the hotel we went for breakfast at a lovely cafe (see April's photos), went to the tourist trap of Florida Street for some shopping where I fell for the first time in months, in front of all the tourists and vendors - isn't life lovely! and then we were off to the Airport for a short flight to Santiago for a 5 and a half hour layover. Our plan was to leave the airport for dinner - see Santiago briefly AND get another passport stamp - two birds with one stone right? But there is a tax of $150 to leave the airport - and it wasn't worth it. So we spent a LOT of time at the airport. Thank heavens for the Brother's Karmazov. And then, finally, at midnight (6PM LA time) we left Santiago for a 12 hour flight to LA.