All Blog Entries by Donny Mak
Buyers and Sellers: Go on the Offense Against Poor Credit Issues: Consider Owner Financing
By: Alan Aptheker
It’s time for buyers with poor credit to rethink about shrinking from their credit issues. Buyers slink slowly away from the home buying process, without asking the most basic question of the seller, or approaching the listing realtor with the proposition, “would the seller consider owner financing?” Here’s the ironic part – many potential homebuyers can afford to pay for a home, but their credit score is the high barrier to realizing their goal. More after the break...
I know a guy who did a short sale back in 2007 when he lost his $120,000-a-year position with a major bank. He did a lot of freelance writing, got his real estate license, and make it through the following 18 month subsisting pretty well as he doggedly pursued…Fun Facts: After the Hurricane, the Beatles Play On in Jacksonville.
By: Alan Aptheker
Jacksonville is one of the few cities on the Eastern coast that have been largely spared from the wrath of major hurricanes. However, in 1964 the big one hit. Hurricane Dora caused severe damage, and no part of the city was spared. But, the very next day, on September 11, 1964, over 20,000 fans packed the Gator Bowl (now Everbank Field), to see the Beatles. The lads from Liverpool did not disappoint. They endured harsh winds, but they were undeterred, and so were the screaming fans. (It is rumored that the winds were blowing so hard that Ringo Starr's drum set had to be nailed down to the stage).
"Advance-Fee" to Qualify for a Loan? Don't Fall for It.
By: Alan Aptheker
In 2008, just as the banks were reeling from the first sucker punch that is now “the bubble,” the FDIC issued a warning for financial institutions and consumers about advance-fee loan scams, which were becoming more prevalent as the banks sought to bind their initial wounds incurred from the financial fallout. It bears repeating now, when banks are opening up a little more, as some financial experts feel we’ve hit bottom, and the U.S. debt-mageddon crisis is over (sort of)...
As recently as late 2010, the FDIC is still finding this kind of nefarious behavior, not by legitimate lenders who won’t a demand the upfront fee, but predators taking advantage of home buyers who see the 3% and 4% interest rates as their entree into the
…Fun Facts: How Jacksonville got its name
By: Alan Aptheker
It wasn’t the town’s first name. Settled by the English who drifted down from Georgia, they set up shop around a shallow ford across the St. Johns River, calling the place “Cowford.” When Florida was ceded to the U.S. in 1819, Andrew Jackson became the first provisional governor, hence, Jacksonville.
Good time for a Remedial Refinancing Refresher. Really.
I Love this place! First Watch Opens in Mandarin
By: Alan Aptheker
When I’m in Orlando for more than a day, there are two places I must go to eat: First Watch and Toojay’s, (more about Toojay’s later. I’m heavily lobbying for one in Jax but have had no success). We have a burning need for decent breakfast places in San Jose and Mandarin. The only First Watch I’d ever encountered was in Orlando, and I could swear it was locally owned and operated. It had that familiar, welcoming feel from the waitstaff. The quality of breakfast and brunch food could give the Metro Diner a run for it’s money -- it’s that good. And even though folks from far and near (including me) will still frequent the Metro in San Marco, it’s great to have the bar for quality breakfast food raised in Mandarin. I wish I’d known
…Renting Instead of Buying? Look at Jacksonville's Buy/Rent Ratio and Re-Think It.
Good or Bad, We are in the Top Ten List
We saw the housing report. We beat out Detroit as the worst housing market now, but there’s good reason to believe we’ll find the bottom soon. But if you’re going to talk about being the worst, we should talk about what we do best. Here’s where we showed up in the some formidable top ten lists: view list after the break...
- Jacksonville was named the nation’s third least expensive city to launch a corporate headquarters (BizCosts.com - 2011)
- Florida’s public school system ranks among the top 5 in the nation (Education Week – 2011)
- Jacksonville ranked No. 3 on the list of “Best Cities to Work” (Careerbliss.com - 2011)
- Jacksonville ranked ninth best U.S. Shopping City (Forbes – 2010)
- Jacksonville is ranked No. 1 on
Seasons 52 Completes Darden's Full Menu in Jacksonville FL
With the Opening of Seasons 52 at the St. John's Town Center, Jacksonville joins Orlando and 19 other large metro areas where Darden Restaurants operates all of it's six brands: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and LongHorn Steakhouse. Operating under it's Specialty Restaurant banner are the Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52. Seasons 52 will open this fall, and in addition to it's seasonally rotated menu (hence the name), it's one of the few Darden properties that is "specialty-marketed" as a true venue for social and business events.
You may not know the name, but you know their brands. Darden is headquartered in Orlando, and lays claim to being the world's largest full-service restaurant company. It's history dates back to 1938, when
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