Beautiful New Smyrna Beach Community

For anyone who's been considering buying real estate in New Smyrna Beach Florida, you should know about the beautifully upscale Venetian Bay Town & Country Club. This elegant development has a distinctive Italian feel and several different subdivisions.

The Venetian Bay master community is like a self-contained city unto itself, featuring a downtown shopping center and restaurants, a fitness center, community pool, nature trails, a golf course, country club and more. Featured builders are Paytas Homes, Johnson Group Homes, Engle Homes, KB Homes, & Tiffany Homes. Prices range from the $200,000s to over $1,000,000.

This weekend I found some very interesting and unexpected surprises while doing a market analysis for a home owner who is considering selling their house in Venetian Bay.
Aren't they adorable?
If you're interested in buying real estate in Venetian Bay or any area of New Smyrna Beach, contact Lisa Hill today!

www.NewSmyrnaHomeSales.com

These Prices Just Keep Getting Better

If you're looking to buy a house in the Daytona Beach area, here are a couple of great possibilities.

4 bedroom, 2 bath house in South Daytona. Was priced at $195,000, drastically reduced to $187,000. Make this your new home. For complete details, read the post here 1678 Louisiana Rd., South Daytona, FL

Or how about this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home on 1 acre in Port Orange? Previous asking price was $379,900. Drastically reduced to $349,000. For more information on this house, read the post found in this link: 822 Bayridge Lane, Port Orange, FL

For more information about living in the city of Port Orange, try these articles...

• Picture Yourself in Port Orange
• Plan A Fun Outing in Port Orange
• Port Orange City Center and Family Days

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Memories of Ponce Inlet Florida-The Grand Old Lighthouse

As I've stated in previous posts, I'm a native of the Daytona Beach area, and am knowledgeable about many fascinating historical facts. But I still enjoy researching and sharing the new things I learn.

In a recent post, I was sharing some childhood memories of the time my family spent in Tomoka State Park, in Ormond Beach. As I let my mind wander to other pleasant memories of my childhood, I found fond memories of the lighthouse and park at Ponce Inlet. The best part about these memories are not just of my own childhood, but from a parental perspective as well. You haven't truly enjoyed life until you've witnessed something through the eyes of a child.

While I have fond memories of my own childhood days; of my grandmother buying me trinkets in the gift shop, and of running as fast as I could across the park, to stand and look up in awe, at the towering red lighthouse; then the wonder of looking down and across several cities, after climbing the 194 steps of the circular stairway all the way to the top, those memories pale in comparison to the memories of swinging on the swings with my own daughter when she was younger, and buying trinkets for her in the gift shop, then gasping for breath as I once again climbed 194 steps to the top of the lighthouse, and seeing the terrifying joy in her face and she stood in the open air and looked down over several cities, and out across the inlet toward the Atlantic Ocean.

If you've never been to the lighthouse park at Ponce Inlet, I highly recommend you do so, no matter what your age. It is a gorgeous tower, built in 1886 in what was once called Mosquito Cove. (I think Ponce Inlet is a much better name!) The Ponce Inlet lighthouse is the second-tallest in the United States and can be seen from 19 miles away. It was decommissioned in 1970, but in 1982 it was fitted with a new navigational beacon and is once again active.

You can also take a walking tour of the grounds, or walk down to the beach and climb out on the jetty rocks, picnic at the covered picnic tables and play in the dunes. (Only the ones that are allowed. See my post about beach conservation)

If you're considering investing in real estate in Ponce Inlet, Florida, visit my web site or call me for MLS listings. It's a great place to call your first or second home.

You may also be interested in my blog about the distinction between the different cities in the Daytona Beach area. or about the city of Port Orange which is just over the bridge, on the mainland side of the Intracoastal Waterway.

New Home Owner's Association Laws

This is important information for anyone who owns real estate that is governed by deed restrictions and/or covenants and restrictions.

As of July 1 2007, during the Legislative Session, amendments were passed that changed the procedures that Home Owner's Associations must follow when collecting delinquent assessments. These changes are to the benefit of the home owners.

The new law states that before a claim of lien can be filed against a parcel owner for unpaid assessments, the real estate owner must be given written notice of the past due assessments, plus, the HOA must give another 45 day notice of it's intention of foreclosure before they can file a foreclosure lawsuit.

There is additional language in this act that says a parcel owner is liable for all unpaid assessments that came due, up until the closing, along with the previous owner.

More language of this act says that payments made will be applied

1. to any interest accrued
   
2. to any late fees
   
3. to any any reasonable attorney's fees
4. to the delinquent assessment

However, the Lender's Lobby is planning to appeal this amendment because of one more bit of verbiage. Mortgagees are also now liable to pay HOA's for all unpaid assessments due at the time of the title transfer.

This is good news for owner's of real estate in HOA governed communities, if they need additional time to get caught up on any unpaid assessments. It will be interesting to see if this amendment stands, once the Lender's Lobby makes their appeal.

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Picture Yourself Living in Port Orange Florida

As a native of the Daytona Beach & Port Orange areas, I feel especially qualified and privileged to blog about all of Volusia County. But I have chosen to make my home in Port Orange, and most of my business comes from people who want to buy or sell real estate in Port Orange. The motto for Port Orange, FL is "Unique by choice, not by chance". That's the perfect theme for this beautiful, friendly city.

Port Orange is a great place to live, since it's located just 5 miles south of Daytona Beach, FL. We have the perfect proximity to special events, but are not in the thick of things when we're ready to get away.

If you're considering buying real estate in Port Orange, we have the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway, the Atlantic Ocean and many new housing developments, as well as older homes if you like something more traditional. For real estate info, go here Move to Port Orange Florida

The schools in Port Orange are top notch. My daughter is now a senior at Spruce High School and has excelled there over the last 3 years. Prior to that she was a member of the first class to graduate from Creekside Middle School since it's doors opened in 2001.

Port Orange is a popular place to live for all ages, since we have theaters, restaurants, doctor's offices, pharmacies, banks, a hospital, churches, shopping, and even a Go-Cart track, all within close proximity to our homes. And let's not forget, unless you buy a house or condo directly on the beach, the Atlantic Ocean and I-95 are still just minutes away.

I would highly recommend Port Orange to anyone seeking Florida's warm, sunny climate and a friendly, small-town community. Visit my web site to search for local listings MLS Listings Port Orange FL

Click here if you're considering selling real estate in Port Orange

Countryside Community in Port Orange FL

This blog is about the fabulous Countryside community in Port Orange Florida. Countryside is an upscale community with a pool, clubhouse and tennis courts. I've previously blogged about the smaller communities of The Hunt Club and Steeplechase within Countryside, and I'll be blogging about the others in the future.

I've been selling houses and general real estate in this area for years and Countryside in Port Orange is one of my favorite communities. It has several lakes, it's a great location and with the different mini-communities, you have a variety of choices in the style of house you prefer.

Port Orange is located 5 miles south of Daytona Beach FL. Dunlawton Avenue is the main road that runs through Port Orange, and has direct access to I-95. The Dunlawton bridge runs to the beachside/peninsula and is a direct access point to the beach. You can enjoy a fun outing at a casual seafood restaurant under the Port Orange/Dunlawton bridge. There are several restaurants from which you can choose.

If you can picture yourself living in Port Orange Florida, visit my web site at www.PortOrangeHomeSales.com.

Driving on the beach, Daytona Beach Florida

In Daytona Beach FL, we have the privilege of driving on our beaches. How many places can boast of that? And here's an interesting bit of history: In the early years of Nascar, drag races were actually held directly on the beach. For more information on Nascar and other interesting Daytona Beach facts, read my post titled Daytona Beach Florida-Vacation and Second Home Destination. This post is also great if you're considering investing in real estate in the Daytona Beach area.

Since the early days of Nascar are long gone, and Daytona Beach has become a hot spot for family vacations, the beach speed limit on Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, and Daytona Beach Shores is now 5-10 mph, for the safety of the beach goers. Also for public safety, beach ramps are closed when the tide gets too high, or the weather too extreme. If rising tides reduce the driving lanes to less than 30 feet, the Beach Patrol will temporarily close the beach to all driving and parking, until conditions improve.

While most people recognize that driving on our beaches is a privilege, and are respectful of the rules, there are always those who don't like to abide by the rules. And for these people the Beach Patrol will issue citations. But I'm sure you're not one of these people.

If you're not familiar with the Daytona Beach area, you'll be surprised to know that Daytona Beach itself is relatively small. What most people consider to be Daytona Beach is actually several small cities in close proximity to each other. For more information on these different cities, read my post titled Daytona Beach Florida-A Comprehensive Distinction Between the Surrounding Cities.

If you're interested in moving to Daytona Beach FL, or any of the surrounding cities, visit my web site. Still need more information? Try these posts too...

• A New Daytona Beach Fun Fact
  

• Florida Fun Facts

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have.

Welcome to Daytona Beach and enjoy driving on our fabulous beaches! Just be careful not to get stuck in the sand! But if you do, there's usually a friendly "local" nearby to help you out.

Daytona Beach Florida-Home of Great Colleges. Real Estate Investors, Pay Close Attention!

Real Estate Investors, this information will apply to you! And college seekers will definitely love this topic.

Did you know that Daytona Beach Florida has some great colleges? I’m not talking about your standard, every day, run-of-the-mill colleges. I’m talking about really great colleges!

I’ll start with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This university’s aerospace engineering program is number 13 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s Best Colleges for 2007. Embry-Riddle offers over 30 bachelor and master degrees in aviation, aerospace, engineering, business and other fields, and is the only accredited, aviation-oriented university in the world.

Also according to U.S. News & World Report, coming in at number 5 on their list of America’s Best Colleges for 2007, is Stetson University. Stetson is located in DeLand FL, which is just 15 miles west of Daytona Beach. Stetson University holds Florida’s oldest private, liberal arts college on a 165 acre campus. Stetson’s student-faculty ratio is one to 21 and their 4 colleges and schools have all been ranked among the best in national college guides for various special programs and accreditations.

In the heart of Daytona Beach, you’ll find Bethune-Cookman University. Bethune-Cookman has a fascinating history as a predominantly black school that has been continuously growing and evolving since 1904, when it was founded by Mary McLeod Bethune. Bethune Cookman University offers 37 different majors, plus 6 degree-granting academic schools. But you haven't seen anything until you've seen their marching band!

Next we’ll look at Daytona Beach Community College, which is now a four-year degree granting institution. This year marked the first graduating class with Bachelor of Science degrees. DBCC also got a $26 million addition this year in the Mori Hosseini Center, a state-of-the-art hospitality and culinary training facility. The Mori Hosseini Center also houses the Southeast Museum of Photography.

I personally have taken miscellaneous classes at DBCC over the years, as different subjects sparked my interest. And last year, my daughter, as a junior in high school, participated in the Dual-Enrollment program that allowed her to take college courses while still in high school for FREE! The credits from these classes went to both her high school and her college degrees.

As a branch on the campus adjacent to DBCC, is the University of Central Florida. This UCF branch offers a variety of graduate and postgraduate degrees. It also offers several undergraduate and graduate degrees, in partnership with DBCC.

Also offering post-graduate studies in Daytona Beach, is a satellite site for Nova Southeastern University. Nova Southeastern offers masters degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Doctorates in Business Administration (DBA).

In recent years, we saw the new addition of Palmer College of Chiropractic-Florida, located in Port Orange Florida. Port Orange is part of the greater Daytona Beach area, located just 4 miles south of Daytona. Palmer Chiropractic saw it’s first graduating class in 2003. By 2006 the school had reached capacity for enrollment.

And last but not least, we have Keiser College, a career-oriented institution with 9 campuses in Florida. The Daytona Beach campus offers 11 associate and 2 bachelor degrees.

So how is this information relevant to real estate investors? The great thing about having so many colleges in one area is the opportunity to rental income on any investment properties you own. This is crucial in a down-market, when real estate is sitting on the market for long periods of time.

If you’re considering investing, now is the perfect time to buy real estate, when prices have dropped and real estate buyers are scarce. Many sellers are in need of the a sale, and smart buyers will look for ways to make extra income on their investment.

In this area, a Smart Choice would be to list your investment properties with a local agent who will not only use traditional marketing techniques, but will look beyond the obvious and target their marketing to where your next tenant may be.

Are you ready to make a Smart Choice?