Condo in Sun Village Court, New Smyrna Beach, FL Now Available

A super location in Sun Beach Club awaits you! Being so close to the no-drive beach in New Smyrna will entice you to the white sandy shores! This could be a great rental property with long term tenants in place who want to stay. The unit features cathedral ceilings, ceiling fans, inside laundry, architectural windows framing a nice view of tropical woods, loads of privacy, a deck, and is a short distance to shopping, dining, biking and trails. All appliances are included and a fireplace for the chilly winter evenings. Complex has pool and lawn. Seller will include some furniture – dining room, living room, beds, and dressers.

Maint Fee Covers: Building Insurance , Common Area , Exterior Paint , Lawn , Pest Control , Pool . Maint Fee: 315

Directions: South on I95 to SR44 to New Smyrna Bch, so on Atlantic Ave to right on Sun Village.

Contact me for a private showing. 386-679-3191, sherry@sherryarmstrong.com

Nesting Black Skimmers Prefer Daytona Beach

On Tuesday morning, a pair of the federally and state-protected birds was discovered with an egg in a nest on the beach in front of the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort.

Jennifer Winters, who oversees Volusia County's beach habitat conservation program, suspects it's the same pair of skimmers that nested here the past two years. The county had mounted a concerted effort with 14 wooden decoys to attract the birds to undeveloped dunes in Ponce Inlet, but the birds had other plans. Typically this bird nests in large colonies or groups throughout Florida and many other coastal states from New York to Texas.

The first year the birds nested in a vacant lot at Sun Splash Park in Daytona Beach, Winters said. Since the birds had moved south last year, Winters and a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alex Kropp, had hoped to entice them a little farther south this year. Instead, the birds moved more northward, and settled again in Daytona Beach.

Winters is rounding up volunteers to help protect the nest and pass out educational fliers to teach people about the skimmers. Volunteers will be needed for about six weeks. It takes up to 25 days for an egg to hatch and up to another 30 days for a chick to be able to fly on its own. According to David Hartgrove, president of the Halifax River Audubon chapter, black skimmers are not always good parents, and usually use large colonies as a form of protection for the chicks to be sheltered by the sheer numbers of birds in one area.

Environmental Management staff has cordoned off the area around the nest and will be monitoring the situation daily. They also are coordinating with state and federal wildlife officials as required by the county’s federally approved HCP which governs how the county protects sea turtles, piping plovers, nesting shorebirds, and other coastal wildlife and habitat.

Visitors to Volusia County beaches near the nest can expect to observe the parents in the vicinity of the nest, taking turns protecting the egg and skimming the water to feed on fish. If the birds appear agitated, there may be another type of bird preying nearby. People crowding too close also can disturb the birds and delay the incubation time. Onlookers should remember to keep their distance if they visit the nest area.

Resource: Volusia.org. For information about Volusia County’s Habitat Conservation Plan and efforts, visit www.volusiaseaturtles.org.

For updated beach information, please call (386) 239-SURF (7873).

We have such a variety of wildlife and beautiful habitat here in Daytona Beach, it's really a pleasure to live here. Contact me for a Daytona Beach Relocation Package so I can share our lifestyle with you, and use this link to search the Daytona Beach MLS.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
386-679-3191
sherry@sherryarmstrong.com
www.daytonabeachflhome.com
www.sherryarmstrong.com

Home for Sale in LPGA Community of Daytona Beach

I wrote earlier about the beautiful LPGA community in Daytona. Here is an example of a home for sale in the Centennial section of LPGA on the golf course, on Zaharias Circle, priced at $339,900. It is 3 bedrooms/2 baths, 2008 sq ft, has a screened pool with salt system, patio, solar heat, central air, with a formal dining room, large master with sitting area, and stucco/concrete construction. Appliances included are dishwasher, microwave, range, and refrigerator.

You can see the quality and architecture typical of golf course homes in the LPGA in the slideshow below. If you are a golf enthusiast, LPGA is the community for you. HOA is $100/quarter.

Contact me for a private showing, and visit the LPGA page on my web site for more details.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
386-679-3191
sherry@sherryarmstrong.com
http://www.daytonabeachflhome.com/

Daytona Beach part of Volusia County Purchase Plan for Foreclosed Homes

Using $5.22M in federal funds, Volusia County will begin dealing with the foreclosure crisis. The County Council June 4 approved a plan that effectively makes the county a major player in the market for homes already repossessed or abandoned.

The county received $5.22 million under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, from the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, and has 18 months to spend the funds.

Community Assistance Director Ed Jasper said, "The lion’s share of the grant — 60 percent — must be spent to buy homes in targeted areas identified by the HUD as having a high risk of foreclosure. The primary target areas are DeLand, Edgewater, Holly Hill and Orange City. Secondary target areas are DeBary, Lake Helen, Ormond Beach and South Daytona."

According to the West Volusia Beacon, here are some requirements of the program:

1. Prospective buyers in the program must qualify for assistance in the deal, and any housing purchased with the funds is subject to county approval.
2. The homes — single-family dwellings, town homes or condominiums — must be listed for sale at no more than $189,750. Prices will be determined by professional appraisals.
3. In addition, the homes must be unoccupied and owned by the lender. Jasper said the county will seek to buy the foreclosed homes at a discount, perhaps as much as 15 percent.
4. The home must have been foreclosed as a result of the sub-prime market.
5. None of the grant funds may be used to help distressed homeowners avert the loss of their homes.
6. First-time home-buyers may qualify for financial assistance based on their income in relation to the median income of the area and the price of the home. Assistance may be given to households with an income equal to 120% of the area’s median income.

To read the full article, and find out how the county will deal with repairs and resales, visit West Volusia Beacon Online.

I can help you avoid foreclosure. Contact me now if you are having trouble paying your mortgage.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
Certified Distressed Property Expert
386-679-3191
sherry@sherryarmstrong.com
http://www.daytonabeachflhome.com/
http://www.sherryarmstrong.com/

Daytona Beach Sellers Now Have More Flexibility with Freddie Mac Changes

In a move aimed at furthering the success of President Obama's Making Home Affordable Program, Freddie Mac has announced several changes to its refinance offering under the program.

Freddie Mac's Relief Refinance Mortgage is designed to assist borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments but who would benefit from refinancing into mortgages with terms that better position them for long-term homeownership.

Once these changes are available, borrowers will be able to refinance a Freddie Mac-owned or guaranteed mortgage with any lender affiliated with Freddie Mac. Previously, borrowers had to work with the lender who currently services their mortgage. In addition, to help reach more borrowers, Freddie Mac is increasing the amount of closing costs that can be rolled into the new refinance mortgage.

Freddie Mac will allow the lesser of 4 percent of the new refinance mortgage amount or $5,000 of closing costs, financing costs and prepaids/escrows to be rolled into the new refinance mortgage.

Borrowers should visit https://www.freddiemac.com/corporate/ and complete the online form to determine if Freddie Mac owns their mortgage.

Contact me if you need help with refinance programs. I'm a CDPE: Certified Distressed Property Expert - and I can help you avoid foreclosure.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
386-679-3191
sherry@sherryarmstrong.com
www.daytonabeachflhome.com
www.sherryarmstrong.com

Team wants to Broaden Reach of Marine Center in Ponce Inlet of Daytona Beach

Kent Sharples, president of Daytona State College, and Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen want to construct a second building on the Ponce Inlet Marine Center campus, where some of the center's functions could be moved and a new college environmental science program could be housed.

Their vision is to expand access to environmental learning in the area, to form a partnership that could attract more people to Volusia as students and eco-tourists, and create green jobs for the County.

Their current plan is to use a nearby location, the eight acres west of Sailfish Drive and south of Beach Street known as the Pacetta Preserve. The County Council placed the acquisition on its agenda for the June 18 meeting.

For the college, which hopes to establish an environmental science bachelor's degree by 2011, the site would give students and professors access to saltwater, brackish water and freshwater environs, as it has deep-water access to the Intracoastal Waterway, convenient for ocean-going vessels.

Sharples said he envisions forming partnerships with landlocked colleges and universities, such as Vanderbilt and Ohio State universities, where their students might spend summers doing marine science research at Daytona State College.

Contact your City Council representative to express an opinion.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
sherry@sherryarmstrong.com
http://www.daytonabeachflhome.com/

http://www.sherryarmstrong.com/

The LPGA Community of Daytona Beach

One of the most varied and spectacular communities in Daytona Beach is the LPGA, a premier upscale residential community in Daytona Beach that serves as the home of the LPGA. Actually 12 neighborhoods are built around the LPGA Golf Club, also home to the Florida Tennis Center, United States Tennis Assn, and 2 world-class golf courses.

For the avid golfer there are two 18-hole golf courses—the Champions by Rees Jones (the 1st course in the history of golf designed for women) and the Legends by Arthur Hills, plus the LPGA Golf Academy and the LPGAs National Headquarters office building. Nature trails and preserves wind around the courses.

June is Women's Golf month. There will be programs throughout the month to promote women playing golf, and the LPGA website lists the specials for ladies. Play Golf America Program is a 5 day program which will introduce new players to the game. There are summer golf lessons, leagues, a Junior Golf Summer Camp, Champion's Club, and special events eery month.

LPGA offers a state-of-the-art practice academy, 5 putting greens and chipping areas, bunkers, and a driving range. Both golf and social memberships are available, for residents to also enjoy the clubhouse and community pool.

Lionspaw is the newest community, and the only gated one. Homes range from $630,000 to over $700,000, with pools and golf course or lake frontage. HOA fees are about $160 quarterly. Some neighborhoods, such as Acclaim at Lionspaw, offer new construction, where top builders present affordable upscale homes. Others, like Lionspaw Grand, is a neighborhood where the perfectly manicured landscaping of gorgeous mansions line the fairways.

Names of other communities evoke the beauties of Florida: Opal Hill, Gray Hawk, Master Glen. Older single family houses are available starting in the $270,000s. A new home will be close to $600,000 with a pool on the golf course. Most are one story, and maintenance fees vary widely, from $90 to $420, depending on size of lot and location.

Townhomes and single family attached dwellings are also available here, priced in the low to mid-$200,000s. LPGA has it all - a home for your budget, and a style to match your life. Use the widget below to search for LPGA homes for sale, and visit the LPGA page on my web site for more information.

I can help you preview or investigate any property you find in LPGA. This is my community, my neighborhood.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
386-679-3191
sherry@sherryarmstrong.com
http://www.daytonabeachflhome.com/
http://www.sherryarmstrong.com/