RIDING

HOMEBUYERS, DESPITE EVER-SHIFTING TIDES, ARE DIVING INTO THE MARKET IN VOLUSIA COUNTY.

BY MICHAEL CANDELARIA

With a resident count of approximately 565,000 people, Volusia is the the 12th most populated county in Florida and is delineated and defined by water. The county, bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the on the west by the St. Johns River, covers 1,200 square miles and includes 16 municipalities as well as some of the most scenic landscapes in the Southeast.

That much is well known to many locals and visitors alike. But did you know this about Volusia? Just prior to the calendar turning to 2023 — while higher home prices, dwindling inventories and rising mortgage rates continued to stall the sales of existing homes — builders of new homes were busy.

Consider that in July 2022 there were 888 housing starts in the county, an increase of 73 percent from the same month in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

By October, although the 478 housing permits pulled were roughly the same as in October 2021, the year-todate total was 7,523 compared to 4,776 during the same time the previous year. That’s because in late 2021 permitting activity sped up substantially — and the momentum hasn’t stopped.

One of the reasons can be found in neighboring Seminole County. Development there is beginning to slow, as revealed by the Seminole County Office of Economic Development and Tourism. Seminole, for decades a regional growth hot spot, is slowly but steadily running out of developable land.

At the same time, traffic at Orlando Sanford International Airport — just across the county line from Volusia — is now back to its pre-pandemic totals of some 3.5 million passengers annually.

In addition, airport expansion has recently been completed — which has helped spark new commercial and residential development in adjacent Volusia. Daytona Beach International Airport is doing its part for county homebuilders, too. Approximately 750,000 passengers are accommodated annually at the airport that serves the iconic beach town.

Even rising mortgage interest rates aren’t likely to deter builders in Volusia by virtue of the many all-cash homes sales coming from retirees, who continue to arrive in droves. The same goes for rising impact fees, which are paid by developers for such needs as education and infrastructure but are generally passed along to buyers.

In November, for example — for the first time since 2013 — the Volusia County School Board approved an increase to the amount developers pay the district per residential unit. But it’s not expected to pause homebuilding, which industry experts say will continue apace.

There’s one possible exception to all of this positive building news in Volusia. In October, following the wrath of Hurricane Ian, word surfaced that the Volusia County Council might consider a moratorium on new building and development moratorium in unincorporated areas of the county.

At last check, though, it was still only talk.

Who And Where

Which Volusia builders are the busiest? During 2022, Minto Communities topped the list, according to permitting activity recorded at the Volusia County Clerk of Court, followed by D.R. Horton, Lennar Corp., Pulte Group, NVR Corp., KB Home, Meritage Homes and ICI Homes.

Where are they building? For starters, look no further than Daytona Beach’s active-adult community Latitude Margaritaville, which is among the nation’s best-selling master-planned projects.

The 3,400-home community with the beachy, laid-back vibe is part of a $1 billion mixed-use development that got underway in 2017. It’s a collaboration effort between Minto and the flagship business enterprise of popular entertainer (and entrepreneur) Jimmy Buffett, who’s obviously not wasting away anywhere regardless of what the song says.

Latitude Margaritaville offers cottages, villas and single-family homes that are priced from the $200s, along with resort-style amenities and an active lifestyle for residents.

Its most recent residential offerings include cottages that range in size from 1,204 to 1,466 square feet and are priced starting at $217,900; villas that range in size from 1,503 to 1,862 square feet and are priced starting at $261,990; and single-family homes that range in size from 1,684 to 2,564 square feet and are priced starting at $306,990.

Not far away — or a short drive down the fairway — Daytona Beach’s LPGA corridor is also especially vibrant. There, two infill neighborhoods that encompass more than 450 single-family homes with golf-course frontage are being marketed by Meritage Homes.

The builder also has two noteworthy developments in New Smyrna Beach: Sarinna Lakes and The Palms at Venetian Bay, where homes are priced starting at roughly $300,000.

In addition, master-planned Mosaic remains strong, with ICI Homes targeting buyers who are young and young at heart with plentiful social spaces and energy-efficient “smart” homes.

Mosaic amenities include gathering spots such as a boardwalk at the lake, a club pool, a fitness center and a fire pit as well as trails, pocket parks, a playground, a community garden and an amphitheater.

In all, approximately 1,200 completely customizable homes are planned for the next few years. They’ll measure 1,650 to 2,750 square feet in size and are currently priced from the $500s.

Not to be neglected, file Daytona Beach Avalon Park under “coming soon.” According to Stephanie Lerret, a spokesperson at Avalon Park Group: “We don’t have a groundbreaking set yet, but we’re planning for a 2023 date.”

At buildout, Daytona Beach Avalon Park will encompass more than 1,100 homes amid 15 acres of parks, walking paths and open green space. There’ll also be a boardwalk, ballfields, pocket parks, dog parks, a resort-style pool, an athletic center, a community center, a pedestrian trail and lakes.

The development, which will cover more than 3,000 acres on State Road 40, will follow a New Urbanist theme that blends residential, educational, recreational and commercial amenities. The setting will mirror sister communities in east Orlando, Wesley Chapel (near Tampa) and Tavares in Lake County.

Finally, one other bit of county news — among many oth- er housing highlights — comes from Pulte Homes. In DeLand, Pulte’s plans are much smaller in scope than Avalon Park but they’re nonetheless significant. That’s because Pulte hasn’t turned a shovel of dirt in Volusia for a decade. Now, 36-acre Canopy Terrace is in preconstruction sales with single-family homes priced from $314,990. One selling point: It’s just a mile from I-4.

The homes, in a collection consisting of nine designs, will range in size from 1,580 to 2,894 square feet with three to five bedrooms. Community amenities will include a pool with a cabana, a playground and wooded walking trails along with a variety of smart-home technologies.

Pulte is touting DeLand’s conveniences, including shopping centers near U.S. Highway 17-92 and the city’s historic and charming downtown, which is anchored by Stetson University. Other builders are also sold on the picture-postcard city. In early 2022, the DeLand City Commission approved several projects for development — the largest of which, Trinity Gardens, spans 184 acres that will encompass 425 single-family homes and 118 townhomes.

How hot is DeLand? The city, with a population of 37,764 at last count, has more than a dozen communities in active construction.

Volusia Communities At A Glance

Daytona Beach

At Eagle Crest, Ryan Homes offers 139 homesites in a private natural setting surrounded by conservation areas with water views and walking trails, among other amenities. Single-family homes are priced from $340,990 to $419,990 and range in size from 1,501 to 2,748 square feet. One example is the Windermere, which features four bedrooms and 2.5 baths and is priced starting at $389,990.

The first floor provides versatile flex space that can be used as a study or a main-level bedroom. Upstairs, three bedrooms and a full bath offer privacy while a loft adds extra entertainment space. A deluxe owner’s suite includes double vanities, a seated shower and a walk-in closet. A large family room, an island kitchen and a lanai are other components.

The Preserve at LPGA, as the name implies, is a master-planned community by Lennar that’s surrounded by wetland preserves and consists of two distinct design collections.

The Legacy Collection offers single-family homes priced from $315,490 to $418,360 that range in size from 1,444 to 2,575 square feet. The collection has 12 home plans.

The Grand Collection, which encompasses seven plans, offers homes priced from $323,690 to $448,630 that range in size from 1,313 to 2,896 square feet. Aside from the pockets of wetland preserves, there’s an onsite swimming pool plus a playground.

DeBary

Multiple builders, including M/I Homes, are active in Rivington, which is located one mile from the DeBary SunRail Station and is near the crossroads to I-4, S.R. 417 and U.S. Highway 17-92.

M/I offers 10 floorplans in two design series that range in size from 1,857 to 3,610 square feet with three to six bedrooms. The homes are priced from $394,990 to $701,580.

The Cottage Collection, with a traditional front garage, has a covered lanai, formal living and dining rooms, a flex room and a loft. The Avenue Collection, with alley-loaded garage plans (including one with a detached garage), is designed for living at the front of the home.

All of M/I’s homes in Rivington boast pleasing exteriors with welcoming front porches, added texture with stone and shaker-shingle accents or fun pops of color on shutters and front doors.

Community amenities include a park, a playground, a pool, trails, a greenbelt and a pond.

Spring Walk at The Junction, billed as “coming soon” by Landsea Homes, is another community that will take advantage of SunRail access and adjacency to I-4.

The community will feature a variety of thoughtful single-family floorplans that will range in size from 1,815 to 2,548 square feet. And outdoor recreational opportunities will be plentiful, with a variety of multiuse trails including Cross Florida, River-to-Sea Loop and Spring-to-Spring Trail with Gemini Springs Park right next door.

As of late 2022, home prices weren’t yet listed.

Deltona

Daytona Park Estates, a community by Maronda Homes, offers single-family homes priced from $278,990 to $336,990 that range in size from 1,272 to 2,114 square feet.

There are six floorplans from which to choose, including the Danbury, which, as the largest option, boasts four bedrooms and 2.5 baths with a kitchen, a dining room, a great room and flex space as well as a two-car garage.

Hampton Oaks, by Ashton Woods, is offering 19 floorplans priced from $355,990 to $542,990 that range in size from 1,637 to 3,897 square feet.

The three-bedroom, two-bath Reef plan, for example, is the smallest and includes dining and living rooms, walk-in closets, an extended uncovered back patio with French doors and professionally curated interior design palettes from The Ashton Woods Collections.

DeLand

The Reserve at Victoria, by Kolter Homes, is a gated community that offers single-family homes priced from $397,990 to $579,990 that range in size from 1,668 to 2,289 square feet.

An all-new collection of floorplans is designed with “optimal flexibility,” according to the builder. As one example, the three-bedroom, two-bath Julia plan — at 2,481 square feet and priced starting at $420,990 — has structural options that include three different exteriors and second-floor bonus room variations.

Community amenities include multiple parks, roundabouts and a complex consisting of a pool, a fitness center, pickleball courts and a playground. Buyers can also select upgraded landscaping and a controlled maintenance program. Paytas Homes is also a builder at The Reserve at Victoria.

Mattamy Homes’ Addison Landing is an intimate enclave of 83 homesites — from 55 to 85 feet wide — intended for architecturally diverse single-family homes that range in size from 1,894 to 3,529 square feet. Floorplans encompass from three to six bedrooms and homes are priced ranging from $329,990 to $551,177.

Spring Walk at The Junction (above) by Landsea Homes, coming soon to Debary, will feature thoughtful single-family floorplans and an array of recreational opportunities. Daytona Park Estates (below), a Maronda Homes community in DeLand, offers single-family homes priced from $278,990 to $336,990 that range in size from 1,272 to 2,114 square feet.

The Cascades plan, for example, is part of Mattamy’s Spirit 40 Series. At 1,894 square feet, it offers a thoughtful design with three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage.

A walk-in pantry enhances the open, flowing space and connectedness of the kitchen and dining area. The owner’s suite has a large walk-in closet. It’s priced at $371,517.

Edgewater

The quaint city of Edgewater isn’t particularly well known. Nestled alongside the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon, it provides a small-town feel to residents plus 150 acres of parks, river frontage and, of course, the Intracoastal Waterway.

That’s where you’ll find Majestic Oaks, by Lennar, an all-solar community of homes priced from $293,589 to $408,499 that range in size from 1,555 to 2,584 square feet.

The community delivers easy access to both sandy beaches along the Atlantic Coast and major thoroughfares such as U.S. Highway 1 and I-95.

There are multiple floorplans from which to choose, including the 1,817-square-foot Harrisburg, which features four bedrooms, three baths, an open kitchen, a dining room, a family room and an owner’s suite. Community amenities include a dog park.

Manor Estates, an elegant community by Maronda Homes, is a secluded project of large lots that features two design series, the Americana and Renaissance. Homes range in size from 1,856 to 4,767 square feet and are priced from $379,990 to $604,990.

The largest plan is the two-story Verona, part of the Renaissance Series, with 4,767 square feet and a choice of six or seven bedrooms and 5.5 or 6.5 bathrooms. There’s a conventional porch in the front and an exclusive lanai in the back.

The master bedroom and bath are on the first floor alongside a spacious great room, a dining room and a kitchen.

New Smyrna Beach

The Portofino Reserve at Venetian Bay, a gated community by Paytas Homes that exudes a country club lifestyle, offers single-family homes that range in size from 2,225 to 4,639 square feet and are priced from $508,000 to $659,900.

One example is the Barcelona III, at 2,457 square feet, which has three bedrooms, three baths and a two-car garage and is priced from $526,000.

Homes feature spectacular views of the championship golf course, lakes and conservation areas — and each home is located near the Venetian Bay Town Center.

Ormond Beach

Landsea Homes’ Bulow Creek Preserve — with homes priced from $469,990 to $559,990 — offers three or four bedrooms, two or three baths and range from 1,949 to 2,607 square feet.

For example, the 2,287-square-foot Begonia model, with three bedrroms and three bathrooms, is priced from $549,990. It features an open kitchen, dining nook and family room as well as a covered back porch.

Nestled next to Bulow Creek State Park and close to downtown

Ormond Beach, the community also touts its championship golf course, fine dining, tennis, swimming and a fitness center.

Maronda Homes’ Huntington Green is a 55-plus community with an accent on active living is located within 5,500-acre master-planned Hunters Ridge, which contains a 2,200-acre nature preserve with trails for riding and hiking and lakes for fishing.

A community center, pools, sports courts and a clubhouse round out the amenities. As for the homes, they’re priced from 363,990 to $392,990 and range in size from 1,443 to 2,151 square feet.

Port Orange

Woodhaven, a gated community by ICI Homes, features low-maintenance one- and two-story luxury townhomes and single-family homes that range in size from slightly more than 1,500 to nearly 3,500 square feet and are priced from $373,900 to $867,845.

A playground, a pool and cabana, a clubhouse and a tot lot highlight the community’s amenities. One example is the four-bedroom, three-bath Arden plan, which encompasses 2,402 square feet.

Among the attractions are an especially open floor plan with a spacious gourmet kitchen and dining area; a master suite with a luxurious bath and a large double-entry walk-in closet; and living areas that allow for entertainment and conversations to continue throughout each room. n

volusia County At a Glance

Land Area: 1,103 square miles

Population: 555,000

2010-2020 Population Growth: 14%

2025 Projected Population Growth: 573,800

Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes): 25.9

Mean Household Income: $49,494

Education: Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 23.7%

Geographically, Volusia County sits 50 miles northeast of Orlando, between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. But these days, in a region where the growth is pushing outward in all four directions, geography doesn’t mean as much as it once did.

Indeed, as metro Orlando spreads north and east along Interstate 4 through Seminole County, west Volusia is directly in growth’s path.

Today the area, once identified almost exclusively with Daytona Beach (population 72,600), is emerging as a suburb of Orlando. For example, with 96,000 residents, Deltona has long since surpassed Daytona Beach as the largest municipality in the county. It has seen monumental growth since 1980.

Much of the activity is spurred by commercial development along the High-Tech Corridor, which runs the length of Interstate 4 between Tampa and Daytona Beach.

In addition, the widening of the Interstate 4/St. Johns River Bridge alleviated one of the region’s most annoying traffic bottlenecks, making the western portion of Volusia an easy 30-minute commute to downtown Orlando.

Buyers have discovered the impressive stock of historic homes west of downtown DeLand (population 37,700), which is clearly one of the coolest small towns in Florida.

The quaint downtown district, which is on the National

Register of Historic Places, is thick with eateries and antique shops. And stately Stetson University, which has been located here since 1883, adds an air of permanence.

Meanwhile, tiny Lake Helen (population 2,800) is holding its breath as Victoria Park adds 4,000 homes and 10,000 residents right near the city’s border. The rural enclave is expected to grow nearly 20 percent by 2025.

Those interested in more natural settings, plus an unusual lunch, may head north on U.S. 17 to De León Springs State Park, where you can cook your own pancakes at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill and then paddle a canoe through the wilderness.

In the winter, manatees seeking warmer water can be seen lolling around at Blue Springs State Park. In the summer, humans seeking relief plunge into the same bubbling blue oasis.

Many of the changes in Volusia County involve Daytona Beach, especially around Interstate 95 and LPGA Boulevard.

Five or six years ago, big stories included the arrival of a Trader Joe’s distribution center, the opening of Tanger Outlets Mall and the Tomoka Town Center, and the completion of a new headquarters site for TopBuild Corp., a Fortune 1000 company.

Then came more retail, restaurants, apartment complexes and the massive live/work/play communities of Mosaic and Latitude Margaritaville.

Leading Employers

AdventHealth System

Halifax Hospital System

Publix Supermarkets

Walmart Associates Inc.

Stetson University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Florida Healthcare Plans

Sykes Communications

Winn Dixie Supermarkets

Brunswick Corp.

D.R Horton & Express

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D.R. Horton is an Equal Housing Opportunity Builder. *Home and community information, including pricing, included features, terms, availability and amenities, are subject to change and prior sale at any time without notice or obligation. Pictures, photographs, features, colors and sizes are approximate for illustration purposes only and will vary from the homes as built. ^Square footage dimensions are approximate. Certified Builder Contractor License # CBC1265174