FLORIDA’S PREMIER COMMUNITY
February 2016
Meet Your Neighbors, The Coudray Family Photo by Christina Dalton
A publication of Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC
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February 2016
from the
Bill Bokunic Publisher & CEO Quantum Marketing Communications 321.3.31.6398 Bill@QMCWorld.com
Publisher Happy February! Coming soon: Harmony Life Magazine has partnered with the Harmony HROA to provide residents with additional community information and updates. Many thanks to the HROA Board and Rose Meister for making this happen! Look for this information in the center of the magazine, hopefully starting in March. This is a shout-out to the Harmony Resident advertisers--they in part help bring the magazine to you! Jeanine Corcoran, The Corcoran Connection Rick and Joe, Victor Russel Hair Salon Steve Mullins, Financial Planner, Primerica Life Church Harmony Community Church David Dalton, Triple Palm Lawn Care Linda Meisner, Meisner Cruise and Travel Catherine Rahm Coudray, Coudray Acupuncture Efrain Rodriguez, I Repair PC’s Please welcome and support our new advertisers: Trustco Bank and Mortgage Dependable Water solutions We are also expanding and hiring. We are looking for part time sales and graphics help. Email me directly bill@QMCWorld.com Thank you for supporting us! Bill Bokunic
Contact Info For Residents
CDD:
www.harmonycdd.org, 407-566-1935, BRIGHTHOUSE CABLE / INTERNET: Steve, Ray, Mark, Kerul or David@Harmonycdd.org CENTURY LINK CABLE / INTERNET: SHERIFF NON-EMERGENCY: 407-348-2222 OUC ELECTRIC: HROA:
First Services Residential at 866-378-1099 or FSResidential.com
CONDOS HOA:
Sentry Management, 407-846-6323
TOWNHOMES HOA:
TITAN Management, 407-705-2190
HARMONY DEVELOPER OFFICE: 407-891-8358 or www.HarmonyFL.com
877-892-3279 866-314-4148 407-957-7373
WASTE MANAGEMENT TRASH PICKUP:
407-843-7370
OSCEOLA COUNTY:
www.osceola.org “Citizen Action Center”
COUNTY COMMISSIONER FRED HAWKINS: fhaw@osceola.org
4
Meet Your Neighbors: The Coudray Family
Dr. Catherine Coudray Lic Ap. Dipl Ap. I have three citizenships: Swedish by birth; French by marriage; and American since 2001. I am fluent three languages so don’t hesitate to speak to me in Swedish or French. I’m married to Laurent Coudray, airline captain for a major airline. Our son, Anders, is 24 and a college student here in central Florida. Our daughter, Manon, is a sophomore at Harmony High school. As a family, we love cats and own one horse, Miss Kelos Twist. She is a 14 year old Quarter horse that we board at Diamond P. Equestrian Center. We moved to Harmony 2012 from Oviedo in Seminole County, and we live on Harmony Sq. Dr S. We moved to Harmony primarily because of the community being so friendly; they promote the peaceful coexistence between nature and animals, striking a balance between the preservation, use, and enjoyment of Harmony’s natural land. We also appreciate the sense of protection of wildlife and the sensibly nearby schools that are within walking distance. It all reminds me of how I grew up in Sweden-- we lived close to all amenities and where a true community can evolve. It takes a village to raise a child and I do feel we as parents do care for our neighbors. About the only thing I miss are the colors of autumn and winter skiing--that’s when we take a family vacation to our Colorado retreat. My children’s favorite activities are canoeing and boating at Buck Lake. We enjoy the water and the wildlife. They also enjoy the HHS marching band. Our children are both interested in musical and arts performance; the marching band during football season is a highlight for us all. I moved to Central Florida the late 80s, and have lived in Orland, Altamonte Springs,
Winter Springs, Oviedo and now Harmony--by far the best place to reside. I moved from Sweden to participate in an exchange program for clinical dietitians, my original occupation until 1997 when I became a doctor of acupuncture and herbal medicine. I truly enjoyed working in trauma care and critical care, although the quest to have my doctorate in Acupuncture and herbal medicine was still a goal of mine. I achieved it in 1997. I have had my own private practice since then, with offices in various locations--including Brevard--and today my latest clinic is here in Harmony. I do invite you’ll to stop by and say hello! I’d be very happy to talk about acupuncture, herbals and the healing art of oriental medicine. I am scheduling monthly seminars at various locations including Grand Daddy’s and Champions Grill. Please find the latest updates at www.coudrayacupuncture.com I enjoying riding horses locally, and am competitive in equestrian sports. On weekends we often take our horse and horse trailer and enjoy the outdoors together. I’m also involved as a board member of the Nature and Conservancy committee. It’s a rewarding experience and I look forward to having a voice in restoring some of the wild flower beds, preserving our native Florida landscape and habitat. Though I read mostly medical journals—including acupuncture publications—I also enjoy films. I’m a fan of James Bond and have all of the movies on DVD. Equine-themed movies are also of interest to me, including my all-time favorite, “Secretariat.” While I prefer reading a book, occasional I’ll watch Gray’s Anatomy. My family and I love Harmony, and I look forward to expanding our acupuncture clinic here!
5
Real Estate Investing 101 by Jeanine Corcoran
Today, there are many different ways to invest your money. Some investments include certificates of deposit, bonds, annuities, mutual funds and gold. When looking at all of your options, consider real estate as THE one option that has historically given a good return on your money. Here are some tips for real estate investing. Be Prepared Financially. Investors need enough cash to put a sizable 20% down payment if financing. An emergency fund will be needed for maintenance expenses and for times of vacancy and any other surprises that might arise.
short-term? A long-term investment usually means you will put a tenant in the property for at least five years. A short-term investment can be as short as three months if there is equity to flip the property. Find a Reliable Realtor. Find a trustworthy and reliable Realtor to help you understand the local market. This will be your best resource to help you find the right investment for you.
Investing in real estate can be scary if you don’t know what you are doing. Be prepared financially, do your research, know your location Do Your Research. Know everything about the community you and goals and most of all, find a reliable Realtor to help you navigate are purchasing in. Is there room for growth? What are the possible through the process. If you do all of this, the scary goes away and it changes that might be coming to the area that could affect property is replaced with excitement and financial gratification. values? Jeanine Corcoran is the Broker and Owner of The Corcoran Connection, LLC – Know Your Location. Is the property located in a desirable area? A A Real Estate and Property Management Company. Jeanine has been helping families with their Real Estate needs since 2005. Jeanine is Barbara Corcoran’s desirable area would have job growth and conveniences such as sister from ABC’s SHARK TANK. Jeanine can be reached at 407.922.3308, email grocery stores, gas stations and shopping centers. her at JeanineCorcoran@gmail.com, or visit TheCorcoranConnection.com. Know Your Goals. Will your investment be long-term or
7
Discovering a Health Savings Account by Jason Flowers MBA, CFA, EA
A health savings account (HSA) is a “tax advantaged” health savings account that is used in conjunction with a “high-deductible” health plan (HDHP). An HSA provides a useful way to save money for co-payments, deductibles, and qualified medical expenses. An HSA is “tax-advantaged” because contributions to the plan may be made with pre-tax dollars. Contributions made with after-tax dollars may be deducted from gross income on your tax return. Contributions are allowed to be made by yourself, your employer, a relative and anyone else who wants to add to your HSA. A “high-deductible” health plan (HDHP) is a health insurance plan where minimum deductibles are $1,300 for individuals or $2,600 for family plans. HDHP are intended to provide insurance at a lower cost via lower premiums, but place the insured at risk of paying a higher deductible in the event of incurring significant medical expenses. Money contributed to an HSA may be invested in stocks and other financial instruments. Earnings in an HSA grow tax free. Withdrawals from an HSA are tax-free when used on qualified medical expenses. Withdrawals for non-qualifying medical expenses are
subject to federal income tax. An additional 20% penalty exists for withdrawals made prior to age 65 when used for non-qualified medical expenses. Funds invested in an HSA are portable if your employment status or health insurance changes. The IRS limits annual contribution to an HSA. In 2015, an individual plan is limited to contributions of $3,350 while a family plan is allowed a maximum of $6,650. In 2016, contributions to an HSA for a family plan were raised to $6,750, while individual plans remained unchanged. An additional “catch-up” contribution of $1,000 is allowed for either type of plan when over the age of 55. A HSA can be a great choice for people who wish to limit their upfront healthcare costs while saving for future expenses. HSAs aren't ideal for everyone. If having a high deductible seems too risky or if you anticipate having significant healthcare expenses a plan with a lower deductible and lower co-pays might make more sense. Before making any decisions, it’s always a good idea to compare your options and take a close look at the cost elements associated with the different options. And remember, always keep good records with regards to use of HSA funds.
9
Do You Need More Life Insurance? by Steve Mullins, Investment Adviser, Primerica
As your family reaches certain milestones, chances are you need to adjust your coverage. Check out these three instances where you may need to modify your life insurance coverage.
est because you’re supporting a young family. Most financial experts recommend purchasing a policy of at least seven to 10 times your gross income (more if you have more kids and your expenses are on the rise).
#1 Someone depends on you financially. If you’re married without children, you may need coverage if your spouse relies on your income to help pay the mortgage and other bills. If you have kids, you really need life insurance. And most people don’t have enough.
#3 Every five years.
Many financial experts recommend reviewing your life insurance needs every five years and whenever you have a major life change, such as the birth of another child, starting a new job or taking out a bigger mortgage. Even after your kids are on their own, financial experts recommend keeping some #2 You have small children. This is when you need the greatest amount of life insurance as long as you’re working to help your insurance. When you’re young, your needs are great- spouse pay the bills and save for retirement.
Steve brings Wall Street to Main Street Americans living paycheck to paycheck; to the most savvy of investors; and every one in between. Steve teaches people how to: • Get out of debt • Save money • Send their children to college • Obtain proper protection • Prepare for retirement
While: • Reducing their stress level • Improving their quality of life • Helping them enjoy life
independent
Steve A Mullins, Harmony Resident Investment Adviser Primerica 1301 Bedford Dr. Ste. 102 Melbourne, Florida 32940 407-738-7479 steveamullins@primerica.com www.primerica.com/steveamullins
Primerica Named to Top 50
He starts with a FREE Financial Needs Analysis, a very basic questionnaire he can complete in 20 minutes. It asks all the right questions to help cial future. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how motivated are you to accomplish some or all of the things above? If Steve can put together a plan that helps you accomplish some or all of those things, are you ready to get started? Steve takes an educational approach, and he
© 2015, Forbes Media LLC. Used with permission.
11
Did You Know? by Kerul Kassel PHD Harmony CDD Board Member
DID YOU KNOW that Harmony was designed to promote the peaceful coexistence of human and animal residents within the community while striking a balance between the preservation, use and enjoyment of Harmony's natural areas? Underlying these objectives are the values of fostering a respect for the land, the protection of wildlife and the sensible use and enjoyment of Harmony's abundant natural and manmade amenities by its residents. And did you know that in that thick book you were supposed to get when you moved in, otherwise known as your Harmony Residential Owners Association Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (even the name of the document is thick!) there is an important sub-document named Exhibit F that sets out policies and guidelines that are intended to uphold those green values? Exhibit F creates a committee called the Harmony Companion Animal, Habitat, and Wildlife Committee (that’s a mouthful, too!), which was supposed to educate residents about the guidelines and to enforce quite a few restrictions detailed in the document. Unfortunately, many of the restrictions laid out in Exhibit F are actually supposed to be enforced by other agencies (federal, state, and regional government, Fish and Wildlife, and others). It’s pretty unworkable as written. The HCAHWC had been dormant for several years for that reason, but some residents
(including yours truly) revived it in October 2014 when Harmony’s Conservation Director position was ended and it was time for residents to step up their game. While the HROA board voted last year to dissolve the HCAHWC as a solution to the problems of enforcement of Exhibit F’s restrictions, that didn’t solve the issue of how to educate residents or to find ways to ensure the community's policies were upheld. Prior to the board dissolving it, the members of the HCAHWC had already been hard at work revising Exhibit F into a much more workable document. Meanwhile, the HROA created the Nature and Animal Committee as an educational body (NAC is much more manageable!) which has taken over the HCAHWC’s efforts. Now the NAC wants to know if residents support these changes to Exhibit F they've been working on. The restrictions are about not feeding, harming, or killing wildlife, the use of harmful pollutants and toxic materials, the planting of invasive plants, fire prevention, dark sky lighting, and management of our pets. We are proposing that it will now be up to residents to document violations of the restrictions, and role of the NAC in relation to these restrictions would be to help ensure that any violations are adequately documented before handing over the documentation to the HROA for enforcement efforts. Please share your thoughts! You can request the documents, both the old one and the new one) from me at kerul@me.com, or find them on Harmony’s Nextdoor site ([http://www.nextdoor.com)]www.nextdoor.com) and on the various Harmony Facebook pages. Please offer your thoughts, which the NAC will compile and use to revise the document and/or bring to the attention of HROA.
Harmony Calendar of Activities February 2016 Zumba: Monday and Thursday starting at 6:30 pm (Harmony Community School) $5 per class Or $20 for a 5 CLASS ZUMBA CARD Yoga: On Hold until the end of winter season Date: Friday February 5th Time: 9:30 am Event: Toddler Story Time Location: Nature's Table Date: Wednesday February 3rd Time: 4:30 pm Event: Kids Garden event Location: Harmony Garden Details: All the kids of Harmony come down to the Garden and check on our Strawberry crops! Light refreshments provided! Please bring gloves, bug spray, and sunglasses! Please RSVP: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/3Vf5rBf04ibDakvd6d7WL Date: Sunday February 7th Time: 3pm with kick off starting at 6:30 pm Event: Super Bowl Location: Champions Grill Details: Combined effort with Champions for this event (The Social Committee will be giving the prizes for the winners of the Harmony football pool.) Date: Saturday February 13th Time: 9:15 am Event: Hikes Location: Billie's Trail Details: please make sure to bring a water Date: Sunday February 14th Time: 5 - 8 pm Event: Romantic Valentine's Day dinner for two Location: The Harmony Courtyard Details: Combined effort with Champions for this event $80.00 per couple (Cupid's photo booth sponsored by the Social Committee) Date: Tuesday February 16th Time: 6:30 pm Event: Book Club meeting Location: at Elizabeth's home Details: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger you may purchase this book @ http://smile.amazon.com/dp/1451645856 More Info: https://sites.google.com/site/harmonybookclub/announcements
13
What Does Harmony Mean To You??
by Steve Berube, Member Advisory Committee, Harmony Residential Owners Association
As some of you know, I am the Chairman of the Harmony Community Development District (CDD) and I also chair the Member Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Harmony Residential Owners Association (HROA). So, frequently I have to think about what Harmony is about now, what Harmony was and perhaps most importantly, what Harmony may be in the future. So, I know what Harmony means to me, and I know that folks who sit on these Boards with me have their own thoughts on what Harmony means to them. But, we rarely know what Harmony means to you. This article is being written on the morning after a CDD meeting which drew no residents which is just a bit unusual even though it is rare that more than a dozen residents attend. Routine MAC and HROA Board meetings attract similarly low numbers of residents as well. One can presume that people are happy and therefore don’t turn out to complain or otherwise voice their opinions. Or, perhaps folks don’t want to sit through boring routine business only to be limited to a few minutes to speak. Or, perhaps people are simply busy with other more important aspects of their lives. All of the above are fine reasons to explain low turnouts and I’m sure there are any number of other reasons as well. But, meeting attendance is not the point of this. Rather, I’d like to remind you that all of the folks involved in the Boards welcome your opinions as to what Harmony is and where it’s going. What do you like? What do you not like? What does
Harmony need in the future: another pool? More playground equipment? More shade? A community center? Different boats? The list is endless and your input over the years has produced things like the Community Garden, Commercial Vehicle Parking area, Nature Trails, a wide-ranging and ever-changing system of Activities, shade structures on play equipment and on and on. So, as Harmony grows and obviously evolves into something different due to that growth, it becomes more important to voice your opinion so that no one loses sight of what Harmony needs to be so we can maintain the stunning growth going on now, but more importantly, to maintain and improve the high quality of life that drew many of us here to begin with. How do you voice your opinion? Well, there are a variety of ways. Facebook has become a very active forum for exchanging opinions. And in today’s world it seems that email has become many folks preferred method of communication so for MAC/HROA related concerns please contact myself at spberube@earthlink.net, Carl Fsadni @ cfsadni@cfl.rr.com, or Eva Horner at eva.horner@yahoo.com. You can also contact the HROA Property Manager, Rose Meister, at Rose.Meister@fsresidential.com. For CDD related concerns, you can contact David,Kerul,Mark,Ray or Steve @harmonycdd.org. Or, you can reach the CDD Manager at admin@harmonycdd.org. Your opinions, concerns and ideas do count so please take a few minutes any time you have something to say. I can promise that we are all interested and will listen. Not every idea will be adopted but everything starts somewhere so help us know what is needed so we don’t have to operate in a vacuum. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next month.
Quick Reference Directory ACCOUNTANTS Larry Herring CPA, PA 611 N. Wym ore Rd Winter Park, Florida 32789 407-647-7777 www.herringcpa.com ACUPUNCTURE Catherine Coudray Tuesday -Friday (Saturdays by appointments only) 9 am-5pm 7262 Harmony Sq. Dr South Harmony Fl, 34773 321-303-5240 ADVERTISING AND MAGAZINES Harmony and Eagle Creek Life Magazines Bill Bokunic 321-331-6398 Bill@QMWWorld.com www.QMCWorld.com AIR-CONDITION SERVICES Eric Farnsworth *Harmony resident* 407-921-0760 ELFarnsworth@live.com BANK Trustco Bank 1525 E Osceola Pkwy (407) 932-0398 CARPET CLEANING Best Care Carpet Cleaning 407-891-9635 CHURCH’S Harmony Community Church Meeting 10am Sundays at Harmony High School (844) 444-FBCH http://www.harmonycommunity.church Life Church 10:10 am Sundays at Narcoossee Middle School www.lifechurchcfl.com COMPUTER REPAIR I Repair PCS Efrain RODRIGUEZ 773-865-2697 WWW.IREPAIRPCS.NET efraincfd@gmail.com DJ SERVICES HPE House Party Entertainment 407-738-3409 FINANCIAL PLANNING & INVESTING Steve A Mullins *Harmony resident* Primerica 1301 Bedford Dr Ste 102 Melbourne, Florida 407-738-7479 stevamullins@primerica.com Edward Jones Kerry L. Scott 4725 Old Canoe Creek Rd. Saint Cloud, Florida 34769 407-498-0417 GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN Energy Graphics Shannon Danford 407-267-6300 www.energy-graphics.com
GYM Anytime Fitness 3380 Canoe Creek Rd. Saint Cloud, Florida 34772 407-891-9111 www.Anytimefitness.com HANDYMAN The Good News Handyman Rick Wade 407-468-1352 HAIR Victor Russell Salon *Harmony Resident* 105 East 13th Street Saint Cloud, Florida 407-892-1005 www.victorrussell.com
Acupuncture has arrived in Harmony Now a limited offer take 20% off your first acupuncture visit (must present this ad at the time of visit) Usual cost $75.00/treatment, We accept health insurance, by appointments and/or Walk-ins are Welcome Monday-Friday 10am-5pm (Saturdays by appointment only) 7262 Harmony Sq. Dr South, Harmony At The Evolution Spa Call 321-303-5240 or book your appointment on line www.coudrayacupuncture.com
Catherine R. Coudray Lic Ap, Dipl AC, OMD
Hospital Health First-Holmes Regional Health Care 1350 South Hickory Street Melbourne, Florida 32901 321-434-7000 HOUSE CLEANING Neat & Shinny 407-334-5614 www.neatnshiny.com INSURANCE Farm Bureau Michael Long 407-847-5189 www.floridafarmbureau.com Kocher Insurance, LLC 1312 Illinois Ave, Suite H Saint Cloud, Florida 37769 407-957-1918 www.Kocherinsurance.com LAWN CARE Triple Palm Lawns *Harmony Resident* 407-957-3489 Triplepalmlawn@aim.com MORTGAGE Trustco Bank SARAH NEAR - BRANCH MANAGER REBECA ESCOTE - ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGER Gateway Commons 1525 E Osceola Pkwy ste.120 Kissimmee Fl 34744 (407) 932-0398 MOVIE THEATERS Cinema World East of 95. On 192 next to Sam’s club. Melbourne, FL CWTheaterts.com ORTHODONIST Lake Nona Orthodontic Dr. Lach 13832 Narcoossee Rd. Suite B101 Orlando, Florida 32827 407-359-1960 PEST CONTROL Luv-A-Lawn & Pest Control 407-908-9139 PHOTOGRAPHER Amanda Yachmetz Photography 813-842-6473
Amandayachmetzphotography.com
http://www.thecorcoranconnection.com
PRINTERS Creative Printing Services 1115 Pennsylvania ave Saint Cloud, Florida 32801 407-891-9797
RESTAURANTS Stone Bridge Tavern The Royal Crest Room 5530 Michigan Ave Saint Cloud, Florida 34772 407-891-0903 www.stonebridgetavernandgrill.com
POOL TABLES Florida Game Rooms 9350 S. Orange Blossom Trail tr #12 407-859-4400 www.myfloridagamerooms.com REAL ESTATE The Corcoran Connection, LLC *Harmony resident* Jeanine Corcoran Owner/Broker Selling/Buying/Renting/Property Management Now serving international clients with Portuguese/Brazilian and Spanish speaking team members 407-922-3308 Jeaninecorcoran @gmail.com
TIRES NTA National Tire and Auto 304 13th Street, Saint Cloud, Fl 34769 407-593-2136 TRAVEL Meisner Cruise and Travel *Harmony Resident* 407-738-7088 Meissnertravel.com WATER SYSTEM’S Dependable Water Treatment 407-242-7150
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