Harmony Life - June 2024

Photo: Courtesy Cherry Heck

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome to the June 2024 edition of Harmony Life Magazine.

Please support our advertisers, they help us bring this monthly publication to the community. The magazine is costly to bring and mail to every residential home, please join me in thanking our advertisers and content contributors.

My wife, Jeanine Corcoran, and I started Harmony Life Magazine in August 2014. This is the 10-year Anniversary of the Harmony Life Magazine!

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS AND BUY LOCAL

I don’t often give a plug to our own real estate business, Corcoran Connect, but in addition to bringing the magazine to the residents, here are a few bits of information that you may not know:

• Jeanine Corcoran, Broker and owner, has been a resident of Harmony since 2005. Over the years she has personally sold over 250 homes in Harmony (we met in 2012 and were married in 2015).

• Several of our agents and staff live in Harmony and the majority of our video and photograph production is done by Harmony’s own, StudioNine13.

• We are experts at selling and promoting wonderful Harmony amenities. Additionally, we understand the complexity of the CDD and various HOAs that govern the community. Navigating through those entities can be very tough for outsiders and new residents.

• When you choose to do business with Corcoran Connect you are truly helping to support the community.

• We would be honored to be considered for any of your real estate needs and look forward to hopefully having that opportunity when those needs arise.

Did you know that Jeanine Corcoran also puts out a weekly video and email for all the Harmony events? Send me your email address and I will add you to the list. You can always opt out at any time: Bill@QMCWorld.com

Harmony Life Magazine is produced by residents for residents. Please feel free to message me directly with content and pictures: Bill@QMCWorld.com

Remember to join the Facebook Harmony Residents Forum AND THE NEW, ADDITIONAL, HARMONY RESIDENTS FORUM, NO DRAMA.

See you in July!

Bill Bokunic Publisher Bill@QMCWorld.com

CONTACT INFO FOR RESIDENTS

CDD HarmonyCDD.org, 407-566-1935 Dan, Jo, Lucas, Kerul, or Mark @HarmonyCDD.org

SHERIFF, NON-EMERGENCY 407-348-2222

HROA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, www.MyHOASolution.com

CONDOS HOA Sentr y Management, 407-846-6323

TOWNHOMES HOA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, www.MyHOASolution.com

JUNE 2024

A publication of Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC www.QMCWorld.com

PUBLISHER & CEO

Bill Bokunic

321.331.6398

Bill@QMCWorld.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Renée Blair

Blair Creative Group, Inc.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

Cherry Heck

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeanine Corcoran

Corcoran Connect

Kerul Kassel PHD

Hamony CDD Board Member

Kim Kirsch

Insurance Broker / District Manager, Healthcare Solutions Team

The opinions expressed in the Harmony Life Magazine articles are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions of Quantum Marketing Communications, Harmony Life Magazine or the Publisher.

Harmony Life Magazine, Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC and the Publisher can, in no way whatsoever, be held responsible for the content of such views, nor can it be held liable for any direct or indirect damage that may arise from such views.

All rights reserved. No part of any Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC published work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

3501 Pug Mill Rd. Kissimmee, FL 34741 OsceolaFL@advanceddisposal.com

OSCEOLA COUNTY Osceola.org “Citizen Action Center”

COUNTY COMMISSIONER ricky.booth@osceola.org

RICKY BOOTH

Harmony Life Magazine

Harmony Residents Forum, NO DRAMA

Renovation Loans SAVE DEALS!

New Roof? No Problem!

It’s more than just a myth — renovation loans really do save deals! I recently had a deal where a renovation loan really was make or break for my buyers.

At CMG Home Loans, we have a huge suite of reno loans, including:

» 203(k) Standard

» 203(k) Limited

» CMG Energy Plus

» Fannie Mae HomeStyle® Standard

» Freddie Mac CHOICERenovation®

» HELOCS & more!

Don’t let a deal fall through without exploring all your buyer’s options! Reach out to see how our reno options can serve you.

Why Renovation?

Offers more options than the high prices & limited availability of move-in ready homes

Energy-efficient updates can offer significant savings and even tax breaks*

Creates a financing option if a home doesn’t pass inspection

Increases the value of a home

Can turn the house your buyers like into the home they love

Source: CareerSource Central Florida, JobsEQ, Lightcast, FRED

The HROA Budget

The HROA will be holding its annual budget meeting on June 26th at 6:00 pm at the First Nature Ranch on Old Melbourne Highway. Our By-Laws require us to prepare a budget at least ninety days before the beginning of our fiscal year, which begins on October 1st. During the meeting the board will be reviewing the budget line by line, making any adjustments, and then voting to approve.

When Starwood, the developer, was in control of Harmony, they had been putting money in our HROA account for events and expenditures. When Starwood left several years ago, there was a nice chunk of money which left the community in a very strong financial position.

Since then, the HROA has spent more than it has brought in. We have been covering the difference using money the developer contributed.

The first thing to bear in mind, which is very important, is our HROA documents restrict us to only being able to raise the maintenance fees a maximum of 5% per year. Our management company had been advising the boards for several years that the dues should go up but that did not happen until three years ago

Income:

Maintenance Fees: The yearly fees that we pay in October. These range from $68 to $166 per house, depending on where in the neighborhood you live.

Capital Contribution: The HOA capital contri bution fee is a one-time payment due upon the sale of a house within a deed-restricted neigh borhood. This is $500 per house sold.

Carry Forward: Money left from Starwood.

Expenses:

These are broken down into three main catego ries with subcategories in them.

Activities/Committees: Nature and Animal Committee: Used on nature-related activities for the community and expenses for maintaining the trails.

Nature Trail Mowing: Used to pay to have the trails mowed periodically.

Social Committee: Used to pay for our Activities Director, social events, and insurance for the events.

House of the Month: Used to pay for our new monthly House of the Month Contest, coming soon.

Board Meeting Room Rental: Used to pay the fee to rent space to hold our meetings 4-5 times per year.

Off-Duty Sheriff Detail: Used to pay for off-duty sheriff deputies to patrol Harmony periodically.

General Maintenance: Used for the installation of holiday lights at the entrances.

Insurance:

This includes Multi-Peril, Umbrella, Director and Officers, Crime/Fidelity Bond, and Workman’s Comp insurance. We cannot request bids for insurance right now, as it is too early, so the proposed amounts are based on other neighborhoods and what their increases may be.

Administrative and Management:

This includes copies and supplies, accountant services, telephone expenses, legal services, website, postage, uniform business reports, bad debt, unpaid maintenance fees, and management fees.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

SUMMER POOL PARTY Clubhouse Pool Friday, June 28 • 11am–1pm

4th OF JULY GOLF CART PARADE Wednesday, July 3 • 7pm

Please RSVP to these events to: harmonyactivitydirector@gmail.com

As you can see there are a lot of expenses in running an HOA neighborhood and we have been very fortunate to have the money Starwood contributed.

A Big Thank You

We want to thank the residents who have been hard at work cleaning, painting, and landscaping their properties. The neighborhood is looking good!

Contact Information for the HROA: https://myhoasolution.com 407-847-2280 • info@myhoasolution.com https://portal.topssoft.com/login

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

By Mark LeMenager Chairman, Harmony Community Development District

Budget, Operations & Maintenance Assessment

It’s budget time. At the May 23rd meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Board voted 4 to 1 to recommend a 7.6% increase to the Operations and Maintenance Assessment. This is on top of the large increases made the last two years. I voted no. I am in favor of getting us into the habit of making the annual increase inline with the rate of inflation, as that is a good measure of how our costs go up over time.

Do we need a 7.6% increase? In my opinion, no. A 3.5% increase would be in line with inflation and would still leave the District with a surplus of over $1 million and the end of the next fiscal year. The extra 4.1% is just to make the surplus even bigger with no specifics on how it will be spent eventually.

The budget will be finalized at the July 25th meeting of the Board. If you agree with my stance, then please contact the other Board members directly and let them know how you feel.

In my update last month, I wrote about the availability of the Golf Course Maintenance facility. Our management company and lawyer have done a lot of behind the scenes work on the project to determine if and how we can acquire the facility. I’ll keep you posted. n

By Kim Kirsch Insurance Broker / District Manager, Healthcare Solutions Team HEALTHCARE

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Getting a good night's sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. When we sleep, our bodies rest and repair themselves, and our brains consolidate memories and process emotions. Unfortunately, many people struggle to get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, one in three adults don't get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

There are many reasons why people don't get enough sleep. Some people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Others may have medical conditions that interfere with sleep. And still others may simply have poor sleep habits.

If you're having trouble sleeping, there are a number of things you can do to improve your sleep habits. As health experts, we’ve put together a list of our best tips for getting a better night's sleep.

8 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep

Stick to a schedule

Sticking to a regular sleep schedule is one of the best ways to ensure that you consistently get a good night’s sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends, holidays, and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine

In the hour or two before bed, wind down by doing relaxing activities such as reading, taking a bath, or listening to soothing music. Avoid stimulating activities such as watching TV, working, or using electronic devices.

Set up a good sleeping environment

Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Darkness helps your body produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. Noise and light can disrupt sleep, so make sure your bedroom is as dark and quiet as possible. The

ideal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

Watch what you drink

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Caffeine and alcohol can interfere with sleep. Avoid caffeine after lunch and alcohol in the hours before bed.

Get regular exercise

Exercise can help you sleep better, but avoid exercising too close to bedtime. Aim to finish exercising at least three hours before you go to bed.

Avoid long naps

As much as possible, try to avoid taking naps during the day. Napping can make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you must nap, keep it short (30 minutes or less) and avoid napping late in the day.

Eat dinner early

As a rule, you should avoid large meals and beverages before bed. Eating or drinking too

much before bed can make it harder to fall asleep. Try to have dinner at least three hours before you go to bed and avoid heavy or spicy foods.

Don’t stay in bed

This may seem counterintuitive, but if you find yourself prone to insomnia, lying in bed awake can hurt more than help. If you find yourself still awake after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel tired. Lying in bed awake can make it harder to fall asleep.

If you want to safeguard your health by having a comprehensive insurance plan, we can help. Call us today at 407-870-3462, and a licensed member of our team will be happy to review your insurance needs. n

DID YOU KNOW?

By Cherry Heck

HARMONY'S EVENING WILDLIFE

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? Harmony incorporates natural and human-built environments that blend in ways designed to enhance the relationships between humans and animals and maximize the benefits of their peaceful coexistence. While retaining natural areas, Harmony is part of a human-dominated landscape where our actions profoundly affect the welfare of wild animals.

In April’s article we discussed some of the wild animals you might see in Harmony in the daytime. This month we’ll talk about those you might see at night. Many people are not used to being around wildlife and are not sure how to handle the situation, so this month we will talk about the best ways to respond to nearby wildlife that you might see during the dark hours.

Raccoons and Opossums are cute, but have sharp claws and teeth that they will readily use, so watch from a distance. Keep them away from your home by storing any type of food/waste inside or in tightly sealed containers and sealing all openings in your home’s outer structure. Deer are always a delight to see, unless they are munching on your landscaping, so when select plants, choose ones that deer do not like to consume. Deer will ignore you if you ignore them — looking straight at any animal is a direct threat to them, and they will usually flee.

Bats are occasional visitors to Harmony. We do have a bat house, but haven’t had occupants for some time. Don’t be afraid of bats when you see them at dusk — they are feeding on night-flying bugs like mosquitos and eat thousands of insects each night! Don’t worry about rabies — the incidence is very low, and they will not fly into your hair…unless you panic and start thrashing about! Speaking of infectious diseases, Armadillos are fun to watch, but don’t touch them, as they carry leprosy. They may dig holes in your yard, but eat insect pest larvae and are harmless otherwise.

Harmony’s frequently heard Barred Owls, which hunt lizards, snakes, frogs, mice, squirrels, insects and other prey, will avoid humans if possible, but have very sharp talons and will use them if threatened. Coyotes have been seen in Harmony, but they are not frequent visitors. They sometimes prey on small animals, including cats and small dogs, so be sure your pets are in secure areas, especially at night.

We are blessed with an abundance of green space and wild creatures. Keep a respectful distance, stay hidden, even, and enjoy their presence for longer. n

Photo Courtesy Cherry Heck

By Harmony's Own, Anthony James Catanese

We know that Harmony is a very special place. This book tells how it was done. It started with a vision supported by science on how important regular interaction with nature and animals is to human health. This led to creating a new community whereby these interactions were incorporated at the very beginning of the development. It is intended for people who want to learn and take action. We can achieve greatness and conservation through proper development of our land. This is how to do it.