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List of New Home Communities Daytona Beach area:

Grand Preserve offers homes in Daytona Beach built by Holiday Builders. Prices start between $199,000 and $232,490.

Eagle Marsh South at LPGA International offers townhomes in Daytona Beach built by Woodside Builders. Prices start between $215,990 and $229,990.

Fountain Lake offers homes in Daytona Beach built by SeaGate builders. Prices start at $220,000.

Eagle Marsh North at LPGA International offers villa homes in Daytona Beach built by Woodside Builders. Prices start at $246,990.

Southern Pines in Ormond Beach built by Vanacore Builders. Prices start between $250,000 and $340,000.

Gray Hawk at LPGA International built by Woodside Builders. Prices start between $276,990 and $306,990.

LPGA International Centennial in Daytona Beach built by Renar Fine Home Builders. Prices start between $290,990 and $529,990.

Creekside Preserve built in Ormond Beach built by Vanacore Builders. Prices start between $350,000 and $500,000.

Daytona Beach area and Flagler foreclosure rates are above the national average

The Greater Daytona Beach area and Flagler areas housing market is facing a faster foreclosure rate of many local homes. Foreclosures soared in the first six months of the year surpassing the state and national rates.

The number of filings for foreclosure which also include default notices, repos and auction sales were up 156% in Volusia County from the first six months of 2006 to reach 2623. One thing that drives the numbers up in popular vacation destinations such as Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada all of which have a much higher foreclosure rate then the national rates is the counting of time-share foreclosures in the numbers. These are deeded properties and therefore are added into the foreclosure numbers along with single family homes and condos. When times are tough people easily walk away from timeshares before defaulting on many other bills and properties.

In Flagler County, the number of foreclosure filings were up an incredible 408% over the first six months of 2006.

The total number of homes that were involved in foreclosure actions also went up quite a but much less then the total number of filing. This implies that some homes were the subject of multiple filings.

Across the nation there were a total of 925,986 foreclosure filings in the first six months of the year. That is up 30% from the same six month period in 2006.

Across Florida there were 102,213 foreclosure filings, that is up 84% from the first six months of 2006.

Sand Fences sought to build up dunes along Flagler:

The city of Flagler Beach is planning to put up wooden fences in the sand along Flagler Beach to stop beach erosion of the sand dunes.

The city has spent the last ten years fighting against beach erosion. The erosion has threatened the narrow stretch of Flagler Beach and the main road A1A along with local residents who own homes and businesses along it.

Flagler Beach is still hoping to obtain Federal funds that could help assist it with the beach erosion. Flagler Beach has also applied for a state grant from Florida to assist with different types of new projects to stop the beach erosion.

Flagler Beach workers will be working diligently to install fences to meet the May 1^st deadline which marks the beginning of the nesting season for turtles. The state will only allow the fences to remain until the end of the nesting season which ends on October 31^st.

Sand fences that are normally utilized in the restoration of sand dunes are made of wood and are stitched together with space in between. Their design is to stop sand that is blown by the wind.

Florida has strict guidelines for the fences, they can be anywhere between two and four feet high and are not permitted to be any more then ten feet long. They also must be a minimum of seven feet apart from each other.

The fences cannot be too close together as they would hinder the turtles nesting ability. The Flagler Beach area is hopeful that the fences for the dunes will be successful and will lead to a larger expansion of the project up and down the Florida coast.

Ormond Beach voting to decide if off beach parking should be passed

As most local resident know finding a place to park at the beach has become more and more difficult in recent years.

The areas that are set aside for beach parking get full quickly and the soft sand in many areas along the ocean make parking on the beach close to impossible.

Now, city planners for Ormond Beach are putting forth a vote for Ormond Beach residents that may bring relief.

Ormond Beach voters will go to the polls in June to see if they want to spend a little money to pay for parking sites located along South Atlantic Avenue that would be used for future parking locations.

Ormond Beach planners also want to use some of the land to install lighting and fencing, picnic benches, a children's tot lot and restrooms.

Estimates for the cost run anywhere from $24,000 to $85,000 per parking space. Target number of spaces is 300 parking spaces.

The new Ormond Beach parking proposal was bolstered by a county contribution of $5 million and the prospect of a local Ormond Beach resident contributing an additional $2 million. The city of Ormond Beach would add in $3.5 million bringing the total to $10.5 million.

The measure will increase property tax rates for the city of Ormond Beach which will not go over well for the majority of Ormond Beach residents who feel they already pay way too much money to the city, state and county in property taxes.

The state legislature is also trying to pass a bill limiting the amount of money that local governments can tax people in property taxes along with strictly limiting any tax increases.

It seems like there has got to be a better way to raise money they constantly overtaxing home owners. Another suggestion might be to have local developers donate property while they are constructing larger condo developments.

It will be interesting to see how things turn out and if the local Ormond Beach property owners want to pay yet again for non property owners and the services they don’t use.

Warning of rip Currents in Daytona Beach and Man-of-War jellfish as strong winds hit the Daytona Beach area

Daytona Beach, Florida. The ocean is going to be especially rough and chopping the new few days. Daytona Beach Patrol advise swimmers to stay away from dangerous rip currents that are found in deeper water.

Daytona Beach Patrol spokesperson Scott Petersohn announced that the rough surf is quite a challenge for swimmers and beachgoers. The onsite lifeguards are pleased to see that the pounding waves and strong currents are keeping people close to shore and within their sites.

Spring Breakers are heading the warnings and choosing other Daytona Beach activities then swimming to entertain themselves during their Daytona Beach Spring Break.

The rough waters and rip currents are expected to continue throughout the Daytona Beach area through next week.

Daytona Beach is also experiencing a running of the stinging pest Man-of-War jellyfish. Daytona Beach has an annual issue with this toxic sea creature and local visitors are being warned to stay away from them in the Daytona Beach area.

The stings can be extremely painful and can even cause death in small children and the elderly.

Daytona Beach surf conditions will be improving as the week goes on and everyone should be able to return to the water in Daytona Beach very soon.

Old Ormond Beach Sugar Mill will open a day to offer tours

Ormond Beach, Florida –It was forgotten in the woods for hundreds of years. It is a piece of history that was unknown to most Ormond Beach residents.

Very soon it will be open to the public. Historians say that these are the oldest sugar mill ruins in North America.

This Sunday the gates will open for the first time and the public will get to tour the Old Ormond Beach Sugar Mill located at the Three Chimneys Sugar Mill Ruins 715 W. Granada Blvd.

There are not enough funds to open the Ormond Beach Sugar Mill on a regular schedule so they will only be open for one day. The times are 11am to 2pm and everyone can get an up close look at what was known as the Swamp Settlement when the sugar cane crop flourished.

The Ormond Beach Sugar Mill is part of a 20,000-acre grant from King George III given to Scotsman Richard Oswald in the year of 1764. Mr. Oswald cleared 300 acres in order to produce sugar and rum, things did not work out in his favor and he had to abandoned his endeavor.

Over ten years ago the Ormond Beach Historical Trust valiantly tried to save three brick chimney structures that still survived. In 2006 a brand new group of local volunteers stepped up the efforts.

The Ormond Beach Historical Trust has been busy raising money and campaigning for local support for a series of different projects. The Ormond Beach Historical Trust wants to develop the entire property including the Old Ormond Beach Sugar Mill by adding parking, multiple pathways and historical information posted on signs throughout the Old Ormond Beach Sugar Mill.

A grant of $26,500 was just approved but the Ormond Beach Historical Trust still needs lots of additional funding. This is just the beginning of any ongoing project to open up the Old Ormond Beach Sugar Mill as a public park and historic site.

The Ormond Beach Historical Trust has raised $10,000 so far and their goal is $50,000 for the work that needs to be completed.

The original site consisted of multiple buildings, including an keepers house, many grain and sugar houses, a sugar mill and distillery works. The remaining pieces include some original portions of brick structures dating from the colonial time period.

The ruins of the Old Ormond Beach Sugar Mill are completely covered by a tree canopy that will remain undisturbed until all of the preservation work is fully completed.

Interested patrons can find parking for this Sunday’s event at The Granada Professional Center which is located at 725 W. Granada Blvd. Admission is free.

New $1.6 million Aquatic Center Breaks Ground In Daytona Beach, Florida

Today in Daytona Beach there was a ground breaking on an enormous brand new swimming & aquatic complex.

Daytona Beach city officials dug the first shovels of sand on the brand new $1.6 million Daytona Beach Cypress Aquatic Center.

The Daytona Beach Cypress Aquatic Center will have a water slide, 25 meter long pool, restrooms and a concession stand.

The Daytona Beach Cypress Aquatic Center is replacing Daytona Beaches original swimming pool that was built back in 1942. The old Daytona Beach pool was closed down 7 years ago by the health department.

It is a wonderful day not only for the city of Daytona Beach but for all of Daytona Beaches kids who can now enjoy a brand new swimming pool all year. The new Daytona Beach Cypress Aquatic Center should be open and ready for swimming by October 2006.

Brush Fires break out around Volusia this weekend. Drier conditions bring back memories from 1998

Fires broke out all over Volusia and Flagler counties this weekend. This is the most fires we have seen since the fall and is a reminder of the dangerous 1998 wildfire season which brought drought conditions that spread across Central Florida. One of the largest fires chatted over 15 acres of trees and underbrush in Flagler County north of Route 40 and Volusia County borders.

Fire officials located in both Volusia and Flagler Counties and the State Forest Departement attacked the fire quickly and had it contained within a few hours.

A smaller brushfire burned outside of the Deltona area and local officials worry that more could appear if we do not receive any rainfall in the next few weeks.

A small blaze in Daytona Beach was quickly controlled in a heavily wooded area close to the International Speedway and the Volusia Mall and another sparked close by in the Pelican Bay subdivision.

We are forseeing a very busy fire season if the rain does not come soon in the Daytona Beach area.

Outside of Debary Volusia County firefighters fought a 3 acre blaze and stopped it before it could destroy two neighborhood homes.

In Port Orange a small fire was quickly put our before it could cause any damage to a nearby apartment complex..

The state of Florida is usually drier during the springtime but National meteorologists predict that the danger for fires is higher then normal due to much drier conditions in the Central Florida region.

In Flagler County the drought index was 328 and 538 in Volusia County at the beginning of this week. Conditions are ripe for small and large brushfires to spark around both counties. Local

With no large rainstorms in the forecast the Daytona Beach area will continue to stay on water restrictions and be on the lookout for small fires and smoke. Lets hope that the rain will come soon.

Local Flights from Air Tran to continue into Daytona Beach International Airport

Air-Tran Airways has decided to continue its service at Daytona Beach International Airport throughout the year instead of taking a seasonal hiatus.

Air Tran has been much more popular at Daytona Beach International since beginning service in January than they had expected.

"Now that we've got a few months behind us and we're seeing the loads we've been able to generate, we decided to continue (serving Daytona Beach) through the end of the year," Graham-Weaver said.

Air Tran representatives said that Air Tran carried 51,346 people in it’s first 3 months flying into Daytona Beach International Airport. That is a huge increase over the same time in 2006 and has prompted Air Tran to continue offering service throughout the year into Daytona Beach International Airport.

AirTran offers 3 daily flights into Atlanta from Daytona Beach International Airport which allows connecting service to over 40 cities in the U.S. and numerous International destinations. Air Tran will also continue it’s weekend non-stop service into BWI International Airport.

Air Tran has plans to potentially add new flights as demand increases from and to Daytona Beach International Airport. Some possible destinations would be Newark New York to service the large group of clients from that are that visit the Daytona Beach area every year and a western gateway such as Las Vegas.

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