Hi Amy, I have lived in the Deland area for 38 years, I love it, Deland has the small town feeling with the charming historical downtown with lots of activities always going on, this weekend they close down the streets for a huge art show, one of the best in the southeast. I would say the most important thing for you to check out first would be schools, you can find lots of good informaiton on the Volusia County School Web Site just do a internet search, I raised two children who are now both grown and on their own, they both attended public schools and made it just fine. We are only 30 min or less to the beach only 20 min to the Daytona 500 Speedway, 45 min to Disney World, Sea World, everything you could ask for only a short distance away. Might be a good idea to plan a vacation in Deland first. then have a chance to see how you like it. You can find lots of homes for sale in Deland by going ot my web site which is http://www.terrybsells.com good luck in your search and let me know if I can be of service in the future. terry

Hi Amy,

I live and work in Deland, FL and the community that I highly recommend for family with young children is Victoria Park. Developed by St. Joe who took over the community from Arvida. Copy and paste this link:
http://www.joe.com/Victoria-Park-community
A well planned community that offers not houses but also a "lifestyle" for all ages. They have planned activities for children and adultsas well as golf, tennis, gym, community pool and security.
I will be glad to answer any questions you may have, please email me at Realtorford@yahoo.com.
Thank you.

Amy,
Great
Question,
Moving can be a rather stressful endeavor, Make the most of it.
First get the lay of the land so you can best discover what is best for your family.
Since you have young kids I would think that schools would be important,as well as activities and places of worship. Also consider transportation and don't forget work.
This takes time and when you finally get settled consult with a Realtor for the best information on housing.
Rick.

wow, thats way too cool. we would be neighbors ( i live next door). My best friends are from G Falls. The Caprio's! Rico and his kid brother Jason. Smalllll world ha? If you head this way....dont forget to LOAD up with Beef on Weck, Semolina Bread, and the Supresada.................Big mike

Hell Amy. I'm in the Daytona Beach area, which is just 25 east of DeLand, and I've sold homes in the DeLand area in the past. As for making arrangements, since you're going to be living with friends for a while first, the only thing you need to handle is filing a change of address card with the Postal Service.

Something to keep in mind is, if you're planning to eventually buy here, lenders will want to see at least a couple of years of job stability in the same field of work. If you're planning to rent first, that won't be an immediate concern. Our house values here is still in decline, but they're starting to level off. I expect the correction period to be complete within the next few months.

Central Florida is a great place to live! You'll be close enough to take day trips to Daytona Beach, or Orlando if you want to enjoy the theme parks and shopping, or you might even want to visit St. Augustine. And DeLand is not only beautiful, but there are beautiful parks and natural springs there as well, plus a fabulous downtown area for shopping and dining.