Jill Edgington Watson Realty Corp.

DeLand, located in Volusia County, Florida, may be one of Florida's best kept secrets. Imagine a college campus classified as a National Historic District. Add to that a downtown brimming with notable gift shops and restaurants. Then place it between the shores of the St. Johns River and the silvery surf of the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, picture all this only 25 minutes from Daytona Beach and about 40 minutes from Orlando.

DeLand delights visitors with all the possibilities and hospitality a small Southern town can offer. Tree shaded streets adorned with handsome homes cocoon the campus of Florida's oldest private college, Stetson University. Stetson's presence enhances the community's rich cultural offerings with theater, recitals, museums and a vibrant speakers program. Nearby parks offer camping, picnicking, swimming, scuba diving and canoeing. Get a peek at Manatees in Blue Springs, or boat over to Hontoon Island State Park to see a cypress swamp on the St. Johns River.

Explore the early settler's history at DeLeon Springs State Park, where you can griddle your own pancakes at The Old Spanish Sugar Mill, then paddle a canoe through the wilderness.

This comfortable, oak-shaded city with its enviable quality of life has it made! Located north of Orlando's theme parks and west of the post-card-perfect beaches, DeLand has plenty of attractions of its own! Only here will you find Skydive DeLand, a world-recognized leader in parachuting. The Central Florida Hot Air Balloon Rally and the winter home of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus are here. Community festivals, a sports complex, Hontoon Island State Park and the St. Johns River provide great outdoor fun. Rent a houseboat, join the "Anything That Floats Raft Race" or fill your stringer with some of the best bass fishing around!

The Cultural Arts Center houses an art museum, a symphony and theatrical troops. Stetson University, the state's oldest private university, has concerts, galleries, theatrical and sporting events as well as the Gillespie Museum of Minerals.

DeLand's revitalized downtown is listed as a National Historical District. As the county seat, DeLand employs many in governmental businesses, in addition to manufacturing, agribusiness, marine products, and tourism. Housing is affordable, with single family homes, homes along the water, ample acreage and horse ranches offered.

A few other Inland Communities Deltona, the county's second-largest city, and DeBary are blossoming towns just across the border of bursting-at-the-seams Seminole County. They are easily accessible to Interstate 4 and Orlando. Orange City is where the large, friendly manatee spends its winters in the waters of Blue Springs State Park.

In February of 2012, there were 66 residential homes sold at an average price of $81,750. The highest priced home selling for $500,000 and the lowest priced selling for $16,000.

There are many wonderful homes in this area, but you need a local market expert to help you. Watson Realty Corp is a locally owned company with over 40 years experience selling homes in the area. Call the Watson experts at 800-257-5143.