DAYTONA BEACH — Lana Byer is amazed at how fast Latitude Margaritaville is growing.
She’s reminded of it every time she checks her mailbox at the new Jimmy Buffett-themed 55-and-older community where she lives, and sees all the homes going up around her.
“I’m shocked at the progress,” the 71-year-old retiree from Pittsburgh said. “The homes are going up so quickly.”
In April, Byer became one of the first residents at the planned 6,650-home Latitude Margaritaville in Daytona Beach. The maintenance-free active adult community is taking shape on the north side of LPGA Boulevard, just west of Interstate 95.
In early October, Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach sold its 500th home, reaching that milestone in just 11 months.
That’s more than a half year ahead of original projections, said Bill Bullock, president of developer Minto Communities’ Latitude Margaritaville division.
And the growth isn’t just limited to Latitude Margaritaville.
New home construction activity throughout Volusia and Flagler counties is on the fastest pace in more than a decade.
Through the first nine months of this year, 2,134 permits have been issued for new homes in Volusia County, already exceeding the total for all of last year.