Daytona Beach Florida-Home of Great Colleges. Real Estate Investors, Pay Close Attention!

Did you know that Daytona Beach Florida has some great colleges? I’m not talking about your standard, every day, run-of-the-mill colleges. I’m talking about really great colleges!

I’ll start with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This university’s aerospace engineering program is number 13 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s Best Colleges for 2007. Embry-Riddle offers over 30 bachelor and master degrees in aviation, aerospace, engineering, business and other fields, and is the only accredited, aviation-oriented university in the world.

Also according to U.S. News & World Report, coming in at number 5 on their list of America’s Best Colleges for 2007, is Stetson University. Stetson is located in DeLand FL, which is just 15 miles west of Daytona Beach.  Stetson University holds Florida’s oldest private, liberal arts college on a 165 acre campus. Stetson’s student-faculty ratio is one to 21 and their 4 colleges and schools have all been ranked among the best in national college guides for various special programs and accreditations.

In the heart of Daytona Beach, you’ll find Bethune-Cookman University. Bethune-Cookman has a fascinating history as a predominantly black school that has been continuously growing and evolving since 1904, when it was founded by Mary McLeod Bethune. Bethune Cookman University offers 37 different majors, plus 6 degree-granting academic schools. But you haven't seen anything until you've seen their marching band!

Next we’ll look at Daytona Beach Community College, which is now a four-year degree granting institution. This year marked the first graduating class with Bachelor of Science degrees. DBCC also got a $26 million addition this year in the Mori Hosseini Center, a state-of-the-art hospitality and culinary training facility. The Mori Hosseini Center also houses the Southeast Museum of Photography.

I personally have taken miscellaneous classes at DBCC over the years, as different subjects sparked my interest. And last year, my daughter, as a junior in high school, participated in the Dual-Enrollment program that allowed her to take college courses while still in high school for FREE! The credits from these classes went to both her high school and her college degrees.

As a branch on the campus adjacent to DBCC, is the University of Central Florida. This UCF branch offers a variety of graduate and postgraduate degrees. It also offers several undergraduate and graduate degrees, in partnership with DBCC.

Also offering post-graduate studies in Daytona Beach, is a satellite site for Nova Southeastern University. Nova Southeastern offers masters degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Doctorates in Business Administration (DBA).

In recent years, we saw the new addition of Palmer College of Chiropractic-Florida, located in Port Orange Florida. Port Orange is part of the greater Daytona Beach area, located just 4 miles south of Daytona. Palmer Chiropractic saw it’s first graduating class  in 2003. By 2006 the school had reached capacity for enrollment.

And last but not least, we have Keiser College, a career-oriented institution with 9 campuses in Florida. The Daytona Beach campus offers 11 associate and 2 bachelor degrees.

So how is this information relevant to real estate investors? The great thing about having so many colleges in one area is the opportunity to rental income on any investment properties you own. This is crucial in a down-market, when real estate is sitting on the market for long periods of time.

If you’re considering investing, now is the perfect time to buy real estate, when prices have dropped and real estate buyers are scarce. Many sellers are in need of the a sale, and smart buyers will look for ways to make extra income on their investment.

In this area, a Smart Choice would be to list your investment properties with a local agent who will not only use traditional marketing techniques, but will look beyond the obvious and target their marketing to where your next tenant may be.

Are you ready to make a Smart Choice?