Living in Florida's Space Coast
Fern Meadows
Fern Meadows sits on the north side of SR 520 just west of I-95, entered at Cressa Circle. It is a two story neighborhood of large houses on small lots, 1,772 to 3,492 square feet on parcels near an eighth of an acre. At roughly $137 per square foot it is the least expensive space you can buy in Cocoa, and the association keeps tennis and basketball courts.
Fern Meadows In Cocoa, Florida
Fern Meadows trades square footage for land, and it does it more aggressively than anywhere else in Cocoa. The typical home here runs close to 2,960 square feet on a lot of about 0.14 of an acre. Six of nine are two story. Bedroom counts go to six, bathroom counts to four, and several floor plans carry an upstairs bonus room with its own bath that can work as a second primary suite, an office or a media room.
That density is why the price per square foot lands around $137. For comparison, the newer construction along US 1 runs above $200 and the riverfront blocks run near $300. If your priority is interior space and you are willing to give up a yard to get it, this is the trade the market is offering you. If you want room for a boat or a shop, this is the wrong neighborhood and you should be looking at the acreage plats off Friday Road or Cox Road.
The Fern Meadows Homeowners Association, Inc. was registered as a Florida nonprofit corporation in 2002, two years before the first homes went up, and its principal address is on Cressa Circle inside the community. Dues have run $423.50 to $550 a year, with $550 the most common figure. What that buys is a real amenity package: tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground, a park, a jogging path, sidewalks and street lighting, plus common area maintenance.
Construction is concrete block and stucco on the ground floor with frame above on the two story plans, under shingle roofs, and the community is on public water and public sewer rather than septic. Several owners have gone through significant updates, including impact rated triple pane windows and sliders, quartz counters and full floor replacements. No home in Fern Meadows has a private pool, which is unusual for a community of this vintage and worth factoring into your expectations.
The honest tradeoff is time on market. Homes here take about 96 days to sell, the longest stretch of any Cocoa neighborhood in this price band. Large houses on small lots are a specific product with a narrower buyer pool, and taxes running $3,122 to $6,019 reflect the square footage rather than the land. As a buyer that patience works in your favor, because sellers here rarely have the leverage to hold firm.
Fern Meadows At A Glance
What the Fern Meadows numbers actually look like.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | North side of SR 520 just west of I-95, entered at Cressa Circle, Cocoa 32926 |
| Built | 2004 to 2020, with 2008 the midpoint |
| Home size | 1,772 to 3,492 square feet, about 2,960 typical |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 6, four is the common count |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 4 |
| Lot size | 0.12 to 0.17 of an acre, about 0.14 typical |
| Levels | Mostly two story |
| Construction | Concrete block and stucco with frame second floors, shingle roofs |
| Association | Mandatory. Fern Meadows Homeowners Association, Inc., registered in 2002, dues $423.50 to $550 a year with $550 most common |
| Amenities | Tennis courts, basketball court, playground, park, jogging path, sidewalks, street lights |
| Utilities | Public water and public sewer |
| Streets | Cressa Circle, Fenton Way, Dryden Circle |
| Private pools | None in the community |
| Annual taxes | $3,122 to $6,019, around $4,795 typical |
| Price per square foot | About $137, the lowest in Cocoa |
| Time to sell | Around 96 days |
| Price range | $343,000 to $450,000, about $380,000 typical |
Fern Meadows Details
The Cheapest Square Foot In Cocoa
At roughly $137 per square foot, Fern Meadows undercuts new construction by more than seventy dollars a foot and riverfront by well over a hundred. If interior space is what you are optimizing for, no other Cocoa neighborhood gets you as much of it per dollar spent.
Two Story Plans With Upstairs Bonus Rooms
Six of nine homes are two story, and several plans include a large upstairs bonus room with its own bath. That space gets used as a second primary suite, an office, a gym or a theater room. It is also the main reason the square footage totals climb past three thousand feet.
A Real Amenity Package For $550
Tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground, a park and a jogging path all sit inside the community, along with sidewalks and street lighting. That is a genuine list for annual dues in the mid five hundreds. It is also why Fern Meadows costs more per year than the no frills communities up US 1.
No Private Pools
Not one home in Fern Meadows has an in ground pool. Lot sizes are the reason, and it is a real limitation compared to Cypress Woods or the west Cocoa acreage plats where pools are the norm. If a pool is on your list, understand you will not be adding one on a 0.14 acre lot.
Ninety Six Days Is The Norm
Homes here take longer to sell than almost anywhere else in Cocoa at this price. That is not a red flag about the neighborhood, it is what happens when a specific product meets a narrower buyer pool. As a buyer, it means negotiating room that does not exist elsewhere in this market.
Straight Onto I-95 And 520
The entrance is on SR 520 about a mile and a half west of the interstate. That is one turn to I-95 north or south and a straight run east on 520 to Cocoa Village, the causeway and the beaches. For anyone commuting out of Brevard daily, this is a hard position to beat.
Homes For Sale In Fern Meadows
Current Fern Meadows listings are below. Homes here sit longer than the Cocoa average, so there is usually something to compare against rather than a single option.
Fern Meadows Frequently Asked Questions
How much are the HOA dues in Fern Meadows?
Most owners pay $550 a year, with some parcels recorded at $500 or $423.50 depending on the assessment year. The Fern Meadows Homeowners Association, Inc. has been a registered Florida nonprofit corporation since 2002 and its principal address is on Cressa Circle inside the community.
What amenities does Fern Meadows have?
Tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground, a park area and a jogging path, plus sidewalks and street lighting throughout. There is no community pool and no clubhouse. The amenity list is the main thing separating Fern Meadows from lower dues communities elsewhere in Cocoa.
Why is the price per square foot so low here?
Because the houses are large and the lots are small. A 2,960 square foot home on 0.14 of an acre carries most of its value in the structure rather than the land, and land is what drives price per foot in Cocoa. The result is around $137 a foot, the lowest in the city.
Are there pool homes in Fern Meadows?
No. No home in the community has a private in ground pool, and the lot sizes make adding one impractical. Buyers who want a pool generally look at Cypress Woods in Port St John or the acreage plats in west Cocoa where screened pools are standard.
How long do homes take to sell in Fern Meadows?
About 96 days is typical. Large houses on compact lots appeal to a specific buyer, and that narrows the pool. If you are buying, that timeline is leverage. If you are selling, price and presentation matter more here than in faster moving neighborhoods.
What are property taxes like?
Annual amounts have run $3,122 to $6,019 with roughly $4,795 in the middle. Those figures track the square footage rather than the lot. If the home will be your primary residence, file for the Florida homestead exemption, which meaningfully changes the assessed value going forward.
How do I get into Fern Meadows?
From I-95, head west on SR 520 for about a mile and a half. The community is on the right. Turn onto Cressa Circle, then Fenton Way, then Dryden Circle, which carries most of the addresses. Coming from Cocoa Village, take 520 west past the interstate.
Is Fern Meadows in the city of Cocoa?
It carries a Cocoa mailing address with a 32926 ZIP on the west side of the city, out toward I-95. That places it in the western Cocoa corridor served by SR 520 and SR 524 rather than in the riverfront or Cocoa Village part of town, which is a twelve to fifteen minute drive east.
Cressa Circle off SR 520, Cocoa 32926
Fern Meadows is on the north side of State Road 520, roughly a mile and a half west of I-95, in the western Cocoa corridor. Cressa Circle is the entrance, and from there Fenton Way and Dryden Circle carry the addresses. The interstate interchange at 520 is the closest of the three Cocoa exits, and SR 524 and Industry Road run parallel to the north through the rest of the western neighborhoods.
Drive times run about twelve to fifteen minutes east to Cocoa Village and the Indian River, twenty five to thirty to Cocoa Beach across the causeway, and roughly forty five minutes to the Orlando airport by way of 528. Going the other direction, I-95 south puts Melbourne and the Viera corridor within half an hour. Very little of that requires backtracking, which is the practical appeal of this address.
Near Fern Meadows In Merritt Island
Considering Fern Meadows?
Whether you are buying in Fern Meadows or thinking about selling here, work with an agent who is in these neighborhoods every week. My partner Nichole and I got your back. We will run the numbers on any address, tell you straight what it is worth, and handle the whole process from the first showing through the closing table. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
Welcome to this beautifully maintained 3-bedroom, 2-bath lakefront home in the desirable Fern Meadows community. Featuring an open, split-bedroom floor plan, this home of...
- 3 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 1083999 MLS
Welcome Home! This inviting 3-bedroom, 2 bath home offers over 2000sq ft with plenty of room to settle in and make it your own. The spacious primary suite includes walk i...
- 3 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 1085574 MLS
