Living in Florida's Space Coast
Poinsett Acres
Poinsett Acres sits at the far west edge of Cocoa on bird named streets off Mallard Road: Cardinal Road, Heron Road and the rest. Every home here fronts a navigable canal with a private dock, and that canal opens onto Lake Poinsett, 4,334 acres of it, connected to the St. Johns River. Houses date from the mid 1960s and all of them have pools.
Poinsett Acres In Cocoa, Florida
This is the freshwater side of Cocoa and it is a genuinely different lifestyle from the rest of the city. Instead of the Indian River and the Atlantic, your dock opens onto Lake Poinsett, a 4,334 acre lake that is the second largest in Brevard County and part of the St. Johns River system. A channel at the eastern end connects to Lake Florence and Barnett Lake, and the river runs north from there. The lake is named for Joel Roberts Poinsett.
Every home in the neighborhood is canal front with navigable water and a private dock. Boat slips and boat lifts appear as well. That is the entire reason to buy here: you back a boat down your own dock, run out the canal and you are on open water in minutes, fishing or running the river system, without a bridge, a lock or a marina fee in between.
Houses are mid 1960s, built 1964 to 1966, running 1,647 to 1,938 square feet with three bedrooms and two or three baths. Construction is stucco over block with brick accents on shingle roofs, with mid century modern lines on at least one. Several have been remodeled top to bottom with new plumbing replacing cast iron, new electrical, resurfaced pools and new septic. Every home in the neighborhood has an in ground pool, which is unusual on any street anywhere.
There is no association and no dues, and the street names alone tell you what the plat was aiming for: Cardinal, Heron, Mallard. Lots are compact at 0.18 to 0.21 acre because the value is the water frontage rather than the yard. Sewer is septic on most parcels with public water. Ask when the septic was last replaced, because several homes here have already done that work and it is worth knowing which.
Two things to weigh honestly. First, you are west of Interstate 95 on State Road 520, which puts you twenty to twenty five minutes from Cocoa Village and closer to forty five from the beach, so this is a lake location, not a coastal one. Second, canal and lake frontage means a written flood zone determination and an elevation certificate belong in your due diligence. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration at (321) 617-7340 is the county repository for FEMA flood map panels.
Poinsett Acres At A Glance
What canal frontage on Lake Poinsett actually includes.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Cardinal Road and Heron Road off Mallard Road, Cocoa 32926 |
| Plat | Poinsett Acres Units 2 and 3 |
| Built | 1964 to 1966 |
| Home size | 1,647 to 1,938 square feet, about 1,743 typical |
| Bedrooms | 3, with 2 to 3 baths |
| Lot size | 0.18 to 0.21 acre |
| Construction | Stucco over block with brick accents, shingle roofs, single story |
| Association | None. No association and no dues |
| Utilities | Public water, septic tank on most parcels |
| Water frontage | Navigable canal front on every home, opening to Lake Poinsett |
| Water body | Lake Poinsett, 4,334 acres, connected to the St. Johns River |
| Docks | Private dock on every parcel, with boat slips and lifts on some |
| Pools | In ground pool on every home, including salt water |
| Price range | $412,300 to $435,000, around $244 per square foot |
Poinsett Acres Details
A Dock On Every Lot
This is not a neighborhood where some homes have water. Every parcel fronts a navigable canal with a private dock, and boat lifts and slips show up on several. Launch from your own back yard and be on the lake in minutes.
Lake Poinsett And The St. Johns
The canal opens onto Lake Poinsett, 4,334 acres and the second largest lake in Brevard County, part of the St. Johns River system. A channel at the east end connects to Lake Florence and Barnett Lake, and the river runs north from there.
Pools Across The Board
Every home in the neighborhood has an in ground pool, including at least one salt water system. Between the pool, the dock and the sunset over the canal, the back yard is the entire point of these houses.
Bird Named Streets
Cardinal, Heron and Mallard. The plat was laid out around the water and the wildlife, and it still reads that way. This is a small, quiet pocket where everyone on the street shares the same canal.
Mid Century Bones, Modern Systems
Built 1964 to 1966, several have been rebuilt inside with cast iron plumbing replaced, new electrical, resurfaced pools and new septic tanks. Ask specifically which of that work has been done on the house you are looking at.
Freshwater, Not Coastal
Twenty to twenty five minutes west of Cocoa Village on State Road 520. You give up beach proximity and you get lake and river boating, quiet water and a price that would not buy you a dock anywhere near the Indian River.
Homes For Sale In Poinsett Acres
Current listings in Poinsett Acres, the canal front streets off Lake Poinsett Road in Cocoa 32926, appear below. It is a small neighborhood, so listings are infrequent.
Poinsett Acres Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Poinsett Acres?
At the western edge of Cocoa 32926. From Interstate 95 you take State Road 520 west, turn left on Lake Poinsett Road, left on Mallard Road and then onto Cardinal or Heron Road.
Does every home have water frontage?
Yes. Every parcel fronts a navigable canal with a private dock. Some also carry a boat slip or a boat lift. The canal opens onto Lake Poinsett.
How big is Lake Poinsett?
It covers 4,334 acres and is the second largest lake in Brevard County. It is part of the St. Johns River system, with a channel at the eastern end connecting to Lake Florence and Barnett Lake. It is named for Joel Roberts Poinsett.
Can I get to the ocean from here?
No. This is freshwater. You are boating Lake Poinsett and the St. Johns River system, which runs north through central Florida. For saltwater access you would be trailering to a ramp on the Indian River.
Is there a homeowners association?
No. There is no association and no dues. Dock maintenance, seawall work and canal bank upkeep are individual owner responsibilities.
What do I need to check on flood insurance?
Get a written flood zone determination and, if the lender asks, an elevation certificate. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration at (321) 617-7340 is the official county repository for FEMA flood map panels and issues written determinations.
Do I need a permit to rebuild a dock?
Yes. Docks, seawalls and boat lifts go through Brevard County Planning and Development as a Residential Marine Construction permit, with separate Natural Resources review for shoreline work and a survey less than 180 days old.
How far is the beach?
Roughly forty five minutes east, since you are crossing the entire width of the mainland plus the causeway. Cocoa Village is about twenty to twenty five minutes and Interstate 95 is around ten minutes.
Cardinal Road off Lake Poinsett Road, Cocoa 32926
State Road 520 runs west from Cocoa across Interstate 95 and out toward Orlando. Lake Poinsett Road turns south off it, then Mallard Road, then Cardinal and Heron. The neighborhood sits on the canal system at the northeastern side of Lake Poinsett, well outside the built up part of the city and surrounded by open land and water rather than subdivisions.
Drive times run in the other direction from most of Cocoa: Interstate 95 is about ten minutes east, historic Cocoa Village twenty to twenty five minutes, Cocoa Beach around forty five minutes, and Orlando roughly fifty minutes straight out State Road 520 or by way of State Road 528. If your priorities are a boat and quiet water rather than sand, the geography works in your favor here.
Near Poinsett Acres In Merritt Island
Considering Poinsett Acres?
Whether you are buying in Poinsett Acres 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.
