Living in Florida's Space Coast
Glen Haven
Glen Haven is a compact early sixties plat reached from North Banana River Drive by way of Phyllis Drive, Captains Row and Anchor Lane. Homes were built between 1961 and 1966, 1,050 to 1,952 square feet of block ranch on lots of roughly a sixth of an acre. About a third of them back onto a seawalled canal with navigable water out to Sykes Creek.
Glen Haven In Merritt Island, Florida
The street names give away the decade. Glen Haven Drive carries most of the addresses, and around it sit Phyllis Drive, Captains Row, Anchor Lane, Sarong Circle and Hula Circle. That mix of nautical and South Seas naming is pure early sixties Florida marketing, and it survives intact because nothing here was ever replatted. The circles end rather than connect, so through traffic has no reason to enter and generally does not.
Houses are single story block ranches, most with stucco, under shingle roofs. Living area runs 1,050 to 1,952 square feet with the middle near 1,449, in two and three bedroom plans carrying two to three baths and a one or two car garage. This is small house territory by current standards, which is exactly why it remains one of the more reachable ways into central Merritt Island. Terrazzo floors turn up regularly under the carpet.
Three of the last nine properties to change hands were canal front with a seawall and navigable water. One carries a dock, a boat lift and a lookout platform above it. From these canals you head into Sykes Creek and then north to the Canaveral Barge Canal, which crosses the island and reaches Port Canaveral through the Canaveral Lock. That lock is free to use, is the largest in Florida, and a transit runs about half an hour. Fixed spans over Sykes Creek cap air draft, so this is powerboat water rather than sailboat water.
There is no association here. No dues, no architectural committee, no gate, no age restriction. Merritt Island is unincorporated, so county code is what governs your fence height, your setbacks and your addition. If you want a dock, a seawall repair or a boat lift, that runs through Brevard County Planning and Development as a Residential Marine Construction permit, with Natural Resources reviewing the shoreline work and a survey less than 180 days old in the file.
Pricing has run $240,000 to $540,000 with the middle near $355,000 and about $249 a square foot. The spread is almost entirely water. A dry interior lot and a seawalled canal lot of the same size are two different products at two different prices in the same plat. Homes have gone under contract in about 22 days and sellers have been settling near 95 percent of original asking. Annual tax bills range widely, $921 to $6,134, because some owners here have held homestead for decades.
Glen Haven At A Glance
Glen Haven at a glance, from the canal to the county code.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | Central Merritt Island west of North Banana River Drive, north of State Road 520, ZIP 32952 |
| Built | 1961 to 1966, most homes around 1962 |
| Home size | 1,050 to 1,952 square feet, about 1,449 typical |
| Bedrooms | 2 to 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 3 |
| Lot size | 0.15 to 0.24 acre, about 0.17 typical |
| Construction | Concrete block, most with stucco, shingle roofs, single story ranch |
| Association | None. No dues, no architectural review, no covenants enforced by a board |
| Waterfront | About a third of the homes are canal front with seawall and navigable water to Sykes Creek |
| Docks | Present on some canal parcels, including one with a boat lift. New work needs a county Residential Marine Construction permit |
| Pools | In ground pools on roughly a third of the homes |
| Garage | 1 to 2 bays |
| Streets | Glen Haven Drive, Phyllis Drive, Captains Row, Anchor Lane, Sarong Circle, Hula Circle |
| Lot character | Several cul de sac parcels, few trees on the canal side |
| Utilities | Public water and public sewer |
| Gated | No, and not age restricted |
| Price range | $240,000 to $540,000, around $249 per square foot |
Glen Haven Details
Canal Frontage Without An Association
A seawalled canal lot with navigable water and no board, no dues and no approval process for your paint color is a rarer combination on this island than it sounds. What you answer to instead is Brevard County code, which is a known quantity you can read in advance.
A Reachable Entry Point
With the middle of the range near $355,000, Glen Haven is one of the few central Merritt Island plats where a canal address is still in reach of a normal budget. The houses are small, which is the price of admission, and many of them have already been opened up inside.
Streets That Go Nowhere
Sarong Circle, Hula Circle and Captains Row are closed loops and short stubs off Phyllis Drive. There is no cut through to anywhere, so the only cars on your street belong to people who live on it. That is worth more day to day than most amenity packages.
Out To The Barge Canal And The Lock
From the canal you reach Sykes Creek, then run north to the Canaveral Barge Canal and east through the Canaveral Lock to Port Canaveral and the Atlantic. No fee applies at the lock and the passage runs about half an hour, which puts open ocean inside a morning's run.
Sixties Bones Worth Checking
These houses were built with terrazzo floors, jalousie era windows and, in many cases, cast iron drain lines. Sellers who have already replaced the drain lines with PVC will tell you so in the first sentence. Where they do not, budget for it and price accordingly.
Public Water And Public Sewer
Unlike much of south Merritt Island, Glen Haven is on public water and public sewer. There is no septic tank to locate, pump or eventually replace, and no drainfield sitting under the part of the yard where you wanted the pool.
Homes For Sale In Glen Haven
Current availability in Glen Haven. Watch the canal addresses closely, since a waterfront lot and a dry lot on the same street are priced as different neighborhoods.
Glen Haven Frequently Asked Questions
Does Glen Haven have an HOA?
No. There is no homeowners association, no dues and no architectural review board. Because Merritt Island is unincorporated, Brevard County code sets the rules for setbacks, fences, additions and accessory structures rather than a private board.
Are there waterfront homes in Glen Haven?
Yes. Roughly a third of the homes sit on a canal with a seawall and navigable water. At least one carries a dock with a boat lift. The remaining homes are interior lots with no water frontage, and the price difference between the two is substantial.
Where can I take a boat from here?
Out the canal into Sykes Creek, north to the Canaveral Barge Canal, then east through the Canaveral Lock to Port Canaveral and the ocean. There is no charge for the lock and the passage takes roughly half an hour. Low fixed spans over Sykes Creek limit air draft, so plan on a powerboat.
What should I inspect in a 1961 to 1966 house?
Original drain lines are often cast iron and are the first thing to check with a camera. After that, look at the roof age, the electrical panel, window and door glazing, and whether the seawall on a canal lot has been maintained. Terrazzo under the flooring is usually a bonus, not a problem.
Can I build a dock or replace a seawall?
Yes, through Brevard County Planning and Development as a Residential Marine Construction permit. Natural Resources reviews shoreline work separately, and you will need a survey less than 180 days old. Start that process early, because the review is not quick.
How quickly do homes sell in Glen Haven?
About 22 days to contract, with sellers settling near 95 percent of their original asking price. That is a healthy pace with a modest amount of negotiating room, which is roughly the island average.
Why are property taxes so different from house to house?
Annual bills have run from about $921 to $6,134. Owners who have held homestead here for decades have a heavily capped assessed value, while a property that transferred recently is taxed on a value reset at the sale. Always budget from the purchase price, not from the current owner's bill.
Is Glen Haven in a flood zone?
Flood zones on Merritt Island change street by street and sometimes lot by lot. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration is the official repository for the FEMA panels and will issue a written determination. Their number is (321) 617-7340.
Glen Haven Drive, Merritt Island 32952
Glen Haven sits in central Merritt Island in the 32952 ZIP code, on the Sykes Creek side of North Banana River Drive. That road runs north and south between State Road 520 and State Road 528, with canals reaching east toward the Banana River and west toward Sykes Creek. Glen Haven is on the western side. From State Road 520 you turn north on North Banana River Drive, take Phyllis Drive on the left after the curve, then work into Captains Row, Anchor Lane and Glen Haven Drive.
Everything is close from here. State Road 520 is a couple of minutes south and runs east across the Banana River to Cocoa Beach or west to Cocoa, US 1 and Interstate 95. State Road 528 is a few minutes north for Port Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center and the hour long run to Orlando International Airport. Kelly Park at the north end of the road has a public ramp on the Banana River if you want an alternative launch.
Near Glen Haven In Merritt Island
Considering Glen Haven?
The difference between a Glen Haven canal lot and a Glen Haven interior lot is the whole conversation, and it does not always show up in the asking price. My partner Nichole and I know which stretches of the canal hold depth, which seawalls have been redone and which houses still have cast iron under the slab. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will walk it with you.
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