Living in Florida's Space Coast
Indianola Estates
Indianola Estates is a short lane, Sommers Hammock, running off Crawford Avenue north of Crockett Boulevard on the north half of Merritt Island. Lots here start at three quarters of an acre and run past an acre and a quarter. There is no association. What people build with the extra land is the whole character of the place.
Indianola Estates In Merritt Island, Florida
The name comes from real history. Indianola was a settlement on this island long before anyone platted a subdivision here. In 1868 Martha Ann Justice, wife of J R Field, named the spot the family picked on the east shore of the Indian River, and the community got its own post office in 1889 and kept it until 1926. Two Indianola structures, the Dr George E Hill House and the J R Field Homestead, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The modern plat is small and quiet. Sommers Hammock Lane comes off Crawford Avenue, which comes off Crockett Boulevard, which you reach from North Courtenay Parkway or from North Tropical Trail on the river side. The lane bends and ends in a cul de sac. Houses were built between 1984 and 2002, most of them around the turn of the century, and they run roughly 1,891 to 2,424 square feet with three baths standard and three to five bedrooms.
Lot size is what people actually buy here. Three quarters of an acre at the small end, an acre and a quarter at the large, with mature oaks lining the property lines. A freshwater canal crosses several parcels, and on more than one the deeded land continues past the canal into wooded hammock that the owner also holds. Neighbors have bridged across to reach the far side. That is not an amenity you find on a quarter acre in a newer subdivision. Homes have been trading between $415,000 and $590,000, with roughly $545,000 typical.
This is a lane for people with equipment. One property carries a roughly 1,400 square foot attached garage with six bays and ductwork already run if you want to condition part of it, plus a separate 480 square foot workshop. Others have fenced yards, fruit trees, long drives and space for a trailer or an RV. If your list includes a shop, a lift, a boat and a truck, the north end of Merritt Island is where that gets easy.
No homeowners association governs these parcels and no dues are collected, which is precisely why the garages look the way they do. Unincorporated Brevard County code still applies to structures, setbacks and accessory buildings, so confirm what your parcel allows before you plan a pole barn. Also confirm the water source and the waste system, because on north Merritt Island wells and septic are common and neither one is safe to assume from the mailing address.
Indianola Estates At A Glance
Indianola Estates at a glance, acre by acre.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Sommers Hammock Lane off Crawford Avenue, north of Crockett Boulevard, reached from North Courtenay Parkway or North Tropical Trail, Merritt Island 32953 |
| Recorded plats | One, Indianola Estates |
| Association | None recorded, and no dues are assessed. County zoning still governs structures and accessory buildings |
| Built | 1984 to 2002, with most of the lane finished around 2001 |
| Home size | 1,891 to 2,424 square feet, about 2,203 typical |
| Bedrooms | Three to five, with three baths |
| Lot size | 0.75 to 1.27 acres |
| Construction | Concrete block, vaulted and tray ceilings, screened rear porches, one two story plan with an upstairs suite and balcony |
| Garage | Two car standard, with one property carrying six attached bays at roughly 1,400 square feet plus a separate 480 square foot workshop |
| Water on site | A freshwater canal crosses several parcels, with wooded hammock beyond it still inside the property line on some lots. It is not navigable |
| Pools | Uncommon, at least one screened in ground pool |
| Street | Sommers Hammock Lane, bending into a cul de sac |
| Utilities | Unincorporated Brevard County. Confirm well or public water and septic or sewer for the specific parcel |
| Price range | $415,000 to $590,000, with roughly $545,000 typical |
Indianola Estates Details
An Acre Changes The Question
At three quarters to an acre and a quarter, you stop asking where things fit and start asking what you want to add. Shops, RV pads, gardens, fruit trees and detached storage all exist on this lane because there is room for them and nobody to say no.
Garages That Are Really Buildings
Six attached bays and roughly 1,400 square feet on one parcel, with ductwork already in place for conditioning part of it, plus a separate workshop. If you have been priced out of a commercial bay for your hobby, look at what is already built here.
Land Past The Canal
On several parcels the deeded property does not stop at the freshwater canal behind the house; it continues into wooded hammock on the far side, and some owners have bridged across to reach it. Read the survey carefully, because the usable yard and the owned acreage are two different numbers.
Nobody To Answer To
No association, no dues, no architectural committee. That is the reason the lane looks lived in rather than curated. County code still applies to anything you build, so get your permits and your setbacks straight before the concrete truck arrives.
A Historic Name
Indianola was settled in 1868 and had its own post office from 1889 to 1926. The Dr George E Hill House and the J R Field Homestead are on the National Register. The plat is modern, the name is not, and that history is still visible along North Tropical Trail.
Wells, Septic And Trees
Large parcels on this end of the island often mean a private well, a septic system and a mature oak canopy over both. All three are answerable questions during inspection, and all three affect your first year of ownership more than the paint color does.
Homes For Sale In Indianola Estates
Anything currently available on Sommers Hammock Lane appears below. With a handful of parcels and no turnover pressure, listings here are occasional, so read the acreage and the outbuildings before you read anything else.
Indianola Estates Frequently Asked Questions
How big are the lots?
Between three quarters of an acre and about an acre and a quarter. That is well above the Merritt Island norm at this price, and it is the reason the workshops, RV pads and long driveways exist.
Is there a homeowners association?
No. Nothing is recorded on this plat and no dues are assessed. Unincorporated Brevard County zoning still governs what you can build, so verify accessory structure rules for your parcel before you plan anything.
What is the canal behind the houses?
A freshwater canal, not a navigable waterway. It is a landscape and wildlife feature, and on several parcels the owned land continues past it into hammock. Do not plan on putting a boat in it.
Can I build a workshop or park an RV?
Very likely, and the lane already reflects it. One property carries six attached garage bays and a separate workshop. Confirm setbacks, height limits and accessory building rules with the county for your specific parcel first.
Are these homes on well and septic?
Often, though it varies. North Merritt Island has a mix. Confirm the water source, any treatment equipment and the age of the drain field in writing during your inspection period.
Can you see rocket launches?
Yes. This end of the island has an open northern sight line toward the pads, and owners here watch from the yard. Launch schedules are part of the local rhythm rather than a novelty.
How far is work at the space center or the port?
Close, and that is a real part of the appeal. Kennedy Space Center, Port Canaveral and the commercial launch operations north of here are a straightforward run up North Courtenay Parkway, and the SR 528 Beachline gets you to Orlando in about an hour.
What is worth checking before you write an offer?
The survey, the well and septic, the age of the roof, and whether the outbuildings were permitted. On acreage parcels the unpermitted structure is the most common surprise, and it is the easiest one to check ahead of time.
Sommers Hammock Lane, Merritt Island 32953
Indianola Estates sits on the north half of Merritt Island in the 32953 ZIP, off Crawford Avenue north of Crockett Boulevard. You can reach Crockett from North Courtenay Parkway, State Road 3, on the east side, or from North Tropical Trail along the Indian River on the west. This is unincorporated Brevard County, so county code, county services and the sheriff apply rather than a city department.
From the lane, North Courtenay Parkway runs north toward Kennedy Space Center, Port Canaveral and the commercial launch operations, and south toward the State Road 520 shopping corridor and the causeways. The SR 528 Beachline is the fast way west, putting Orlando roughly an hour out. Cocoa Beach is a short run east across 520, and Cocoa Village is about the same distance west across the Indian River.
Near Indianola Estates In Merritt Island
Considering Indianola Estates?
My partner Nichole and I know what an acre on north Merritt Island is worth and what it costs to keep, and we will pull the survey, check the outbuildings against the permit record, and tell you straight whether the parcel does what you need it to do. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and describe the shop you have in mind.
