Living in Florida's Space Coast
Island Crossings
Island Crossings sits off North Banana River Drive within sight of the State Road 528 interchange, which makes it one of the easiest addresses on Merritt Island to commute from. The homes went up between 1996 and 1999, 1,403 to 2,448 square feet of block and stucco. There is a community pool, public sewer instead of septic, and dues that stay under a thousand dollars a year.
Island Crossings In Merritt Island, Florida
The street names give away that this was built in two goes. Potomac Drive and Stafford Avenue carry most of the addresses and read like a Virginia map. Grand Cayman Drive and Sanibel Lane read like a Caribbean brochure. That split matches the corporate record: Island Crossings Homeowners Association, Inc. was registered in 1995 and Island Crossings II Homeowners Association, Inc. followed in 1997, the second phase carrying the Riverwalk name.
Because there are two associations, there are two assessment levels, and buyers get confused by this constantly. One tier runs about $264 to $266 a quarter, roughly $1,060 a year. The other runs about $96.60 to $101 a quarter, closer to $390 a year. Which one applies depends on which phase your parcel sits in. Leland handles the day to day administration off site as the association manager. Ask for the current budget and the phase before you write an offer.
The houses are late nineties Florida production work and they have held up. Concrete block with stucco, shingle roofs, contemporary elevations, mostly single story with a few two story plans. Living area runs 1,403 to 2,448 square feet, typically about 1,916, in three and four bedroom layouts with two or three baths. Two and three car garages. Lots are compact, 0.13 to 0.30 of an acre, with irrigation front and rear on most parcels.
There is no navigable water in here, which is the honest tradeoff. A few homes back to a pond or a drainage canal and several look out over preserve and tree line rather than another roof. Around four in ten homes have added a screened in ground pool of their own, several of them saltwater. If you want a boat in the back yard, this is not the subdivision. If you want to walk to a community pool you do not have to maintain, it is.
This neighborhood moves. Homes go under contract in about 31 days and sellers have been settling at roughly 98 percent of their original asking price, one of the tightest ratios on the island. Pricing runs $383,000 to $620,000 with the middle around $437,000 and about $245 a square foot. The narrow spread makes appraisals predictable, but it also means very little haggling room. Come prepared.
Island Crossings At A Glance
Island Crossings at a glance, including the two dues tiers people trip over.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | Merritt Island east side off North Banana River Drive, just south of State Road 528, ZIP 32952 |
| Built | 1996 to 1999, most homes around 1997 |
| Home size | 1,403 to 2,448 square feet, about 1,916 typical |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 4, most commonly 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 3 |
| Lot size | 0.13 to 0.30 acre, about 0.17 typical |
| Construction | Concrete block with stucco and poured concrete, shingle roofs, contemporary styling |
| Levels | Predominantly single story |
| Garage | 2 to 3 bays |
| Association | Two mandatory associations. Island Crossings Homeowners Association, Inc. registered 1995 and Island Crossings II Homeowners Association, Inc. registered 1997, administered off site by Leland. Assessments run about $264 to $266 a quarter in one phase and about $96.60 to $101 a quarter in the other |
| Amenities | Community pool and maintained common grounds |
| Pools | Roughly four in ten homes also have a private screened in ground pool, several saltwater |
| Water frontage | No navigable water. A few homes back to a pond or non navigable drainage canal |
| Views | Pond, preserve and wooded tree line on the interior lots |
| Utilities | Public water and public sewer, no septic |
| Streets | Potomac Drive, Stafford Avenue, Grand Cayman Drive, Sanibel Lane |
| Gated | No, and not age restricted |
| Price range | $383,000 to $620,000, around $245 per square foot |
Island Crossings Details
Public Sewer, Not Septic
Public water and public sewer serve every address in this subdivision. On Merritt Island that is less common than you would expect, since large parts of the island still run septic. It removes a whole category of inspection risk and a whole category of future expense.
A Ramp On To The Beachline
Exit 52 on State Road 528 is essentially at the neighborhood entrance. Port Canaveral is about ten minutes, Kennedy Space Center about fifteen, and Orlando International Airport just under an hour with no surface roads in between. If someone in the household flies for work, this is the address that saves the most time.
Kelly Park East Around The Corner
Kelly Park East at 2550 North Banana River Drive gives you a county boat ramp on the Banana River within a few minutes. Several homes here keep a trailer boat on a designated pad, which is how people in this subdivision get on the water without paying for waterfront.
A Pool You Do Not Maintain
The community pool is covered by the assessment. No pump, no resurfacing, no cage repairs, no chemical bill. For a buyer who wants to swim without owning the equipment, that alone can justify the difference between the two dues tiers.
Preserve Behind The Back Fence
A number of interior lots back to woods and preserve rather than to another house. It is a quiet subdivision to begin with, and the homes with a green buffer behind them are the quietest of the group. They also tend to be the first ones to go.
Nineties Construction Standards
Built 1996 through 1999, these homes came after the plumbing and wiring problems of earlier eras. Focus your inspection budget on roof age, the air handler and condenser, and any private pool equipment rather than on cast iron drain lines.
Homes For Sale In Island Crossings
Current availability inside Island Crossings. Homes here typically go under contract in about a month, so if something looks right it is worth seeing the same week.
Island Crossings Frequently Asked Questions
What are the HOA dues in Island Crossings?
There are two levels because there are two associations. One phase runs about $264 to $266 a quarter and the other about $96.60 to $101 a quarter. Confirm which phase a specific address falls in before you budget, because the annual difference is roughly $670.
Is Island Crossings gated?
No. The entrances off North Banana River Drive and Furman Road are open. It is not age restricted either. What keeps traffic down is the layout, since the interior streets loop rather than connect through to anywhere.
Who runs the association?
Leland handles the association off site as its manager. That means no on site office and no manager walking the property, which is normal for a subdivision this size and is reflected in the assessment amount.
Are there waterfront homes here?
Not in any boating sense. There is a pond and a non navigable drainage canal, so a handful of homes have a water view out the back. There is no dock, no lift and no access to the Banana River from a private lot.
Does the subdivision have a pool?
Yes, a community pool maintained by the association and included in the assessment. Separately, about four in ten homes have their own screened in ground pool, and several of those have been converted to saltwater.
How fast do homes sell?
About 31 days to contract, with sellers landing near 98 percent of their original asking price. That is one of the tighter ratios on Merritt Island and it means the list price is usually close to the real number.
What are property taxes like?
Annual county bills have run roughly $1,691 to $5,408 with the middle near $3,012. Long term homesteaded owners sit at the low end and a recent transfer sits at the high end, because a sale resets the assessed value.
How far is the beach?
Cocoa Beach is about fifteen minutes south and east using State Road 520, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral is a similar drive north using 528. Everyday shopping is on North Courtenay Parkway, a few minutes west.
Potomac Drive, Merritt Island 32952
Island Crossings sits on the east side of Merritt Island in the 32952 ZIP code, just south of the State Road 528 causeway and immediately west of North Banana River Drive. From 528 you take exit 52, turn south on North Banana River Drive, then west on Furman Road and into the subdivision by way of Hudson Avenue, Stafford Avenue or Potomac Drive. Grand Cayman Drive and Sanibel Lane finish the loop in the second phase.
The location does two things well. Northbound, the Beachline puts Port Canaveral at roughly ten minutes, Kennedy Space Center at about fifteen and Orlando International Airport at just under an hour. Southbound, State Road 520 is a few minutes away for Cocoa Beach to the east or Cocoa, US 1 and Interstate 95 to the west. Groceries and everyday retail are on North Courtenay Parkway, five minutes from the entrance.
Near Island Crossings In Merritt Island
Considering Island Crossings?
The single most useful thing to sort out before you write here is which of the two associations a house belongs to, because it changes your carrying cost by several hundred dollars a year and it changes what the assessment covers. My partner Nichole and I can pull the phase, the current budget and the assessment history on any address in the subdivision. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will have it before your showing.
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