Living in Florida's Space Coast
Mallard Lakes
Mallard Lakes is a single cul-de-sac off Chase Hammock Road on North Merritt Island, one recorded plat, acre and a half lots, and no association of any kind. Homes here were built between 1993 and 2014, every one of them with a three car garage, most of them looking across a lake, and several with room left over for a boat.
Mallard Lakes In Merritt Island, Florida
Mallard Lakes Court runs off Chase Hammock Road about half a mile east of North Courtenay Parkway, and it ends. That is the entire street plan. What sits on it is a short row of estate scale houses on parcels from just over an acre to about an acre and two thirds, backing water, with the kind of space around them that has become genuinely scarce anywhere else in Brevard at this price.
This is North Merritt Island, which means unincorporated Brevard County. There is no city government, no city code and no city utilities. What there is instead is an extra layer most buyers have never heard of: the North Merritt Island Dependent Special District, created by county ordinance in 1998, whose elected seven member board acts in place of the county Planning and Zoning Board for everything north of the Barge Canal and south of the NASA Causeway. Land use decisions around you get made locally.
There is no homeowners association here at all, and on lots this size that is the point. Boats, trailers, workshops, detached storage and long driveways are all normal. One house on this street turned its third garage bay into an air conditioned wood shop and added a covered carport out back for boat storage. Nobody had to ask permission. If that freedom is what you are after, it is also what you are paying for.
The houses themselves run about 1,955 to 3,324 square feet, three bedroom layouts with two to four baths, side entry three car garages, vaulted ceilings and skylights. Prices have landed between $575,000 and $899,000, with the middle around $645,000. What separates the top of that range from the bottom is usually acreage, whether the lake view carries across the main living space, and whether a screened pool and spa are already in place or still a project.
Buy carefully on the utilities and the ground. Out here you need to confirm whether the property is on a well and a septic system or on county service, how the lake and its banks are maintained, and where the parcel sits on the current flood maps. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration is the official repository for FEMA panels and issues written flood zone determinations and elevation certificates. Their number is (321) 617-7340.
Mallard Lakes At A Glance
Mallard Lakes at a glance, one street and one plat.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Mallard Lakes Court, off Chase Hammock Road east of North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island 32953 |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Brevard County, inside the North Merritt Island Dependent Special District |
| Recorded plats | One, Mallard Lakes Subdivision |
| Built | 1993 to 2014 |
| Home size | About 1,955 to 3,324 square feet, near 2,252 typical |
| Bedrooms | Three, with two to four baths, and flex rooms used as offices, gyms and additional suites |
| Lot size | Roughly 1.07 to 1.68 acres |
| Construction | Block and frame, one story, vaulted ceilings and skylights, with roofs replaced on part of the street |
| Association | None. The records show no homeowners association here. Confirm whether any voluntary dues or private road arrangement applies to the specific address |
| Water | Lake frontage on most of the street, with open water views from the main living areas |
| Pools | Screened pools and spas on part of the street, and room to add one on the rest |
| Garage | Three car, commonly side entry, with one bay often converted to a shop |
| Outdoor storage | Boats, trailers and recreational vehicles are kept on site here, along with detached carports and sheds |
| Street | Mallard Lakes Court, a dead end cul-de-sac with no through traffic |
| Flood | Get a written flood zone determination and an elevation certificate. Brevard County Public Works Floodplain Administration, (321) 617-7340 |
| Utilities | Confirm whether the address is on a well and septic system or on county water and sewer |
| Price range | $575,000 to $899,000, with roughly $645,000 in the middle |
Mallard Lakes Details
An Acre And A Half, Five Minutes From Courtenay
Chase Hammock Road is a two lane country road, but North Courtenay Parkway is half a mile west and State Road 528 is a short run north. You get genuinely rural lot sizes without an hour of driving attached to them, which is the specific trade North Merritt Island offers.
Nobody To Ask Permission From
No association, no architectural review, no rules about what parks in the driveway. Owners here build shops, keep boats and run long driveways because they can. The flip side is honest: there is also nothing stopping a neighbor from doing something you would rather they did not.
Your Zoning Board Is Local
Everything north of the Barge Canal falls under the North Merritt Island Dependent Special District, an elected seven member board that stands in for the county Planning and Zoning Board. If a rezoning is proposed near you, it gets heard by people who live out here.
Three Car Garages As Standard
Every home on this street carries a three car garage, usually side entry, and a third bay converted into a conditioned workshop is a normal sight. For anyone with tools, a project car or a boat that needs to stay out of the sun, that is not a bonus feature, it is the reason to buy here.
Water On Most Of The Street
The lake is what the plat was drawn around, and most of these parcels face it. Kitchens, family rooms and formal living rooms on this street tend to be positioned to see it. Confirm the view line from inside the house rather than from the yard, because the two are not the same thing.
Launch Views From The Back Yard
Kennedy Space Center is directly north of here, and an open acre and a half with water behind it is about as good a seat as you can own without buying a beach lot. Residents watch launches from their own lanais, which is a small thing until the first time you do it.
Homes For Sale In Mallard Lakes
Anything for sale on Mallard Lakes Court is shown below. Turnover on a street this short is rare, so when something does come up, look first at usable acreage, the lake view line and whether the pool and outbuildings are already built.
Mallard Lakes Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a homeowners association at Mallard Lakes?
No. The records show no association here, which is why boats, trailers, workshops and detached storage are common on the street. Confirm for the specific address whether any voluntary arrangement exists for the lake or the road before you close.
How big are the lots?
Just over an acre at the small end and around an acre and two thirds at the large end. That is substantially more land than almost anything you will find at this price on the mainland side of Brevard, and it is the main reason people search this street out.
Is Merritt Island a city?
No. Merritt Island, including this part of it, is unincorporated Brevard County. County code and county services apply and permits go through the county. North of the Barge Canal, land use requests are heard by the North Merritt Island Dependent Special District Board rather than the county Planning and Zoning Board.
Do the homes have lake frontage?
Most of them do, and the plat was drawn around the water. Views from the kitchen, family room and formal living areas are the norm on the lakefront parcels. Verify frontage on the survey for any particular address rather than assuming the community name covers every lot.
Are the homes on well and septic?
That varies out here and it is worth pinning down early, because it affects your inspection list, your insurance and your long term costs. Ask for the well and septic records or the county service confirmation in writing before you go under contract.
Can I keep a boat or an RV here?
Yes, and people do. With no association and acreage to work with, boats, trailers and recreational vehicles are stored on site, sometimes under a purpose built carport. County code sets the outer limits, so check current requirements for any structure you plan to add.
What is the drive time to the mainland and the beaches?
North Courtenay Parkway is minutes away and carries you north to State Road 528 for Orlando or south toward State Road 520 and Cocoa. Port Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are a short run north, and Cocoa Beach is about twenty minutes.
What should I inspect closely?
Roof age and permits, the pool and screen enclosure, the well pump and septic if applicable, and any converted garage space, since a shop conversion needs to have been done properly. On acreage, also look at drainage, the lake bank and how the driveway handles a heavy rain.
Mallard Lakes Court, Merritt Island 32953
Mallard Lakes sits on North Merritt Island, north of the Canaveral Barge Canal, on the east side of North Courtenay Parkway. Chase Hammock Road is the connector, a quiet two lane road running through what is still largely hammock and grove country, and Mallard Lakes Court comes off it and dead ends about half a mile in. Chase Hammock Lakes and the other acreage plats along this road are the nearest neighbors.
Driving is straightforward. North Courtenay Parkway, State Road 3, runs the length of the island and reaches State Road 528 in a few minutes, which puts Orlando and Orlando International Airport around an hour out. State Road 520 to the south crosses to Cocoa and Interstate 95 on one side and to Cocoa Beach on the other. Port Canaveral, the cruise terminals and Kennedy Space Center are all a short drive north.
Near Mallard Lakes In Merritt Island
Considering Mallard Lakes?
Acreage on North Merritt Island with a lake behind it and nobody telling you what to park in the driveway is a narrow slice of this market, and it does not come up often. My partner Nichole and I will tell you what the land is really doing, how the well, septic and drainage check out, and what the flood picture looks like before you write anything. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
