Living in Florida's Space Coast
New Found Harbor
New Found Harbor runs south off State Road 520 on the Banana River side of Merritt Island, along Newfound Harbor Drive, Anchor Lane, Gates Avenue and Old Causeway Road. It holds two very different kinds of property: modest block ranches from the sixties set back from the water, and riverfront houses with seawalls, private docks and covered lifts.
New Found Harbor In Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is not a city. It is unincorporated Brevard County, the long island between the Indian River and the Banana River, so county code governs setbacks, docks and permits, the sheriff patrols, and there is no municipal utility department to call. On a plat where a meaningful share of the parcels touch water, that shapes everything: dock permitting, seawall repair and any shoreline work run through county and state processes rather than a city one.
The plat is recorded as three words, New Found Harbor, while the street, the water and most of the signage use one word, Newfound Harbor. The harbor itself is a named embayment on the west side of the Banana River near Horti Point. The Banana River is a 31 mile lagoon lying between Merritt Island and the barrier island, with its outlet to the Atlantic through the lock at Port Canaveral, which is what makes a private dock here genuinely useful.
Houses date from 1960 to 2004, with the late eighties in the middle, and they run 1,008 to 4,451 square feet, three to five bedrooms, two to four baths, on lots from 0.22 to 0.69 acre. The price spread is the widest of any small plat on this side of the island: homes have traded from $270,000 up to $1,640,000, with something near $565,000 in the middle. What you are buying is almost entirely a function of whether the lot touches the river.
At the water end, expect a seawall and a dock, one property carrying ninety feet of direct river frontage with a covered lift and a sitting deck, open water in front of the glass and launches from the Cape framed in it. Screened pools, covered lanais, outdoor kitchens and solar pool heat all show up. Natural gas serves at least part of this street, which is not universal on the island and is worth confirming for the address you like.
Almost none of this plat is governed. Six of the seven properties here show no association, so boat and RV parking beside the house is normal and nobody reviews your paint. The tradeoffs are the ones every older waterfront street carries. Verify seawall condition and age, dock and lift permits, flood zone and elevation, roof and air handler age, and whether the waste system is what the seller says it is before you commit.
New Found Harbor At A Glance
New Found Harbor at a glance, two markets on one street.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Newfound Harbor Drive, Anchor Lane, Gates Avenue and Old Causeway Road, south off State Road 520, Merritt Island 32952 |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Brevard County. County code, county permitting and sheriff patrol, with no city government |
| Recorded plat | One, New Found Harbor, spelled as three words on the plat and one word on the street sign |
| Built | 1960 to 2004, with the late 1980s typical |
| Home size | 1,008 to 4,451 square feet, about 2,449 typical |
| Bedrooms | Three to five, with two to four baths |
| Lot size | 0.22 to 0.69 acre |
| Construction | Concrete block on the older stock, later two story custom builds with vaulted ceilings and glass walls facing the water. Hurricane panels and updated sliders common |
| Association | Largely none. Six of the seven properties here show no association at all, with one exception. Confirm for the address whether any voluntary group or shared dock arrangement applies, and expect no shared upkeep |
| Waterfront | Roughly three in seven parcels front the water, on the Banana River and Newfound Harbor itself |
| Docks | Private docks, seawalls, covered lifts and one property with ninety feet of direct river frontage |
| Pools | About three in seven, several screened with covered lanais and outdoor kitchens |
| Fuel | Natural gas serves at least part of this street, unusual on the island. Confirm for the parcel |
| Utilities | County services. Confirm water source and waste system for the specific address before you write |
| Flood | Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration, (321) 617-7340, issues written flood zone determinations and elevation certificates |
| Price range | $270,000 to $1,640,000, with roughly $565,000 in the middle |
New Found Harbor Details
Two Markets, One Street
A 1,008 square foot block ranch and a 4,451 square foot riverfront house share the same plat name. Nothing about the neighborhood average will tell you what a given address is worth, so ignore the average and price the lot first.
Docks, Lifts And Seawalls
The waterfront parcels come with real infrastructure: seawall, dock, power and water at the dock, covered lifts. That infrastructure has an age and a replacement cost, and it belongs in your inspection scope as its own line item.
The Banana River Out Front
A 31 mile lagoon between the island and the beaches, with an outlet to the Atlantic through the Port Canaveral lock. From a dock here you are running open water, not a canal, which is the whole reason this street prices the way it does.
Launch Views From The Back Yard
Open water to the north and east puts pads at the Cape in clear line of sight. Owners here describe watching launches from the dock, and on this coast that is a genuine and durable amenity rather than a novelty.
No Association On Almost All Of It
Six of seven properties answer to nobody. Park the boat, keep the RV, build the shed. It also means the street varies house to house, so look at the whole block before you decide what your view is worth.
Right Off The 520 Corridor
State Road 520 is the main crossing between Cocoa and the beaches, and this plat hangs off its south side. That buys quick access to Cocoa Village, Port Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, and it means road noise near the top of the street. Drive it at rush hour.
Homes For Sale In New Found Harbor
Anything currently available in New Found Harbor is listed below. Turnover on a plat this small is rare, and the difference between a waterfront parcel and one two lots back is enormous, so read the frontage before you read anything else.
New Found Harbor Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Found Harbor in a city?
No. Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County, so county code governs your setbacks, your dock and your permits, and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office patrols. There is no city hall and no municipal utility department involved.
Why is the name spelled two ways?
The plat was recorded as New Found Harbor in three words. The street, the water body and everyday usage run it together as Newfound Harbor. Both refer to the same place, and searches often miss one form or the other.
Which homes are on the water?
Roughly three in seven parcels here front the water, on the Banana River and on Newfound Harbor itself. The rest sit back from it with no frontage. That single distinction drives almost the entire price range on this street.
Is there a homeowners association?
Almost none of the plat has one. Six of the seven properties show no association at all. Confirm for the specific address whether any voluntary group or shared dock arrangement exists, and do not count on shared upkeep of anything.
Can I keep a boat at the house?
On a waterfront parcel, yes, and several here have a dock with power and water and a covered lift. On the inland parcels, with no association in the way, boat and RV parking on the property is common. Verify county code and any permits for existing structures.
What should I inspect on the older homes?
Seawall age and condition, dock and lift condition and permits, roof and flat roof sections, air handler and condenser age, sliders and window ratings, and the waste system. Several homes here have been renovated in stages, so ask what year each piece was done.
What is the flood picture?
Waterfront and near water parcels on the island carry real flood considerations. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration, at (321) 617-7340, is the official county repository for FEMA map panels and issues written determinations and elevation certificates.
What is nearby?
State Road 520 is right there, which puts Cocoa Village, Merritt Island shopping and Cocoa Beach within a short drive. Port Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are close by, and Orlando is about an hour by the Beachline.
Newfound Harbor Drive, Merritt Island 32952
The plat sits on the east side of Merritt Island, south of State Road 520 and west of the Banana River, in the same pocket as South Banana River Drive. Newfound Harbor Drive leaves 520 and runs south along the shoreline, with Anchor Lane, Gates Avenue and Old Causeway Road hanging off it. The Florida Department of Transportation has programmed safety improvements on the Merritt Island Causeway in the stretch from west of Newfound Harbor Drive to east of South Banana River Drive.
From here, State Road 520 runs east over the Banana River to Cocoa Beach and west across the Indian River to Cocoa and Interstate 95. Port Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are a short run north on Courtenay Parkway, State Road 3, and the Beachline, State Road 528, puts Orlando and its airport around an hour out. Merritt Island shopping on Merritt Island Causeway is minutes away.
Near New Found Harbor In Merritt Island
Considering New Found Harbor?
My partner Nichole and I sell waterfront on this island for a living, and we will tell you honestly what a seawall and a dock of that age are going to cost you, what the frontage is actually worth against the inland parcels two doors down, and what the county will and will not let you build. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will meet you on Newfound Harbor Drive.
