Living in Florida's Space Coast
Quail Run Estates
Quail Run Estates is a short pair of streets, Quail Drive and Buttonwood Drive, entered from North Tropical Trail in north Merritt Island. It is unusual for its stretch of the island: a compact early nineties subdivision on quarter acre lots, with an association, dropped into a corridor of much older houses sitting on much larger pieces of ground.
Quail Run Estates In Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County, the island between the Indian River and the Banana River, so county code and county permitting apply and the sheriff patrols. There is no city government and no municipal police department. North of the Canaveral Barge Canal, where this plat sits, the island is quieter and more rural in feel, and North Tropical Trail runs along the Indian River side as a two lane road rather than a commercial strip.
The plat itself is tight and orderly. You enter from Tropical Trail onto Quail Drive, and Buttonwood Drive comes off it, ending in a cul de sac. That is the whole community. What makes it stand out is the contrast: most of what surrounds it on Tropical Trail is older housing on half acre, acre and multi acre parcels, while this is a single early nineties subdivision with uniform lots, uniform setbacks and sidewalk scale streets.
The houses were built between 1992 and 1994 and they are consistent with each other. Sizes run 1,752 to 2,004 square feet, three and four bedrooms, two baths, two car garages, on lots of 0.22 to 0.24 acre. Layouts are open and single story with vaulted ceilings, eat in kitchens, split bedrooms and covered screened porches. Roughly one in three has a pool, and several have been fully renovated inside in the last five years.
An association governs this community and membership applies. The records name it Quail Run Estates and pets are permitted. Because the plat is small, ask specific questions rather than general ones: what the assessment actually pays for, who maintains the entrance and any common landscaping, whether reserves are funded, and how architectural approval works if you plan to add a pool cage, a fence or a shed.
The tradeoff is straightforward. You are not buying land here and you are not buying water. What you are buying is a nineties house on a quiet street with an association keeping the neighborhood consistent, in a part of Merritt Island where most alternatives are older, larger and less predictable. Homes have traded in a narrow band between $440,000 and $475,000, which makes valuation unusually clean but leaves little room to buy under the market.
Quail Run Estates At A Glance
Quail Run Estates at a glance, a small plat with a tight price band.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Quail Drive and Buttonwood Drive off North Tropical Trail, north Merritt Island 32953 |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Brevard County. County code, county permitting and sheriff patrol, no city government |
| Recorded plat | One, Quail Run Estates |
| Streets | Two, Quail Drive and Buttonwood Drive, with a cul de sac at the end |
| Built | 1992 to 1994, a three year build out |
| Home size | 1,752 to 2,004 square feet, about 1,759 typical |
| Bedrooms | Three and four, with two baths |
| Lot size | 0.22 to 0.24 acre, uniform across the plat |
| Construction | Single story block, vaulted ceilings, split bedroom plans, eat in kitchens and covered screened porches. Impact windows, sliders and garage doors on at least one address |
| Association | Yes, and membership applies. The records name Quail Run Estates. Dues apply and pets are permitted. Ask what the assessment covers, who maintains the entrance, and how architectural approval works |
| Pools | About one in three, at least one with a screened cage and updated equipment |
| Waterfront | None. This is an interior plat with no frontage and no canal |
| Garage | Two car on every home |
| Accessibility | At least one home here has been remodeled with a roll in shower, dual fixtures and comfort height fittings |
| Utilities | County services. Confirm water source and waste system for the specific address |
| Price range | $440,000 to $475,000, a notably narrow band |
Quail Run Estates Details
A Subdivision On A Country Road
North Tropical Trail is lined with older homes on big parcels. Quail Run Estates is a planned early nineties plat with uniform lots dropped into the middle of that. If you want the island setting without the acreage upkeep, this is where it exists.
Two Streets And A Cul De Sac
Quail Drive in from Tropical Trail, Buttonwood off it, and done. No through traffic, no shortcut for anyone else, and a short enough loop that you know the whole street inside a month.
A Three Year Build Out
Everything went up between 1992 and 1994, so the construction era, the original roof line and the original mechanical layout are consistent across the plat. Comparing two houses here comes down to what each owner has done since.
Predictable Pricing
The band between the low and the high is narrow. That makes it easier to value a house here accurately and harder to find one significantly under the market, which is worth knowing before you plan an aggressive offer.
An Association, Which Is Rare Here
Most of north Merritt Island answers to nobody. This plat has a governing association and dues apply, which keeps the street consistent and adds a rulebook. Read the documents and decide whether that trade suits you.
Renovation Has Already Happened
Several of these houses have been taken through full interior remodels in recent years, with quartz, induction cooktops, new flooring, updated baths and 2023 roofs. Look closely at which improvements are cosmetic and which are structural.
Homes For Sale In Quail Run Estates
Current availability in Quail Run Estates is below. With only two streets, a listing here is not a monthly occurrence, and because the houses are so similar the differences that matter are the roof year, the mechanical ages and whether the interior has been updated.
Quail Run Estates Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quail Run Estates in a city?
No. Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County. County code governs setbacks and permits, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office patrols, and there is no city hall or municipal police department involved.
Is there a homeowners association?
Yes, and membership applies. The records name Quail Run Estates and pets are permitted. Dues apply. On a plat this small, get the current governing documents, budget and rules in writing and ask directly what the assessment covers.
How many streets and homes are there?
Two streets, Quail Drive and Buttonwood Drive, with a cul de sac. It is a compact plat, which is why so little comes up for sale in a given year.
When were the homes built?
Between 1992 and 1994. Everything shares that construction era, so roofs, windows and mechanical systems have been replaced at different times by different owners. Ask for the dates on each.
Are there waterfront lots?
No. This is an interior plat with no river frontage and no canal. If you want water access on this side of the island you are looking at the older acreage parcels along North Tropical Trail instead.
Do homes here have pools?
About one in three. At least one has a screened cage with recently replaced equipment. Because the lots are around a quarter acre, a pool takes most of the usable back yard, so decide which you would rather have.
What is the commute like?
North Tropical Trail connects east to Courtenay Parkway, State Road 3, by way of Lucas Road and Hall Road. Courtenay runs north to the Kennedy Space Center gate and south over the barge canal toward State Road 520, the Beachline and the beaches.
Quail Drive, Merritt Island 32953
The plat sits on the Indian River side of north Merritt Island, entered from North Tropical Trail between Lucas Road and the Merritt Island Causeway. Tropical Trail runs the length of the island on the river side and stays two lanes through here, with old grove parcels, large lots and water views along the way. Courtenay Parkway, State Road 3, is the island's main north south route a short distance east.
From Courtenay Parkway you run north to the Kennedy Space Center gate and the aerospace employers around it, or south across the Canaveral Barge Canal on the Christa McAuliffe Bridge toward Merritt Island shopping. State Road 520 crosses east to Cocoa Beach and west to Cocoa and Interstate 95. Port Canaveral is a short drive, and Orlando is about an hour west by way of the Beachline.
Near Quail Run Estates In Merritt Island
Considering Quail Run Estates?
My partner Nichole and I will tell you what this plat actually trades for against the older acreage houses up and down Tropical Trail, which renovations here were done well, and what the association documents commit you to. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will meet you at the top of Quail Drive.
