Living in Florida's Space Coast
Skylark Estates
Skylark Estates is a small plat recorded in the early 1960s just north of State Road 520, between North Courtenay Parkway and the Sykes Creek side of the island. First Street, Richland Avenue, Larkview Street and Skylark Avenue hold the addresses. Homes are 1,213 to 1,529 square feet of concrete block. There is no association and no dues.
Skylark Estates In Merritt Island, Florida
This is a compact neighborhood, a few short streets off North Courtenay Parkway a little above State Road 520. From Courtenay you turn onto Skylark Avenue, Richland Avenue or First Street and you are through the whole thing in a minute. Larkview Street picks up the remainder. The lots are regular, about a sixth of an acre, laid out when Merritt Island was absorbing the first wave of space program hiring.
Every house here dates to 1963 or 1964. They are concrete block, single story, three bedrooms and two baths in the standard configuration, running 1,213 to 1,529 square feet. Garages are usually one car, occasionally two. Shingle roofs are the rule. Several have been renovated hard: new roofs, impact windows, whole-house repipes, 200 amp panels, open-plan kitchens. Others still read like 1964, which is where the price differences come from.
Five of seven homes here have an in-ground pool, most of them screened, which is a high ratio for a neighborhood of this size and vintage. On a 1,200 square foot house a screened pool changes how the property lives, effectively adding an outdoor room. It also adds a cage, a pump and a resurfacing cycle to the inspection list, so treat the pool as a system rather than a bonus.
There is no homeowners association. Nothing bills you, nothing reviews your paint color, and nobody objects to a trailer in the side yard as long as county code is satisfied. A small number of lots reach a canal on the Sykes Creek side with a dock, but the neighborhood is not fundamentally a waterfront one. Most owners here trailer their boat to a ramp rather than keeping it behind the house.
Prices have run $315,000 to $468,000 with a median near $380,000 and about $265 per square foot. What is notable is speed: homes here go under contract in roughly two weeks, faster than most of Merritt Island, because the entry price attracts a deep pool of buyers. Sellers usually settle around six percent under their original figure. Age of the systems is the negotiating point, every time.
Skylark Estates At A Glance
The plain facts on Skylark Estates.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | North of State Road 520, east of North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island 32953 |
| Built | 1963 to 1964 |
| Home size | 1,213 to 1,529 square feet, median about 1,300 |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 4, most commonly 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Lot size | 0.17 to 0.20 acre |
| Construction | Concrete block, single story, shingle roofs, some with stucco or stone accents |
| Association | None. No homeowners association and no dues |
| Utilities | Public water and public sewer on nearly every lot |
| Price range | $315,000 to $468,000, median about $380,000 |
| Price per square foot | About $265 |
| Garage | One car most commonly, two on some homes |
| Pools | In-ground pools on five of seven homes, most screened |
| Water | Mostly interior lots. A small number reach a canal on the Sykes Creek side |
| Days to contract | About two weeks, among the faster turns on the island |
| Streets | First Street, Richland Avenue, Larkview Street, Skylark Avenue |
| Gated | No |
Skylark Estates Details
An Entry Price That Still Exists
A median near $380,000 puts Skylark Estates at the accessible end of Merritt Island. For a buyer who wants the island address, the beach run and the Cape commute without a $600,000 mortgage, this is one of the few plats that answers.
Pools On Most Of The Lots
Five of seven homes have an in-ground pool, and most are screened. That is unusual for a neighborhood of small 1960s block houses and it changes the value equation on a 1,300 square foot floor plan.
Nothing To Pay, Nobody To Ask
No association, no dues, no architectural review. County code governs, since Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County. Park the trailer, paint the door, replace the windows on your own schedule.
Walkable To The Courtenay Corridor
The commercial spine of Merritt Island runs a block or two west. Groceries, pharmacy, hardware and restaurants sit within a very short drive, and State Road 520 is minutes away for the beach or the mainland.
Solid Bones, Aging Systems
1963 and 1964 block construction holds up well. The variables are the roof, the panel, the plumbing and the windows. Homes with documented replacements command the top of the range, and they are worth it.
Fast Moving Inventory
Homes here typically go under contract in about two weeks. If you are shopping this price band on Merritt Island, be ready to see a listing the day it appears rather than the weekend after.
Homes For Sale In Skylark Estates
Current Skylark Estates listings are shown below. This is a small plat, so availability comes and goes quickly.
Skylark Estates Frequently Asked Questions
Does Skylark Estates have an HOA?
No. There is no homeowners association, no dues and no architectural committee. Merritt Island is unincorporated, so Brevard County code and your deed are the governing documents.
When was Skylark Estates built?
Essentially all at once, in 1963 and 1964. The homes are concrete block, single story, three bedrooms and two baths in the typical layout, between 1,213 and 1,529 square feet.
Is Skylark Estates waterfront?
Mostly no. It is an interior plat. A small number of lots reach a canal on the Sykes Creek side and at least one has a dock, but the neighborhood should be evaluated as inland property with water nearby rather than as waterfront.
What do homes cost?
The range has run $315,000 to $468,000 with the middle near $380,000, or about $265 per square foot. Condition drives the spread more than location does within a plat this small.
What should I inspect?
Roof age, electrical panel and service size, supply and drain plumbing, window type, and the pool equipment and cage if there is one. Homes with a documented repipe, a newer panel and impact windows carry real premiums here.
How fast do these homes sell?
About two weeks to go under contract is typical, which is quick for Merritt Island. Sellers generally settle near six percent below their original asking figure, so there is usually room, but not much time to think.
Is it close to the beach?
State Road 520 is minutes south and runs straight east to Cocoa Beach, roughly twenty minutes door to sand. The same road runs west to Cocoa Village and the mainland in about the same time.
Is Skylark Estates in a flood zone?
That is parcel specific and worth confirming in writing. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration at (321) 617-7340 is the official county source for FEMA panels, written determinations and elevation certificates.
First Street, Merritt Island 32953
Skylark Estates occupies a pocket of central Merritt Island between North Courtenay Parkway and the land that falls toward Sykes Creek, a short distance north of the State Road 520 intersection. It is one of the closest residential plats to the island's main commercial corridor, which is both its convenience and its tradeoff: you are near everything, including the traffic on Courtenay.
From First Street, State Road 520 is about two minutes south. That single road puts Cocoa Beach and the Atlantic roughly twenty minutes east and Cocoa Village and US 1 about fifteen minutes west. State Road 528 is a few minutes north on Courtenay for Port Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the westbound drive toward Orlando International Airport, generally around an hour.
Near Skylark Estates In Merritt Island
Considering Skylark Estates?
Homes in this price band on Merritt Island go under contract fast, and the ones with a documented roof, repipe and panel go fastest. My partner Nichole and I will tell you honestly which listings are renovated and which are repainted. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will get you in the door early.
This completely renovated POOL home / 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom offers 1,213 square feet of stylish living in the heart of Merritt Island. Just minutes from the Space Center...
- 3 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 1083382 MLS
