Living in Florida's Space Coast
South Tropical Estates
South Tropical Estates covers a short run of south Merritt Island between South Tropical Trail and South Courtenay Parkway. Sunset Lane comes off the Trail side with no association attached to it. Tropical Cove Drive and Red Sails Court, the cul de sac half reached from Courtenay, carry one. Same pocket, two different sets of rules.
South Tropical Estates In Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County, and this pocket is no exception. There is no city hall, no municipal police department and no city building department. Brevard County code sets your setbacks and your fence rules, the Sheriff's Office answers calls, and county Public Works maintains the roads. That is worth understanding before you compare a house here to one across the causeway in Cocoa Beach or Melbourne, because the permitting path is different.
The name question is the first thing to sort out. Property here changes hands under two labels, South Tropical Estates and South Tropical Cove, and the split is geographic. Sunset Lane runs in from South Tropical Trail, the river road, and is a dead end. Tropical Cove Drive runs west from South Courtenay Parkway with two cul de sacs off it, one of them Red Sails Court. Ask which plat a listing sits on before you ask anything else.
That split matters because the governing situation follows it. South Tropical Cove Homeowners' Association, Inc. is active with the Florida Division of Corporations, and an earlier registration under the same name is inactive. About half the houses that trade in this pocket carry an association and half carry none, and the ones with none sit on the Sunset Lane side. Dues apply on one side and not the other, so confirm the status in writing for the exact address rather than assuming the whole pocket works the same way.
The houses were built from 1977 through 1994 and the lots are strikingly uniform, right around a third of an acre each. Sizes run about 2,045 to 2,540 square feet, three and four bedrooms, two to three baths, two car garages. The Tropical Cove plans are typically two story with the primary suite downstairs and the rest of the bedrooms up. Four of the last six to sell had a screened pool. Homes here have been trading between $480,000 and $680,000.
One honest caution. These houses sit. The middle of the run is near four months on the market and one took over a year, which is long for south Merritt Island. Part of that is the two story layout, part is that a third of an acre on this stretch does not come with water frontage, and part is simply thin traffic. If you are buying, that is leverage. If you are buying to resell in three years, price accordingly.
South Tropical Estates At A Glance
South Tropical Estates at a glance, both halves of it.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Sunset Lane off South Tropical Trail, and Tropical Cove Drive and Red Sails Court off South Courtenay Parkway, south Merritt Island 32952 |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Brevard County. There is no municipality on Merritt Island, so the county land development code, county inspectors and the Sheriff's Office cover this address |
| Plat names | Records come in under two, South Tropical Estates and South Tropical Cove |
| Built | 1977 to 1994, with the middle of the run around 1985 |
| Home size | About 2,045 to 2,540 square feet, roughly 2,200 typical |
| Bedrooms | Three and four, with two to three baths |
| Lot size | Consistently about 0.34 acre |
| Construction | Concrete block, high and tray ceilings, two story plans on the Tropical Cove side with the primary suite on the first floor |
| Association | Split. About half the houses here carry one and half do not. South Tropical Cove Homeowners' Association, Inc. is active with the Florida Division of Corporations and applies to the Tropical Cove side, where dues apply. No association appears on record for the Sunset Lane side. Confirm the status in writing for the specific address |
| Garage | Two car, some oversized with long driveways |
| Pools | Common, mostly screened, several with heaters and one saltwater conversion |
| Yards | Fenced back yards are the norm, and the no association side allows boat and RV parking |
| Nearby park | Rotary Park on South Courtenay Parkway, a county river park with a fishing pier, nature center and boardwalk |
| Utilities | County service area. Confirm water, sewer or septic for the specific address |
| Days on market | Long by island standards, with the middle of the run near four months |
| Price range | $480,000 to $680,000, clustering near $527,500 |
South Tropical Estates Details
Ask Which Side First
Sunset Lane and Tropical Cove Drive are a short distance apart and they are not the same buy. One has covenants and a governing body, the other does not. Before you fall for a floor plan, find out which plat the parcel is on and what that carries with it.
Uniform Third Acre Lots
Almost every parcel here is about a third of an acre, which is unusual. It means the yards are comparable, the setbacks are comparable, and you are really choosing between houses rather than between lots. It also means room for a pool on the ones that do not have one.
Cul De Sacs, Not Through Streets
Tropical Cove Drive dead ends into two cul de sacs and Sunset Lane dead ends as well. Nothing here is a shortcut to anywhere, so the only cars on the pavement belong to people who live on it.
Two Story Living On The Island
Much of south Merritt Island is single story ranch. The Tropical Cove houses break that pattern with two story plans, formal living and dining rooms, and the primary suite kept downstairs. It buys square footage on a modest lot, and it narrows the buyer pool later.
Rotary Park Around The Corner
Brevard County's Rotary Park sits on South Courtenay Parkway on the Indian River, with a fishing pier, a nature center, a boardwalk and picnic pavilions. It is the closest thing this pocket has to a community amenity and it is free to use.
Patience Is Part Of The Purchase
Houses here take months to move. That is a genuine negotiating position for a buyer and a genuine planning problem for a seller. Go in knowing which side of that you are on, and do not read a long listing history as a sign that something is wrong with the house.
Homes For Sale In South Tropical Estates
Anything currently for sale on Sunset Lane, Tropical Cove Drive or Red Sails Court shows up below. Inventory is thin and it does not turn over quickly, so a listing worth seeing is usually still there next weekend.
South Tropical Estates Frequently Asked Questions
Is South Tropical Estates in a city?
No. All of Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County, so county code governs permits, setbacks and code enforcement, and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement. Your mailing address reads Merritt Island, which is a community name rather than a municipality.
Why do I see two different subdivision names?
Because there are two. Records here come in under South Tropical Estates and under South Tropical Cove. Sunset Lane, reached from South Tropical Trail, is the older side. Tropical Cove Drive and Red Sails Court, reached from South Courtenay Parkway, are the cul de sac side.
Is there a homeowners association?
It depends on the street. South Tropical Cove Homeowners' Association, Inc. is active with the Florida Division of Corporations and covers the Tropical Cove Drive side, where dues apply. No association appears on record for the Sunset Lane side. Verify in writing for the address you are considering.
Are any of the homes on the water?
Not within the plat itself. South Tropical Trail runs along the Indian River and there are riverfront parcels on that road, but the houses inside this pocket are interior lots. If waterfront is the requirement, we should be looking at a different search.
How big are the lots and the houses?
Lots are consistently around a third of an acre. Houses run roughly 2,045 to 2,540 square feet with three or four bedrooms and two to three baths, and the Tropical Cove plans are usually two story with the primary bedroom on the ground floor.
Can I keep a boat or an RV at the house?
On the side with no association, yes, and several owners do, using the side yard behind a fence. On the Tropical Cove side that is a covenant question, not a county question, so read the restrictions before you buy the trailer.
What is the closest park?
Rotary Park on South Courtenay Parkway, a Brevard County river park on the Indian River with a fishing pier, a playground, a nature center and a boardwalk. It is a short drive from either half of the neighborhood.
How long do homes take to sell here?
Longer than most of Merritt Island. The middle of the run is around four months and one recent listing took more than a year. That is a real advantage as a buyer and something to plan around as a seller.
Tropical Cove Drive, Merritt Island 32952
This is south Merritt Island, the stretch between SR 520 and the Pineda Causeway where the island narrows and South Tropical Trail hugs the Indian River. From SR 520 you head south on South Courtenay Parkway and turn west on Tropical Cove Drive. From the Pineda Causeway you come north on South Tropical Trail, which becomes Courtenay Parkway. Sunset Lane comes off the Trail a little farther south.
Drive times are the reason people choose this part of the island. Cocoa Beach is roughly fifteen minutes east over SR 520, Port Canaveral about twenty five minutes north, and Kennedy Space Center beyond that. The Pineda Causeway drops you onto Wickham Road and into Suntree and Viera in about twenty minutes, and SR 528 west of the island runs to Orlando in around forty five minutes.
Near South Tropical Estates In Merritt Island
Considering South Tropical Estates?
My partner Nichole and I sell south Merritt Island week in and week out, and this is one of the pockets where the answer to a simple question depends entirely on which street the house is on. Send us the address and we will tell you the plat, the governing situation and what the last few owners there dealt with. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
