Living in Florida's Space Coast
Stewarts Homestead
Stewarts Homestead is old homestead ground along South Tropical Trail near the south end of Merritt Island, where the parcels are measured in acres rather than lot lines. Every property here fronts water, most of it Indian River with one reach on the Banana River. Docks are the norm, septic is standard, and prices have run from the 800s to nearly three million dollars.
Stewarts Homestead In Merritt Island, Florida
Stewarts Homestead is not a subdivision in the modern sense. It is old homestead acreage carved along South Tropical Trail below the Pineda Causeway, where the island narrows and the road runs with the Indian River on one side. Every address is on Tropical Trail itself. Parcels range from about four tenths of an acre to over two acres, and the houses on them date from 1960 through brand new construction finished in 2026.
What ties the properties together is water. All six of the most recent transactions fronted a river, four of them the Indian River and one the Banana River, with several holding frontage that reaches toward both. Four are on navigable intracoastal water and five have a dock, two with a boat slip. This is deep water by Space Coast standards, which is why the per foot pricing here runs above 500 dollars, roughly double the island average.
The age spread tells you what actually trades. You will find a 1960s block house on an acre, a 1970s two-story under mature oaks and palms, a guest garage apartment of only 600 square feet on two-plus acres, and a 2026 custom estate with impact glass, ten foot ceilings and a hundred feet of seawall. Several transactions have effectively been land purchases where the existing house was incidental to the frontage.
There is no homeowners association, no dues and no covenants, which is normal for homestead-era plats. Five of the six properties run on septic rather than public sewer, and public water serves the corridor. Lots carry heavy tree cover, which is part of the appeal and part of the upkeep. Brevard County code governs, since Merritt Island is unincorporated and there is no city layer above it.
Negotiation here looks nothing like the rest of the island. Properties sit about nine weeks on average and settle around 84 percent of their first asking price, which is the widest gap I see in any Merritt Island neighborhood. The reason is simple: the buyer pool for a two million dollar riverfront acre is small, and initial pricing is often aspirational. Come in patient and well advised and there is real room to work.
Stewarts Homestead At A Glance
The facts on Stewarts Homestead, as they stand.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | South Merritt Island, South Tropical Trail between the Pineda Causeway and Mathers Bridge, Merritt Island FL 32952 |
| Built | 1960 through 2026, with the middle around 1975 |
| Home size | 600 to 3,853 square feet, about 2,226 square feet typical |
| Bedrooms | 1 to 5, most commonly 3, with 1 to 5 bathrooms |
| Lot size | 0.39 to 2.24 acres, with about 0.92 acre typical |
| Construction | Concrete block on every property, stucco on most, shingle roofs |
| Association | None. No homeowners association, no dues and no covenants. Brevard County code governs property standards |
| Streets | South Tropical Trail |
| Water frontage | Every property. Indian River on four, Banana River on one, with intracoastal and navigable frontage on most |
| Docks | Five properties with a dock, two with a boat slip |
| Pools | Five of six have a private in-ground pool |
| Garage | 1 to 3 bays, 2 typical |
| Utilities | Public water. Septic tank on five of six properties rather than public sewer |
| Time on market | About nine weeks is typical |
| Price range | 818,000 to 2,965,000 dollars, with the middle near 1,400,000 dollars |
| Price per square foot | About 502 dollars |
Stewarts Homestead Details
Deep Water, Both Rivers
The southern tip of Merritt Island narrows to a strip with the Indian River west and the Banana River east. Several parcels here reach toward both, and the intracoastal frontage on this stretch carries some of the deepest water along the Space Coast. That is the asset. The house is often secondary.
Acreage You Cannot Replace
Parcels run from four tenths of an acre to over two acres under mature oaks and palms. Nothing new is being platted at this size on Merritt Island. When one of these comes available, the land is the reason, and the improvement can always be changed later.
Septic, Not Sewer
Five of six properties run on a septic system. That means a septic inspection and a tank location on the survey are non-negotiable items in your due diligence, and it affects where a pool, an addition or a second structure can go.
Mathers Bridge At The End
South Tropical Trail runs down to Mathers Bridge, a 1927 low swing span moved to its present crossing in 1952, carrying the road over the Banana River. It opens for boats and it has been closed for repairs more than once. Confirm its current status if your route depends on it.
Real Negotiating Room
Properties here settle around 84 percent of their original asking price after about nine weeks. That gap is not a sign of weakness, it is what happens when unique waterfront gets priced by aspiration. Bring comparables, bring patience, and expect the conversation to take a few rounds.
Marine Permits Matter
Docks, seawalls and boat lifts go through Brevard County Planning and Development as a Residential Marine Construction permit, with separate Natural Resources review for shoreline work and a survey less than 180 days old. On a property where the dock is half the value, verify it was permitted.
Homes For Sale In Stewarts Homestead
Anything available along this stretch of South Tropical Trail is shown below. Listings are infrequent and each one is genuinely different from the last.
Stewarts Homestead Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Stewarts Homestead on Merritt Island?
It is on South Tropical Trail in south Merritt Island, FL 32952, roughly one and a half to two miles south of the Pineda Causeway and north of Mathers Bridge. Every property fronts the road on one side and river on the other.
Is there an HOA at Stewarts Homestead?
No. This is homestead-era acreage with no association, no dues and no covenants. Merritt Island is unincorporated Brevard County, so county code is the governing layer for property standards and permitting.
Do the properties have boat access?
Yes, and it is the main reason people buy here. Four of six front navigable intracoastal water, five have a dock and two have a boat slip. The water off this stretch is among the deeper frontage on the Space Coast, which is why larger vessels are kept here.
What do properties cost?
The range has run from about 818,000 dollars to nearly three million, with the middle around 1.4 million. Per foot pricing is close to 502 dollars, roughly double the island average, because you are paying for acreage and deep water rather than for the house.
Are these houses on septic or sewer?
Five of the six properties use a septic tank, with public water serving the corridor. A septic inspection, a tank and drainfield location on the survey, and confirmation of any permitted repairs belong in your inspection period.
How much room is there to negotiate?
More than anywhere else on the island. Properties here have settled near 84 percent of their original asking price after roughly nine weeks on the market. Bring supporting comparables and be prepared for a longer back and forth than a typical Merritt Island transaction.
Can you tear down and rebuild?
Several of these transactions have been land purchases where the existing structure mattered little, and a new estate finished on this stretch in 2026. Setbacks, shoreline review, septic placement and tree cover all shape what is possible, so confirm with Brevard County Planning and Development before you assume a footprint.
Is Stewarts Homestead in a flood zone?
Waterfront acreage is evaluated parcel by parcel. Brevard County Public Works Floodplain Administration, at (321) 617-7340, is the official county repository for the FEMA flood map panels and issues written flood zone determinations and elevation certificates. On a riverfront purchase, get that in hand early.
South Tropical Trail, Merritt Island 32952
This stretch of South Tropical Trail is the quiet tail of Merritt Island, where the island narrows to a ribbon between the Indian River and the Banana River. The Pineda Causeway crosses about a mile and a half to two miles north and is the fast way to Interstate 95 and Suntree. To the south the road ends at Mathers Bridge, the 1927 swing span that carries traffic over to the Indialantic side of the Banana River.
Practically, you are trading convenience for setting. State Road 520 and the Merritt Island commercial corridor are a fifteen to twenty minute drive north. Melbourne and the Suntree area are about twenty-five minutes by way of the Pineda. Cocoa Beach is a similar run. What you get in exchange is dark sky, water on both sides of the road, and neighbors measured in acres rather than in feet of frontage.
Near Stewarts Homestead In Merritt Island
Considering Stewarts Homestead?
Buying riverfront acreage is a slower, more technical purchase than buying a house in a subdivision, and the work happens in the survey, the septic report, the dock permits and the shoreline review. My partner Nichole and I have handled this stretch of South Tropical Trail and we will tell you honestly what the land is worth against what it is asking. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will walk the frontage together.
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