Living in Florida's Space Coast
Sunset Lakes
Sunset Lakes sits west of North Courtenay Parkway, roughly a mile north of the Canaveral Barge Canal, behind a coded gate. Ten lakes thread through 469 homes built mostly between 1993 and 2004. Expect 1,349 to 3,618 square feet, a screened pool on most lots, and cul-de-sac streets carrying Irish county names alongside the sunlight ones.
Sunset Lakes In Merritt Island, Florida
There is one way in. North Courtenay Parkway, about a mile above the barge canal, then a gate on Sunset Lakes Drive that you need a code to pass. Inside, the pavement loops instead of running straight, so through traffic never develops and a large share of homes end up on a cul-de-sac. Sunward Drive, Tipperary Drive, Sunbeam Court, Sunflower Court, Bantry Court, Limerick Drive and Killarney Court carry most of the addresses.
Construction ran from the early 1990s into the middle 2000s, which puts nearly everything here on concrete block and stucco under a shingle roof. Homes measure 1,349 to 3,618 square feet, with about 2,220 in the middle, and three bedrooms is the common count. Two-car garages are standard, three-car garages are not rare, and a handful of two-story plans with an upstairs loft break up an otherwise single-story streetscape.
Sunset Lakes Home Owners Association, Inc. governs all 469 residences and the dues are real money. Owners pay roughly $479 to $575 semi-annually, or about $1,150 a year, depending on the phase and the billing cycle. That covers the gate, the tennis and pickleball courts, the basketball court, the playgrounds, the gazebos, the jogging path and the common grounds. An off-site professional handles the day-to-day for the board.
The lakes are why people stop here, and they are also the thing to understand plainly. Ten of them sit inside the community and roughly four in ten homes back to water. That water is not navigable. What you get is a view, a fishing spot and a permanent buffer behind the house, not a boat lift. For river access the association keeps a private pier on the Indian River for owners.
Prices have run $375,000 to $715,000, with the middle near $509,250 and about $236 per square foot. Homes go under contract quickly, often inside three or four weeks, and sellers usually settle a few percent below the original asking figure. The tradeoff is the dues plus the covenants that come with a deed restricted community. If you plan to keep a boat trailer in the driveway year round, read the restrictions first.
Sunset Lakes At A Glance
The numbers behind Sunset Lakes, in plain terms.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | West of North Courtenay Parkway, about a mile north of the Canaveral Barge Canal, Merritt Island 32953 |
| Built | 1993 to 2004, median year 2000 |
| Home size | 1,349 to 3,618 square feet, median about 2,220 |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 6, most commonly 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 4 |
| Lot size | 0.13 to 0.38 acre, median about 0.18 |
| Construction | Concrete block and stucco, shingle roofs |
| Association | Mandatory. Sunset Lakes Home Owners Association, Inc. Dues run about $479 to $575 semi-annually, or roughly $1,150 annually |
| Utilities | Public water, public sewer |
| Price range | $375,000 to $715,000, median about $509,250 |
| Price per square foot | About $236 |
| Gated | Yes, coded gate at the Sunset Lakes Drive entrance |
| Age restricted | No |
| Pools | In-ground pools on the large majority of homes, most of them screened |
| Water frontage | Lake and pond frontage on roughly four in ten homes, not navigable |
| Amenities | Ten lakes, tennis and pickleball, basketball court, playgrounds, gazebos, jogging path, private Indian River pier |
| Streets | Sunward Drive, Tipperary Drive, Sunset Lakes Drive, Sunbeam Court, Sunflower Court, Bantry Court, Limerick Drive, Killarney Court |
Sunset Lakes Details
Ten Lakes Inside The Gate
The plat was drawn around water rather than dropping ponds in afterward. Ten lakes break the community into pockets, and the homes that back to them get a long view and no rear neighbor.
A Private Pier On The Indian River
The association maintains a pier on the Indian River for owner use. It is a fishing and sunset pier rather than a marina, but it gives a lake-lot owner a reason to walk down to open water.
Courts, Playgrounds And A Jogging Path
Tennis and pickleball courts, a basketball court, playgrounds, gazebos and a jogging path all sit inside the gate. For a community of this size the amenity load is unusually deep for North Merritt Island.
Block And Stucco, Built 1993 To 2004
Concrete block with stucco under shingle is the standard here. That construction era means modern floor plans and inspectable systems, and it also means most roofs and air handlers are now on their second or third replacement.
Pools Are The Norm, Not The Upgrade
The clear majority of homes came with an in-ground pool, and most of those are screened. Buying a house here without one is the exception, so price the pool cage and equipment into your inspection budget.
One Mile To State Road 528
The gate is roughly a mile north of the 528 interchange at Courtenay Parkway. That puts Port Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the run west toward Orlando all on one road.
Homes For Sale In Sunset Lakes
Here is what is currently available inside Sunset Lakes. Inventory in a 469-home community turns over steadily, so check back if nothing here fits.
Sunset Lakes Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunset Lakes gated?
Yes. Access is through a coded gate at the Sunset Lakes Drive entrance off North Courtenay Parkway. Owners can buy remotes and RFID decals through the association. Visitors and agents need a code, so plan showings ahead.
What are the dues in Sunset Lakes?
Most owners are billed semi-annually in the range of about $479 to $575, which works out to roughly $1,150 a year. The exact figure varies by phase. Dues cover the gate, the courts, the playgrounds, the jogging path and common grounds upkeep.
Can I keep a boat on the lakes?
No. The ten lakes inside Sunset Lakes are non-navigable stormwater and amenity lakes. They are for views, fishing and wildlife. Owners who want open water use the association pier on the Indian River, or trailer to a public ramp.
Is Sunset Lakes age restricted?
No. There is no age restriction on ownership or occupancy here. It is a standard deed restricted community governed by recorded covenants and an elected board.
How big are the homes in Sunset Lakes?
The range runs 1,349 to 3,618 square feet, with the median close to 2,220. Three bedrooms is the most common configuration, though four, five and six bedroom plans exist at the upper end. Two and three car garages are both common.
What do homes cost in Sunset Lakes?
The working range has been $375,000 to $715,000, with the middle near $509,250 and about $236 per square foot. Lakefront position, pool condition, garage count and whether the roof has been replaced move a house within that band.
Is Sunset Lakes in a flood zone?
Flood zone is determined lot by lot, and elevation inside the community varies. Call Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration at (321) 617-7340 for a written determination or an elevation certificate before you rely on any assumption.
How fast do homes sell here?
The typical home goes under contract in a few weeks rather than a few months. Sellers generally end up a few percent under their original asking figure, which suggests initial pricing tends to run optimistic.
Sunset Lakes Drive, Merritt Island 32953
Sunset Lakes occupies the block of North Merritt Island between North Courtenay Parkway and the Indian River, north of the Canaveral Barge Canal and south of the stretch that thins out toward Pine Island Road. The land west of the gate falls toward the river, which is why the association pier is reachable on foot rather than by car. Everything east of the gate is the Courtenay commercial corridor.
From the entrance, State Road 528 is about a mile south, and that single interchange does most of the work. Port Canaveral and the cruise terminals are roughly fifteen minutes east, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a similar run north, Cocoa Beach is about twenty minutes by way of State Road 520, and Orlando International Airport is generally forty-five minutes to an hour west depending on traffic through the toll plazas.
Near Sunset Lakes In Merritt Island
Considering Sunset Lakes?
Sunset Lakes rewards a buyer who knows which phase and which lake they want, because the difference between a pond view and a long lake view shows up in the price and in how the house lives. My partner Nichole and I sell inside this gate regularly and can tell you what a given street has been doing. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will set up a walk-through.
Experience Florida living at its finest in this stunning waterfront pool home located in the gated community of Sunset Lakes in Merritt Island. This spacious two-story ho...
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