Living in Florida's Space Coast
The Savannahs
The Savannahs wraps around an 18 hole golf course on North Merritt Island, reached from Hall Road east of North Courtenay Parkway. Most homes back onto fairway, preserve or pond. Living area runs 1,852 to 3,136 square feet, built from 1989 into the 2010s. Tennis courts and a playground come with the assessment, and homes go under contract in about sixteen days.
The Savannahs In Merritt Island, Florida
You get here from North Courtenay Parkway by turning east on Hall Road and following it almost to the end, then turning into the community. Savannahs Trail is the spine and carries most of the addresses. Sand Ridge Drive and Sunset Ridge Drive branch off it. The whole plat sits north of the Canaveral Barge Canal, on the quieter half of the island where Hall Road runs east toward the Banana River and the pavement simply stops.
The golf course came first. It opened in 1989 as a Gordon Lewis design, eighteen holes at par 72 and roughly 6,600 yards from the back tees, with water in play on a majority of them. Brevard County owned it for years and has been working its way out of the golf business, and the course now operates as Space Coast Golf Club, still open to public play, with the clubhouse at 3915 Savannahs Trail. Twenty one of the last twenty seven homes to change hands here sit on it.
The houses span a long build window, 1989 to 2015, with the middle around 1997. Concrete block with stucco is the norm, shingle roofs, and most are single story. Living area runs 1,852 to 3,136 square feet, typically about 2,302, in three, four and five bedroom layouts with two to four baths. Lots are a quarter acre to a third. Twenty of twenty seven have an in ground pool, more than half of those screened, which is a high rate for North Merritt Island.
The Savannahs at Sykes Creek Homeowners' Association, Inc. has been an active Florida nonprofit corporation since December 1989, with its principal address at the golf clubhouse. TCB, a Cocoa based property manager, serves as registered agent. Most parcels pay $490 a year. A smaller group has been assessed closer to $1,800 a year, so ask which tier your address falls in before you write an offer. Tennis courts, a playground and a clubhouse are included. There is no gate and no age restriction.
Pricing has run $350,000 to $710,000 with the middle at $550,000 and about $232 a square foot, which is a lot of house for the money once you compare it to golf communities on the mainland. Time to contract has been about sixteen days and sellers have settled near 97 percent of their original asking price, so this is a fast, firm market. County tax bills range widely, from around $814 for a long homesteaded owner to $7,607, with the middle near $5,337.
The Savannahs At A Glance
The Savannahs at a glance, from the fairway lots to the assessment tiers.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | North Merritt Island, north of the barge canal, off Hall Road east of North Courtenay Parkway |
| Built | 1989 to 2015, most homes around 1997 |
| Home size | 1,852 to 3,136 square feet, about 2,302 typical |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 5, most commonly 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 4, typically 3 |
| Lot size | 0.25 to 0.34 acre, about 0.26 typical |
| Construction | Concrete block with stucco, shingle roofs, mostly single story |
| Golf | 18 holes, par 72, a 1989 Gordon Lewis design, roughly 6,600 yards, open to public play |
| Golf frontage | 21 of the last 27 homes to trade sit on the course |
| Association | The Savannahs at Sykes Creek Homeowners' Association, Inc., mandatory, $490 a year for most parcels with a higher tier near $1,800 a year |
| Association amenities | Golf course, tennis courts, playground, clubhouse |
| Pools | In ground pools on 20 of 27 homes, many screened |
| Water frontage | Limited. A few homes sit on a non navigation canal, and pond views are common |
| Garage | 2 to 3 bays |
| Utilities | Public water and public sewer |
| Streets | Savannahs Trail, Sand Ridge Drive, Sunset Ridge Drive |
| Gated | No, and no age restriction |
| Price range | $350,000 to $710,000, around $232 per square foot |
The Savannahs Details
Twenty One Of Twenty Seven On The Course
Golf frontage is not the exception here, it is the default. Fairway and pond views show up on the large majority of homes that trade, and the back yards open onto maintained turf rather than a neighbor's fence. The tradeoff is honest: you will find the occasional ball in the yard, and low netting is a common addition.
A Gordon Lewis Course From 1989
Eighteen holes at par 72, roughly 6,600 yards from the tips, with water on most of the layout and six sets of tees. It has been through a county ownership era and now runs as Space Coast Golf Club, open to the public. Living on it does not mean you play free, so price a membership separately.
Public Water And Public Sewer
North Merritt Island runs heavily to septic, and this plat does not. Every home here is on public water and public sewer. That removes drainfield age, tank location and county septic permits from your inspection list, which is worth real money on a 1990s house.
Tennis And A Playground In The Dues
The assessment covers tennis courts, a playground and a clubhouse, which is unusual at this price on Merritt Island. Most subdivisions on the island collect dues that maintain an entrance sign and nothing else. Here there is actual amenity behind the number.
Pools On Most Of The Street
Twenty of the last twenty seven homes had an in ground pool, more than half of them screened, several with attached spas. Because the neighborhood is not on navigable water, a pool here is not carrying a waterfront premium, so the effective cost of the cage is reasonable.
Sixteen Days To Contract
This is one of the faster moving pockets on the island, and sellers have been settling near 97 percent of their original asking price. That combination, quick and firm, means you need financing lined up and a willingness to see a home the week it comes up.
Homes For Sale In The Savannahs
Current availability inside The Savannahs. Golf frontage sells first here, and the interior lots and pond lots often present better value once you compare price per square foot.
The Savannahs Frequently Asked Questions
What are the HOA dues in The Savannahs?
Most parcels pay $490 a year to The Savannahs at Sykes Creek Homeowners' Association, Inc. A smaller group of addresses has been assessed nearer $1,800 a year. Confirm which figure applies to the specific parcel before you commit, because the difference is meaningful over a hold period.
Do I have to join the golf club to live here?
No. The course is open to public play and living on a fairway does not include playing privileges. Memberships and tee times are handled by the club directly, so budget that separately from your association assessment.
Is The Savannahs gated or age restricted?
Neither. The entrance off Hall Road is open, and there is no age restriction on ownership or occupancy. What keeps traffic down is geography: Hall Road dead ends to the east, so almost nobody drives through here on the way to somewhere else.
Are there waterfront homes in The Savannahs?
Not in the boating sense. A handful of parcels back to a non navigation canal and quite a few look out over ponds on the golf course, but there is no dock access from the neighborhood. For boat water on North Merritt Island you are looking at the Banana River or Indian River frontage streets instead.
What kind of construction should I expect?
Concrete block with stucco, shingle roofs, mostly single story, built between 1989 and 2015. The oldest homes here are now past the age where an original roof or air handler survives, so verify replacement dates. Pool cage screening and pool surfaces are the other predictable capital items.
How fast do homes sell in The Savannahs?
About sixteen days to contract, which is quick by Merritt Island standards, and sellers have been holding near 97 percent of their original asking price. Practically, that means the negotiating room is thin and the timeline is short.
What are property taxes like?
Annual county bills have run from roughly $814 to $7,607, with the middle near $5,337. The low end reflects long term homesteaded owners with capped assessments. A purchase resets the assessed value, so budget from the upper half of that range if you are buying now.
How far is it to the beach, the port and Orlando?
State Road 528 is a short run south from Hall Road, which puts Port Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center close and Orlando International Airport about an hour out. Cocoa Beach is reached by taking 528 east or dropping south to State Road 520.
Savannahs Trail, Merritt Island 32953
The Savannahs is in the 32953 ZIP code on North Merritt Island, north of the Canaveral Barge Canal. From North Courtenay Parkway you turn east at the Hall Road light and follow Hall Road most of the way to its end before turning into the community. Savannahs Trail loops through the golf course and feeds Sand Ridge Drive and Sunset Ridge Drive. Hall Road continues east toward the Banana River shoreline.
Because the barge canal separates this half of the island from the central retail corridor, everyday errands mean a short drive south on Courtenay Parkway. In exchange you get State Road 528 within a few minutes, which is the fastest road on the island: Port Canaveral and the cruise terminals to the east, Kennedy Space Center to the north, and Orlando to the west at roughly an hour. State Road 520 is farther south for Cocoa Beach and Interstate 95.
Near The Savannahs In Merritt Island
Considering The Savannahs?
Not every fairway lot here is the same, and the assessment tier is not obvious from the street. My partner Nichole and I know which stretches of Savannahs Trail take the most golf traffic, which ponds hold water year round, and which addresses carry the higher dues. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will walk it with you before you narrow the list.
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