Living in Florida's Space Coast
Watermill
Watermill is a small deed restricted pocket off South Courtenay Parkway, about four miles below State Road 520. Every street carries a mill name, every lot runs right around a third of an acre, and nearly every house has a pool. Homes went up between 1989 and 1992 and run 2,149 to 3,100 square feet, most with four bedrooms.
Watermill In Merritt Island, Florida
Turn west off South Courtenay Parkway onto Watermill Drive and the theme announces itself. Millrace Way, Millwheel Drive, Brookstone Drive, Willowbrook Road. The whole community was platted and built in one tight window between 1989 and 1992, which gives it something most Merritt Island neighborhoods do not have: consistency. Lot sizes barely vary, the streetscape matches, and there are no 1960s ranches mixed in among the two story plans.
Houses here are larger than the island norm for the price. The range runs 2,149 to 3,100 square feet with about 2,493 in the middle, four bedrooms almost across the board, two to three full baths, and a two car garage. Roughly half are single story and half two story, several with a first floor primary suite and a loft above. Construction is stucco over block or frame under shingle.
Pools are effectively standard equipment. Six of seven homes here have an in ground pool, and a good share of those are screened, salt systems or fitted with a waterfall feature. That is what a third acre lot buys you in this part of the island: real backyard, room for a screen cage, and enough setback that the neighbor's cage is not two feet from yours.
The association is real but light. Watermill Association, Inc. is an active Florida nonprofit and annual dues have run about 258 to 280 dollars, most commonly 270. There are recorded covenants, so this is a mandatory association rather than a voluntary one, but the fee buys common area upkeep rather than an amenity package. Nobody is paying for a clubhouse here.
The one thing to plan for is septic. Every home in Watermill runs its own septic system with public water. Only a single lot in the community touches water and that canal is not navigable, so this is a dry neighborhood by design. Prices have run from about 400,000 to 725,000 with the middle near 635,000, around 245 dollars a foot, and homes trade fast, often inside three weeks.
Watermill At A Glance
Watermill in brief, before you go walk it.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | West off South Courtenay Parkway, about four miles south of State Road 520, Merritt Island 32952 |
| Built | 1989 to 1992, effectively one build cycle |
| Home size | 2,149 to 3,100 square feet, about 2,493 in the middle |
| Bedrooms | Four bedrooms standard, two to three full baths |
| Lot size | Consistently about 0.34 acre |
| Construction | Stucco over block and frame, shingle roofs, mix of one and two story |
| Association | Watermill Association, Inc., mandatory, about 258 to 280 dollars annually |
| Utilities | Public water with septic systems |
| Price range | About 400,000 to 725,000, middle near 635,000 |
| Price per square foot | Around 245 dollars |
| Pools | In ground pools on nearly every home, many screened, some salt systems |
| Water frontage | Effectively none; a single lot touches a non navigable canal |
| Garage | Two car |
| Storm protection | Impact windows on a meaningful share of the homes |
| Streets | Watermill Drive, Millrace Way, Millwheel Drive, Brookstone Drive, Willowbrook Road |
| Gated | No |
| Age restricted | No |
| Typical time to sell | Under three weeks |
Watermill Details
One Build Cycle, One Look
Everything here went up inside four years. That means comparable rooflines, comparable setbacks and comparable lot sizes down every street. It makes valuation cleaner and it makes the neighborhood read as a whole rather than a patchwork.
Square Footage For The Money
Around 245 dollars a foot for 2,500 square feet on a third acre with a pool is a different value equation than waterfront Merritt Island. If interior space and yard matter more to you than dockage, this is where that trade gets made.
A Cheap Mandatory Association
Watermill Association, Inc. is an active Florida nonprofit with recorded covenants and annual dues near 270 dollars. You get standards on the street without a monthly assessment, which is a middle ground a lot of buyers are looking for and rarely find.
Pools Already Built
Six of seven homes have an in ground pool, most under screen. Adding a cage and pool to a bare lot today costs far more than the spread between a pool home and a non pool home here, so buying one already in place is usually the better math.
Septic, Not Sewer
Every property runs a septic system with public water. Ask for the age of the tank and drainfield, the last pump out, and whether any addition or pool deck was built over the field. It is routine here, but it is not optional diligence.
It Moves Quickly
Homes in Watermill typically go under contract inside three weeks. If you want in, be pre approved, be able to see it the day it comes out, and know your number in advance. Waiting a weekend has cost buyers this neighborhood before.
Homes For Sale In Watermill
What is available now in and around Watermill is shown below. Turnover here is low and the window is short, so set an alert rather than checking in occasionally.
Watermill Frequently Asked Questions
Does Watermill have an HOA and what does it cost?
Yes. Watermill Association, Inc. is an active Florida nonprofit corporation with recorded covenants, and annual dues have run roughly 258 to 280 dollars, most commonly around 270. It is a mandatory association, not a voluntary one.
Is Watermill on sewer?
No. Every home in Watermill is on a septic system with public water service. Have the tank located and the drainfield evaluated during your inspection period, and confirm setbacks before planning an addition or a new pool deck.
Are there waterfront homes in Watermill?
Essentially no. One lot in the community touches a canal and that canal is not navigable. If you want a boat behind the house on Merritt Island, look at the Sykes Creek and Banana River neighborhoods instead.
How big are the lots?
They are remarkably uniform at right around a third of an acre, roughly 0.34 acre across the community. That consistency is a product of the plat being laid out and built in a single cycle between 1989 and 1992.
Are these one story or two story homes?
Both. The community splits fairly evenly between single story plans and two story plans, and several of the two story homes place the primary suite on the first floor with a loft or bonus room upstairs.
How fast do homes sell here?
Fast. Typical time to contract runs under three weeks, which is well ahead of the Merritt Island average. Low inventory and consistent construction keep demand steady, so be ready to move when something comes out.
Is Watermill gated or age restricted?
Neither. There is no gate at the entrance on Watermill Drive and no age restriction on ownership or occupancy. The recorded covenants govern property use, not who lives there.
What is the commute like from Watermill?
You are on South Courtenay Parkway, which runs straight north to State Road 520 in about eight minutes and south to the Pineda Causeway. Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral are a longer run north, roughly thirty to thirty five minutes.
Watermill Drive off South Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island 32952
The entrance is on the west side of South Courtenay Parkway, State Road 3, roughly four to four and a half miles south of State Road 520. Watermill Drive is the only way in. Millrace Way peels off immediately on the left, and Millwheel Drive, Brookstone Drive and Willowbrook Road complete the loop behind it. There is no through traffic, because there is nowhere to cut through to.
State Road 520 and the Merritt Island retail corridor sit about eight minutes north, with Cocoa Beach roughly twenty minutes east across the causeway. Heading south, the Pineda Causeway carries you to Suntree and I-95 in about fifteen minutes. Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral are thirty to thirty five minutes north on Courtenay Parkway and the Beachline.
Near Watermill In Merritt Island
Considering Watermill?
Watermill turns over a handful of times a year and the good ones are gone in a fortnight. The buyers who win here are the ones already positioned when the sign goes up. My partner Nichole and I can get you set up on the street, tell you which plans have the first floor primary and what the septic history looks like on a given block. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
Just move-in and enjoy! :) The major updates have already been completed! Beautifully updated with 2493 square feet of living space - 4-bedroom, 3 full bath pool home in ...
- 4 Beds
- 3 Baths
- 1084285 MLS
