Living in Florida's Space Coast
Malabar Lakes West
Malabar Lakes West is a half acre subdivision on the south side of Malabar Road, west of I-95, where Allison Drive and Kara Place dead end into pine and pond. Houses are large and custom leaning, 2,763 to 3,658 square feet, built between 2000 and 2006. Dues are $450 a year. Most homes are on septic.
Malabar Lakes West In Palm Bay, Florida
There are two associations here, not one, and they map to the two plats. Malabar Lakes West Homeowners' Association, Inc. was registered with the state in 2003 and covers the first plat. Malabar Lakes West Phase II Homeowner's Association, Inc. followed in 2004 for the second. Both are still active. Annual dues have run $375 to $450, which is the lowest carrying cost of any association community in west Palm Bay.
The lots are the reason to be here. Homesites run from about 0.52 to 0.64 of an acre, which is four times the footprint of a typical newer Palm Bay subdivision lot. Allison Drive runs south off Malabar Road with Kara Place off it, and both dead end, so there is no through traffic. A pond sits opposite part of Allison Drive, and several houses look across it rather than at another rooftop.
The houses match the lots. Plans run 2,763 to 3,658 square feet, four to five bedrooms, two to three baths, a mix of one and two story, some of them genuinely custom rather than production built. One of the larger ranch houses here is all brick, which is rare in this county. Stucco over block is more common, with shingle roofs and storm shutters on most. Garages range from two bays to five, counting detached space.
Here is the tradeoff you need to understand before you write an offer: the water is public but the sewer is not. Most houses here run on a septic tank and drainfield. That means no monthly sewer bill, and it also means a system you are responsible for maintaining, pumping and eventually replacing. Have the tank located, pumped and inspected during your due diligence, and ask where the drainfield sits relative to any addition or pool you are planning.
You are looking at $459,000 to $599,900, centering around $500,000, and at roughly $156 a square foot this is the least expensive space per dollar in the western half of the city. Houses also move fast, in around seventeen days, which tells you demand for half acre lots with low dues outruns supply. Annual tax bills have ranged from about $1,000 to $5,000 depending on homestead status and how long the owner has held.
Malabar Lakes West At A Glance
What Malabar Lakes West looks like on paper.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Allison Drive and Kara Place off Malabar Road, west of I-95, Palm Bay 32908 |
| Built | 2000 to 2006, about 2004 typical |
| Home size | 2,763 to 3,658 square feet, about 3,113 typical |
| Bedrooms | Four to five, with two to three baths |
| Levels | Mix of one and two story |
| Lot size | 0.52 to 0.64 of an acre, about 0.53 typical |
| Construction | Stucco over block with frame elements, one all brick ranch, shingle roofs, storm shutters common |
| Association | Mandatory. Roughly $375 to $450 per year. Two associations: Malabar Lakes West Homeowners' Association, Inc., registered 2003, and Malabar Lakes West Phase II Homeowner's Association, Inc., registered 2004. Both active |
| Garage | Two to five bays, including detached space on some properties |
| Pools | In ground screened pools on most of the properties, several with water features |
| Streets | Allison Drive and Kara Place, both dead end |
| Utilities | City water, private septic tank and drainfield on most homes |
| Price range | $459,000 to $599,900, typical $500,000 |
| Price per square foot | Around $156 |
| Taxes | Annual bills from roughly $1,000 to $5,000 depending on homestead status |
Malabar Lakes West Details
Two Associations, One Name
The first plat and the second plat each have their own association, both registered with the state and both still active. That matters because the fee, the budget and the governing documents are not automatically identical. Ask which plat the house sits on before you assume the number you were quoted applies.
Half An Acre, Dead End Streets
Homesites here run half an acre and up, and neither Allison Drive nor Kara Place goes anywhere. No cut through traffic, no sidewalk grid, room for a pool and a shop building and still have yard left. In a city where a fifth of an acre is normal, this is a different product entirely.
Septic Instead Of Sewer
The water is city supplied but most homes here treat their own waste on site. That saves a monthly sewer bill and costs you a maintenance obligation. Locate the tank, pump it, inspect it and find out where the drainfield runs before you plan any addition, driveway extension or pool.
Garage Space Is Real
Configurations run from two bays up to five once you count detached buildings. If you have a boat, a trailer, a project car or a trade that needs a shop, this is one of the few subdivisions in Palm Bay where the lot and the structure both support it without a variance conversation.
The Lowest Dues In The Area
Three hundred and seventy five to four hundred and fifty dollars, per year. Not per quarter. There is no gate, no clubhouse and no community pool to fund, which is precisely why. If you would rather own your own pool than share one, the math here is straightforward.
It Sells In Under Three Weeks
Around seventeen days from list to contract, the fastest pace of any community in this size range on the west side. Half acre lots with cheap dues and big garages are chronically undersupplied, so plan to view quickly and come prepared rather than waiting a weekend to decide.
Homes For Sale In Malabar Lakes West
Whatever is currently for sale in Malabar Lakes West is below. This is a small subdivision that sells quickly, so treat any listing you see here as time sensitive rather than something to circle back to.
Malabar Lakes West Frequently Asked Questions
How big are the lots in Malabar Lakes West?
Half an acre and up, generally 0.52 to 0.64 of an acre. That is roughly four times a typical lot in the newer gated subdivisions elsewhere in Palm Bay, and it is the main reason buyers choose this street over a community with more amenities.
Are the homes on septic or sewer?
Most are on a private septic tank and drainfield with city supplied water. There is no monthly sewer charge, but you own the system. Budget for pumping on a regular schedule and have the tank located and inspected before closing.
What are the association dues?
Roughly $375 to $450 a year, billed annually. There are two associations covering the two plats, one registered in 2003 and one in 2004, both still active with the state. Confirm which one governs the specific house you are looking at.
Is Malabar Lakes West gated?
No. There is no gate, no clubhouse and no community pool. The streets are public dead ends, which is part of why the annual assessment is as low as it is. Privacy here comes from lot size rather than from a guardhouse.
Do the homes have pools?
Most of them do, in ground and screened, several with water features. With half an acre to work with there is room for a full pool deck and a covered lanai without crowding the property line, which is not true of the tighter subdivisions nearby.
Why is the price per square foot so low?
About $156 a foot, the lowest in this part of the city, because you are buying twenty to twenty five year old houses with large footprints. The total price is high, around $500,000 typical, but you are getting size and land rather than new finishes.
How quickly do homes sell?
Around seventeen days. That is the fastest turnover of any comparable community on the west side, driven by short supply of half acre lots that also come with a garage big enough for equipment.
What is nearby?
Malabar Road runs east to I-95 at exit 173 and Minton Road, and west to St Johns Heritage Parkway. Fred Poppe Regional Park, with its soccer fields, disc golf course, jogging trail and the Ted Whitlock Community Center, sits along the Malabar Road corridor in the same stretch of west Palm Bay.
Allison Drive, Palm Bay 32908
Malabar Lakes West sits on the south side of Malabar Road on the far west edge of Palm Bay, past I-95 heading out toward St Johns Heritage Parkway. From the interstate you take exit 173, go west on Malabar Road, and turn left onto Allison Drive. Kara Place branches off it. Both streets dead end, so once you are in you are not passing through on the way to anywhere else.
The practical picture is space first, convenience second. I-95 at exit 173 is a few minutes east, and the parkway to the west connects north toward Ellis Road and Melbourne and south to the interstate at exit 166. Everyday shopping means driving east on Malabar toward Minton Road. This is the inland edge of the county, so a beach afternoon is a planned trip rather than a spur of the moment one.
Near Malabar Lakes West In Merritt Island
Considering Malabar Lakes West?
Half acre lots with cheap dues do not sit long, and the septic question is the one most buyers skip until it costs them. My partner Nichole and I can get the tank located and the plat confirmed early, tell you which of the two associations governs the house, and have you ready to write before the weekend crowd shows up. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
