Changes are happening at Patrick! I thought it was pretty cool when Patrick Air Force Base was officially chosen to be part of the Space Force in 2020 along with the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Patrick Space Force Base will be the permanent headquarters for Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM).
What does this mean? Patrick is going to be busy. You can see all the construction happening on the base as you drive down A1A. The north gate is being moved and updated. New structures and buildings are being built.
This fall, there are 350 personnel that will be permanently stationed at Patrick that will include 69 officers, 49 enlisted, and 130 civilian personnel. STARCOM will be the primary location for the training of the Guardians (aka Space Force Service Members)
Patrick Space Force Base will also be the home for Space Delta 10. This delta develops the Space Force doctrine and tactics, conducts the service’s lesson-learned program, and executes/supports wargames to posture Space Forces and designate joint & allied partners.
If you received your PCS orders to Patrick, you are probably starting your research on where you will be living if you decide to live off base. Patrick is located in Brevard County. The way Brevard County is set up and where Patrick is located, you can live almost anywhere in the county and be at either the south gate or the north gate in under 45 minutes. You need to stay south of Highway 50 in Titusville and north of Malabar Rd in Palm Bay. More than likely, you will be living in no particular order; Merritt Island, Rockledge, Melbourne, Cocoa, or Palm Bay.
Melbourne is the 2nd largest city in Brevard in both population and size and the closest city on the mainland from Patrick. This area is mostly single family homes that offers a good mix of options both in homeowner associations and outside of HOA’s. You have a variety of options homes in Melbourne Florida. You can find older homes from the early 1900’s to new construction. Lot sizes from 40’ wide to multi acre homesites. Waterfront options include living on Lake Washington/St John’s River, the Intracoastal Waterway, a tributary of the Intracoastal, a lake/pond, or dry lot. Home prices are from $200K to $1M+. Condos & townhomes range from mid $100s to $1M+.
Rentals in Melbourne are $1700 and up for houses and $1300 and up for condos/townhomes.
Viera and Suntree is one of the more popular sections of Brevard County and is located outside the city limits of Melbourne and Rockledge Florida. You can find homes, condos, & townhomes here. The older homes in Viera or Suntree were built in the 1980’s. There has been a lot of construction in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. West Viera offers a lot of brand new construction. Just know that this section of Brevard County (Viera and Suntree) are all HOA’s. If you do not like the idea of living in a Home Owners Association, then consider other parts of Brevard County. The Viera area is a Master Planned Community.
All of the homes, condos, and townhomes are either on a dry lot, on a lake/pond, back to a preserve, or could be on a golf course. There are only a handful of homes that are on the river. Home prices range from the mid $300K to over $1M. You can find condos and townhomes ranging from $175K to $600K.
Rentals in the Suntree Viera area. Single family homes are $2500 and up. Condos or townhomes are $1300 and up.
Rockledge Florida is Brevard County’s oldest city and is located just north of the Melbourne area and is 5th largest city in the county. You have a lot of options for housing in Rockledge & the 32955. You can live on the river. You can live in a turn of the century home or a mid century home. You can live new construction. You can live in an HOA. You can live in a 55+ community. You can live on estate size lots (1+ acre). Home prices range from the low $200’s to $1M+. Condos or townhomes range from $170K and up. Rentals for a single family home start at $2000 and condos or townhomes start at $1500 per month.
Merritt Island is a good option because it connects to the Pineda Causeway OR you can connect to A1A via the 520 Causeway. For this reason, I would recommend either south or central Merritt Island to keep your drive time to under 30 minutes. Merritt Island has some townhome & condo options, but is almost entirely single family homes. You can live on a dry lot, on a canal, or on either the Banana River or the Indian River (aka the Intracoastal Waterway). Homes are mostly older (1950s to the 1990s) with new construction happening. Prices are in the mid $200K to multimillion dollars. South Merritt Island has some of the most expensive homes in the county. Condos and townhomes are in the mid $100’s to over $1M
Rentals in Merritt Island. Single family homes starts at $1800 per month and up. Condos and townhomes start around $1200 and up.
The Beachside communities of Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach are the closest to Patrick Space Force Base and are also the more expensive options in the area because you are on the beach.
Satellite Beach & Indian Harbour Beach (32937 zip code). Single family homes will be dry lots, on canals, on the river or on the ocean. Most were built in the 1960s and 70s with new construction happening right now. There are quite a few townhomes. The townhomes are almost all dry lots. There might be a few on a pond. There are some ocean front. They range from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s Condos are mostly ocean front, some are dry lots, and a couple are on a canal. They were built from the 1960s to 1990s. New construction is happening & they are pricey. Homes are from the $400s to multimillion. Condos and townhomes can be found in the mid $100’s to over a $1M. Rentals in the Satellite Beach area start at $2400 for a single family home. Condos or townhomes start at $1500 and up.
Cocoa Beach is similar to Satellite Beach in regards to the age of properties. Most of the homes were built in the 1950s to 1980s with some new construction happening. The homes can be found on dry lots, canal lots, riverfront, and ocean front. Same with the condos, built in the 1950’s through the 90’s with some new construction and they can be dry lots, canal front, riverfront or ocean front. There are townhomes that were built in the 60s to the 80s. These are all on drylots with a few that are on a canal and ocean. Homes can occasionally be found under $600K to multimillion dollars. Condos and townhomes from the mid $100’s to over $1M.
Rentals in Cocoa Beach. Single Family homes $2500 and up per month. Condos and townhomes $1200 and up per month.
If you are moving to the Space Coast because of PCS orders Patrick Space Force Base or you are part of the civilian personnel, congratulations on your upcoming move to our area. If you have any questions about our area, I am here to help.
Eric Larkin is a Broker Associate with Real Broker, LLC. He lives, works, and plays in the Cocoa Beach area. If you have questions about moving or relocating to Cocoa Beach and the Space Coast, let me know! I get calls, texts, direct messages & comments on my posts every day about the real estate market and things that are happening in Cocoa Beach and the Space Coast that I love answering. Ask me your questions on moving, relocating here, or anything about the community. I am here to help. I have been helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since becoming a real estate agent in 2003. My focus is always on helping, answering your questions, and doing everything possible to make certain you have a smooth transaction from beginning to end.
Planning a move or have questions about our area? Eric Larkin with Real Broker, LLC can help! Schedule a call here https://www.ericlarkin.com/schedule-a-call
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