Patrick AFB Real Estate and Housing

The Brevard Zoo is one of the unique gems of the area and a must see. It's a small but very clean and attractive place to spend an afternoon with the family or just to take a leisurely stroll. The highlight of your trip will undoubtedly be the world class Giraffe exhibit, where you can get a great up close view as well as feed these gentle animals.

The zoo was a true community project that came to fruition when it opened its doors in 1994, and has been a source of community pride since its creation. Over 16,000 people joined together to help build the zoo back in 1992.

The zoo has five separate and distinct exhibit areas, as well a train ride around Australia and Africa.

• La Selva (South American Rain Forest)
  monkeys, jaguars, tapirs...
  
• Wild Florida
  alligators, otters, bald eagles... as well as kayaking in the Florida Wetlands
  
• Australia /Asia
  Kangaroos, wallabies, dingos...
  
• Expedition Africa
  giraffes, rhinoceroses, lemurs.. and an African kayak adventure
  
• Paws on Play
  This interactive area is getting a complete makeover and should be done in the winter of 2009.
  
  

Prices to visit the zoo are reasonable: $11.50 for adults, $8.50 for children 2-12, and free for children under two. You can become a member of the zoo and for $75 get a family membership for the year. (unlimited admission).

The Brevard Zoo is a true treasure for the Space Coast and I highly recommend a visit. To find out more please visit the Zoo's website.

John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website where you can search the entire Brevard County MLS.

 The following list is a very representative sample of what Brevard County has offer for private schools.

Baptist:

Brevard Christian School
1100 Dorchester Ave
Melbourne, FL 32904
(321) 727-2038
K-12

Merritt Island Christian School
140 Magnolia Ave
Merritt Island, FL 32952
(321) 453-2710
PK-12

Palm Bay Baptist Academy
2601 Emerson Dr. SE
Palm Bay, FL 32909
(321) 723-3773
K-12

Wade Christian Academy
4300 N Wickham Rd
Melbourne, FL 32935
(321) 259-6788
PK-12

Catholic:

Ascension Catholic School
2950 N. Harbor City Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32935
(321) 254-1595
PK-8

Divine Mercy Catholic School
1940 N Courtenay Pkwy
Merritt Island, FL 32953
(321) 452-0263
PK-8

Holy Name of Jesus School
3060 N. Highway A1A
Indialantic, FL 32903
(321) 773-1630
PK-8

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
420 Fee Ave
Melbourne FL 32901
(321) 723-3631
PK-8





Our Saviour Catholic School
5301 N Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 783-2330
PK-8

St. Joseph Catholic School
5320 Babcock Street NE,
Palm Bay, FL 32905
(321) 723-8866
PK-8

Saint Mary's Catholic School
1152 Seminole Drive
Rockledge, FL 32955
(321) 636-4208
PK-8

Melbourne Central Catholic High School
100 East Florida Avenue
Melbourne, FL  32901
(321) 727-0793
9-12


Episcopal:

Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
5625 Holy Trinity Drive, Melbourne FL 32940
50 West Strawbridge Avenue, Melbourne FL 32901
(321) 723-8323
PK-12

St. Mark's Academy
2 Church St
Cocoa, FL 32922
(321) 639-5771
PK-6

Jewish:

Brevard Jewish Community School
5995 N. Wickham Road
Melbourne, FL  32940
(321) 757-0832
PK-6

Lutheran:

Trinity Lutheran School
1330 S. Fiske Blvd
Rockledge, FL 32955
(321) 636-5431
PK-7

Military:

Florida Air Academy
1950 South Academy Drive
Melbourne, FL 32901
(321) 723-3211
6-12

Non-Denominational:

Atlantic Inclusive Academy
460 Sail Lane
Merritt Island, FL 32953
(321) 455-2212
K-12

Calvary Chapel Christian School
2955 Minton Road
West Melbourne, FL 32904
(321) 729-9922
PK-8

Community Christian School
1616 Ferndale Ave.
Melbourne, FL 32935
Phone: (321) 259-1590
K-12


Presbyterian:

Covenant Christian School
720 Emerson Dr NE
Palm Bay, FL 32907
(321) 727-2661
K-12

John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website where you can search the entire Brevard County MLS.

Brevard County Florida is truly a great place to live. Over a half million people call it home and enjoy its weather, parks, beaches, and lifestyle. I have provided some population data and quick facts that will give you a good feel for the local demographic makeup.

Brevard County, FL
Florida's 10th most populous county

County Seat:Titusville

Area by Square Miles: 1018

Population: 552,109 - 2007 Estimate (b)
Persons per square mile: 542 -2007 (b)
Persons per household: 2.35 - 2000 (a)
Median Age: 41.4 - 2000 (a)
Total Households: 232,821 -  2007 Estimate (b)

Persons under 18 years old: 20.2% - 2006 (a)
Persons over 65 years old: 19.9 -2006 (a)

White Persons: 86.4% (a)
Black Persons: 9.7% (a)
American Indian and Alaska Native Persons: .4% (a)
Asian Persons: 2.0% (a)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: .1% (a)

Median Residential Home Sold Price: $191,900 - 2007 (c)
Median Condo Sold Price: $175,000 - 2007 (c)
Per Capita Personal Income:$31,800 - 2005 (b)
Median Household Income: $41,135 - 2004 (a)

Unemployment Rate: 4.4% - 2007 (b)

High School Graduate or higher: 86.3% (a)
Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.6% (a)

Average Temperature-January: (F) 72
Average Temperature-July: (F) 91
Annual Precipitation (inches): 65

State Income Tax Rate: No State Income Tax
Sales Tax: 6%

Commute Time (minutes): 25


Some of the Cities and Towns in Brevard County:

Cape Canaveral
Cocoa 
Cocoa Beach
Grant - Valkaria
Indialantic
Indian Harbour Beach
Malabar
Melbourne
Melbourne Beach
Palm Bay
Palm Shores
Rockledge
Satellite Beach
Titusville
Viera
West Melbourne

There is a lot of useful information at the Brevard County Website too.

(a) US Census Data
(b) Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research
(c) Brevard County MLS data

John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website where you can search the entire Brevard County MLS.

Recent History For Home Values In Brevard County FL, "Florida's Space Coast":

The median home price in Brevard County, like almost everywhere else, has declined since its highs in 2005. It had to - from 2003 to 2005, the median single-family home price shot up 72%* in two years. That was "silly appreciation" and was one of the highest in the country.  This was way ahead of what the "normal" appreciation would have been, and should have been. It was fueled by a lot of speculation, new construction, cheap money, and the overall hot market. It did create quite a problem though. For first-time homebuyers, and many already living in the area, saw that they had been priced out of the market. In addition, Florida's "unique" property tax caps functionally kept people already living in Florida from moving up or downsizing. If they moved to a new home, their property taxes would have increased dramatically. The obvious result was too few buyers and too many homes for sale.

On January 29th 2008, the property tax issue was somewhat relived by a referendum vote, although more needs to be done. The change will allow a significant number of Florida residents to move up from that starter home or downsize. This has generated a new pool of buyers that have been basically "trapped" in their homes for the past few years.

At the end of 2007, we were still about 15%* ahead of the median price of 2004, but after the first half of 2008, the median home price is down 14.5%** from the median price of 2007. That puts home prices right now slightly below 2004 levels. 

One caveat for those still on the sidelines -  by the time you realize that the bottom has been reached, you are already too late, and things are on the upswing. Timing the bottom is a risky venture.

 
*Chart data from Brevard County MLS: Sold; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities


Right now presents a great buying opportunity for those looking to get into the market. With interests rates still at historic lows, now just might be the time. There are many financing programs available to ALL military personnel moving into and around Brevard County: VA loans and the Florida Heroes program to name a few.

There are still many homes on the market (but inventory has been shrinking), which allows, you as the buyer, to find the right home for you, at a good price.

If you are selling a home, and, it is priced correctly, IT WILL SELL. I have done this many times in this buyers market. Pricing, strong marketing, and excellent condition of your home are the keys to accomplishing this. Understand that you are not going to get the premium prices that you could have in 2005, but if you bought your home before 2004, you probably will get more than you paid for it.

*Chart Data From Brevard County MLS: Sold; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities



Data from Brevard County MLS: Sold , Residential

After an average of 3% declines in median home values per quarter in 2007 and an 8% decline in the first quarter for 2008 things appear to be settling down. The median home price from the end of the 1st quarter of 2008 to the end of the 2^nd quarter fell only 1.7%. This is reflected with moderate demand and a declining inventory of homes on the market. We may be starting to bottom out.

ABSORPTION RATE is a calculated ratio that can show you the relationship between supply and demand.  It is calculated by the total number of homes for sale at the end of the month divided by the total number of homes sold. The ratio represents how many months it would take to sell all the homes on the market at the current pace.

The Average Residential Absorption Rates For Brevard County:

2004:  3
2005:  5
2006:  14
2007:  17
2008:  18 (1/1/08-6/30/08)

Looking at these numbers and trends, you can see that Brevard County is definitely in a "Buyers'" Market.

What does all this mean?

Now is your opportunity!

• If you are buying there are plenty of deals available, but due to the referendum vote in January 2008, there is a new pool of buyers entering the market.
• If you are selling, don't listen to all the bad news. IT CAN BE DONE! You just need realistic expectations and an aggressive marketing plan.

Brevard County is great place to live, and this is just one of those inevitable cycles in the real estate market. The unemployment rate in Brevard is lower than the national average; we have a lot of high tech industries hiring in the area, plus the weather is fantastic! The market will rebound!

At AmericanAirmanHomes.com, you can download the Brevard County Real Estate Market Report. If you want, you can print it out and hang it on your fridge next to the spelling test.

John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website where you can search the entire Brevard County MLS.

*Based on Brevard County MLS Data: Sold 1/1/03 -12/31/07; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities
** Based On Brevard County MLS Data: Sold 1/1/08 - 6/30/08; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities

• The percentage of student enrollments in dual enrollment courses.
• Performance in science research, Odyssey of the Mind, and Future Problem Solving.
• The number of schools in the state selected as Music Demonstration Schools.

Florida uses a grading scale to rate is schools, and that is primarily measured by the results of the FCAT test. How this is done is explained below:

If you plan on living in North Base Housing the schools that your children will probably attend are:

• Roosevelt Elementary
• Cocoa Beach Middle School
• Cocoa Beach High School

If you plan on living in South Base Housing the schools that your children will probably attend are:

• Holland Elementary
• Delura Middle School
• Satellite Beach High School

Below is a list of the various schools that are in the Patrick AFB area. There are more in Brevard County, but these are the ones closest to the base and most likely the ones your children may be attending if living on or off base.

Elementary Schools:

Middle Schools:

Registration and Entrance Requirements:

• Age Verification
  - Confirmation of a student's age will be required upon entry into school
• Certificate of Immunization
• School-Entry Physical Examination
  - Within 30 school days of a child's initial entry to a school in the state of Florida, the principal shall require evidence of a physical examination preformed within one year prior to the date of entry
• Residence Verification
  - Verification of a parent or guardian's residence shall be required at the time the child registers in a Brevard County School

The school year starts in mid to late August and ends in early June.
You can find out more at: Brevard County Public Schools Website

• 1,835 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $229,000

Sheridan Road, West Melbourne  -  Totally charming, sparkling clean & ready for YOU! You will love to come home!! Tiled entry. Leaded glass door. 18"tile in spacious kitchen & brkfst area that opens to family room. Big brkfst bar. Tiled backsplash. Walk-in closets in all bdrms. His/her closets in master. Enclosed Fla room w/vinyl windows, custom tile, ceiling fans & GORGEOUS VIEW. Hurricane shutters. Large corner wooded lot. Elongated garage. Newer carpet, int/ext paint. HOME WARRANTY. SWEET!

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