[strick1]

We plan on moving from frigid Central New York to Florida. We have 2 school-age children so good schools and safe neighborhoods are top priorities. My husband is self-employed and works out of home office, so we are not limited to any particular area, and are expecting to pay up to $350K for a nice, single-family house. But before we focus too much on the house search, we want to become more familiar with the areas that we are interested in.

Brevard County is our focus for several reasons; "A" rated schools, proximity to Orlando Airport (since my husband will have to take monthly flights back to Syracuse for business), and we love to be close to the ocean beaches.

We plan on flying down this month, to drive around the following areas that seem like they would be a good fit for our family. Any feedback on these neighborhoods would be appreciated. Thanks!

• Suntree (Sawgrass) (S. of Wickham), Walking/jogging trails, and parks nearby. Have heard great things about Suntree Elementary, and S. of Wickham goes to Delaura Middle School (Sattellite Beach), which has great ratings, and Viera H.S.)

Communities on Merritt Island of interest:

• Savannah's - (N. Merritt) Seems secluded on the map, which could be nice. Is this a family-friendly neighborhood, or do mostly retirees live there? It would be nice for our kids to make friends in the neighborhood.

• Sykes Cove - (Central Merritt) Looks VERY nice to us. They are a small enough community that they have their own community newsletter (just like our current neighborhood), which is real nice. A bonus is our kids could walk or bike to Lewis Carroll Elementary, which is directly behind this neighborhood.

• Sunset Lakes - (N. Merritt) Seems like there is a lot of turnover in that neighborhood. A lot of houses, so that is probably not surprising. We like the walking/jogging trails around some of the lakes, and the fact that it is gated. Is there a community feel to this neighborhood, or it just too big?

• Watermill (S. Merritt) Near Tropical Elementary. Some of the streets on Woodbine and Brookstone Drive seemed nice.

Thanks for any feedback on these neighborhoods! We are looking forward to driving through these areas on the 19th of this month!

[vconnie]

Strick1,

Good luck to you with your move. We lived in Brevard about 17yrs. ago! A lot has changed so I hear, good though. I would pick Suntree out of all the areas you mentioned. Suntree was beautiful then and from what a friend tells me who lives in Brevard still is. Good Luck

[strick1]

Thanks for you input. We are really looking forward to touring the area!

[gwatersc21]

This may be a little late for your trip but Suntree/Viera area is my preference including the Rockledge area. Great schools, shopping, access to ORlando and more!

[daveyjones]

I moved to Brevard after touring the whole state looking for a good site.
10 Years ago I choose West Melbourne and now wish I moved here 10 years ago.

[Tinman313]

Theirs a number of new homes in Titusville, FL Gate Way too the Kennedy Space Center some where between now and 2010 the Shuttle program will stop! And the Orion project will start..... Highway 50 - 45min West into Orlando, gives you UCF and Technology Center.Titusville & 407 too the Beach Line (528 ) approximately 45-60 min drive time too Orlando International Airport. 1hr plus depending on traffic to Disney - Sea World - Universal Studios. 21/2 hour too Tampa from Titusville. 3 Hour too Miami 2 hour too Jacksonville 1 hour or less too Daytona.....
I'm Originally from Seneca Falls I know about the cold!

[MrTudo]

My Brother and his Family live in Sunset Lakes. Paid 180K for their 4 Bedroom 3 Bath , 3 Car garage house, on a "lake" ( pond ) back I think in 1998 or thereabouts. I remember going to visit and not being overly impressed when it was priced that way. ( I lived in West Boca Raton then )

Blows my mind that the house was "valued" at 400K in 2005. I'd guess it's a lot less now. Should be.

[Stormie]

My husband and I live in Titusville, Florida, which is less congested and "quieter" (in our opinion) than, say, Merritt Island. Homes are certainly more expensive in MI than they are in North Brevard County (Titusville). A few of the positives in this area are: You can watch space shuttle launches in the back yard. The local beach is pristine, no buildings clogging the shoreline. The Indian River is literally less than 4 minutes from our home. And oh, Titusville has both a Super Wal-mart and a Target, also 5 minutes away. (By the way, I read a post about someone being robbed at Wal-Mart, but believe me, it's not like you have to avoid the place because of it. It's just as safe here as amywhere else.) This area is perfect for enjoying a Florida lifestyle.

[mermaidtail]

Hi my husband and I are relocating to brevard county in september, and we vacationed there about 15 years ago and fell in love with the area. We are from the mid-west and can not go another winter here could someone please give us some leads on jobs and houses to rent.

[Florida15]

Suntree is nice,but not as nice as Viera. Check it out while you are there and see what you think.