Last Updated: February 2026 If you’re thinking about moving to Brevard County, Florida, there are some things the real estate agents and YouTube influencers won’t tell you. And I should know—I actually live here. I’m Carrie Liotta, a local real estate agent specializing in waterfront properties in Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, and the broader Space Coast. I share educational videos about Space Coast real estate on my YouTube channel to help people understand what waterfront living actually means here. Before you think “Oh great, another sales pitch”—stop. This is different. I’m going to tell you the stuff that might actually make you NOT want to move here, because that’s what you need to know to make the right decision for your life. I make my living helping people relocate to Brevard County, but I’d rather you know the truth upfront than be disappointed later. Let me give you the real picture—the good, the bad, and what nobody else is saying. The Weather Reality Nobody Wants to Talk About Everyone sees the beach photos and thinks “paradise,” right? Here’s what they don’t tell you: Yes, it’s beautiful. But June through September? It’s not just hot—it’s surface-of-the-sun hot with 90% humidity. You’ll walk to your mailbox and need a shower. I’m talking heat index of 105, 110 degrees. Your car becomes an oven. And then there are the afternoon thunderstorms. Every single day in summer, like clockwork around 3 PM, the sky opens up. We’re not talking a light drizzle—I’m talking sideways rain, lightning, and flooding on the roads. You learn real quick not to schedule outdoor activities between 2 and 5 PM in the summer. Hurricane Season: The Elephant in the Room But the real elephant in the room? Hurricane season. From June to November, you’re checking weather apps constantly. You will buy plywood. You will stock up on water and canned goods. You will evacuate at least once. Every few years, we get a serious threat—Matthew, Irma, Ian. You’ll spend days prepping, boarding up, potentially leaving your home not knowing if it’ll still be standing when you get back. And insurance? Homeowners insurance in Florida is brutal. We’re talking $3,000, $5,000, even $8,000 a year for a modest home. If you’re in a flood zone? Add flood insurance on top of that. These are real costs people don’t factor in until they get here. Just so you know, I want you to be prepared—this is what it costs to live in paradise. The Job Market and Economic Reality Unless you work for NASA, a defense contractor like L3Harris or Northrop Grumman, or you’re remote, the job market here is limited. We don’t have the corporate headquarters or the tech scene. The pay scales are lower—a job that pays $80K in Orlando might pay $60K here. But the cost of living? It’s catching up fast. Housing has doubled in five years. So you’re making less but spending almost the same. Traffic and Infrastructure Challenges And traffic—oh man. We used to be this quiet beach community. Those days are gone. I-95 is a parking lot during rush hour. US-1 through Melbourne and Palm Bay? Forget about it. The infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the population boom—we’re getting over 1,000 people moving here every month. Construction is everywhere and it’s been going on for years. If you’re thinking you’ll commute to Orlando for work—that’s an hour and a half to two hours each way during rush hour. That’s 3-4 hours a day in your car. People do it, but it wears on you. Nightlife and Entertainment Expectations And if you’re coming from a big city expecting nightlife and culture—pump the brakes. We’ve got some great local spots—Downtown Melbourne, Eau Gallie Arts District, some solid breweries. But this isn’t Miami. After 9 PM, this place rolls up the sidewalks. Your Uber Eats options are limited. Most restaurants close by 9 or 10. The entertainment scene is very family-focused, which is great if you have kids, but if you’re young and single, you might feel isolated. “Carrie helped us to find our dream location at a price that worked with our budget. Professional and upbeat—we enjoyed working with her!” — Recent Client Review Wildlife and Environmental Realities Here’s another thing nobody mentions enough: the wildlife and bugs. We have alligators. In retention ponds. In golf courses. In canals. That lake behind your dream house? There’s probably a gator in it. You absolutely cannot let your small dogs or kids near the water unsupervised. Period. Every year, we have incidents. This is not a joke. The Bug Situation Then there are mosquitoes—biblical plague levels in summer. You cannot be outside at dawn or dusk without getting eaten alive. Your yard needs to be treated regularly or it’s unbearable. Love bugs—if you don’t know what these are, just wait. Twice a year, in May and September, your car will be covered in smashed bugs. They swarm the highways. It’s disgusting and if you don’t wash your car immediately, they can damage your paint. Red Tide and Other Natural Phenomena And red tide—when it hits, the beach smells like dead fish and your eyes burn. You can’t enjoy the water. It doesn’t happen every year, but when it does, it’s bad. We also have snakes, some venomous, fire ants, and palmetto bugs—which are basically giant flying cockroaches. It’s a subtropical environment, so there’s just a lot of nature. Why I Still Love Living in Brevard County Okay, so after all that, why do I still live here? Why do I love it? Because despite all those challenges, Brevard County is special. Rocket Launches in Your Backyard You can watch SpaceX rocket launches from your backyard. SpaceX launches are almost routine now, and you can literally stand in your driveway and watch history being made. That is incredible. Beach Access and Outdoor Lifestyle You’re 10 minutes from the beach no matter where you live. You can go to the beach after work. You can surf before breakfast. Your kids can grow up with the ocean as their playground. The community is tight-knit and genuinely friendly. People know
Can I Airbnb My Property in Cocoa Beach? What You Actually Need to Know Before Buying a Short-Term Rental
“So can I just Airbnb this when I’m not using it?” I hear this almost every week. Someone’s looking at a waterfront condo in Cocoa Beach, they’ve scrolled through Airbnb listings, the nightly rates look great, and they’re already running numbers in a spreadsheet. Then we pull up the actual zoning map. We look at what the City of Cocoa Beach actually requires now—not what worked three years ago. We check the condo documents. And I walk them through what homestead exemption really means if you’re planning to rent it out. That’s usually when the picture changes. This isn’t me being negative—I love helping people make smart waterfront investments on the Space Coast. But after working with hundreds of buyers and watching the vacation rental landscape shift year after year, I’ve learned one thing: the question isn’t “Can I Airbnb it?” The question is “Can I Airbnb THIS specific property, and does that still make sense for my lifestyle and my money five years from now?” Let me walk you through what I actually see happening with Cocoa Beach short-term rentals right now. Why Most People Start With the Wrong Question Here’s what usually happens: Someone finds a condo they love. They see similar units renting for $200-300 a night on Airbnb. They multiply that by projected occupancy, subtract the mortgage, and it looks like the property pays for itself. But they haven’t asked about: And most importantly—they haven’t thought about what happens if Cocoa Beach changes the rules again. Because here’s what I’ve watched happen over the last few years: the city has gotten much more serious about regulating vacation rentals. Fees have gone up. Requirements have gotten stricter. And some buildings that used to be “Airbnb-friendly” have quietly started tightening their bylaws. Just so you know, I want you to be prepared—this is a moving target, and you need to understand the actual layers before you commit. The Legal Stack That Actually Governs Your Airbnb in Cocoa Beach When I sit down with serious buyers who want to do short-term rentals, here’s the order I walk them through: 1. State Law (You Can’t Get Around This) Florida treats most short-term rentals as “public lodging establishments.” That means if you’re renting more than three times a year for stays under 30 days, you need a license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). You’ll also need to collect and remit: These aren’t optional. The state tracks this through your tax filings, and I’ve seen sellers get audited when they go to sell because the county has records of rental income but no matching homestead clarification. The homestead piece is huge. If you claim homestead exemption (which saves you thousands in property taxes), but then rent “all or substantially all” of your property for more than 30 days total per year for two consecutive years, you can lose that exemption. That means back taxes, penalties, and interest. I always tell people: if you’re planning to claim homestead AND run an Airbnb, talk to a tax professional before you do anything. It’s one of those things where you can’t unring the bell. 2. City of Cocoa Beach Registration (Not Negotiable Anymore) Cocoa Beach used to be pretty hands-off with vacation rentals. That’s changed. Now, every short-term rental has to register with the city. Not just houses—condos too. And registration means: That last one is important. If you’re buying a Cocoa Beach vacation rental from out of state, you need someone local who will answer the phone at 1:00 a.m. if a neighbor reports noise or a guest has an emergency. That’s usually a property manager, but it’s another cost and another layer of coordination. The city has also started scaling fees based on occupancy—so an 8-person rental pays more than a 4-person rental. These aren’t “set it and forget it” fees. They add up, and they’re part of your annual cost structure. 3. Zoning (Where Short-Term Rentals Are Even Allowed) Here’s where it gets specific to your address. Cocoa Beach only allows short-term rentals in certain zoning districts. Some neighborhoods are completely off-limits. Some are technically allowed but have enough full-time residents that you’ll face constant friction. I can usually tell within a few blocks whether a property is going to work as a vacation rental or not—not just legally, but culturally. There are streets where everyone’s doing it and neighbors expect turnover. And there are streets where you’ll be the only STR and you’ll hear about it. 4. Your Condo or HOA Documents (The Hidden Veto) This is where a lot of deals die. Even if the city says “yes,” your building can still say “absolutely not.” I’ve seen: And here’s the thing—I’m in these buildings constantly. I see what’s happening at board meetings. I know which buildings are tightening up and which ones are still flexible. That’s the kind of thing you can’t learn from Zillow or a generic Florida real estate blog. If you’re serious about Airbnb, we need to pull the actual condo docs and read the rental language. Not just what the listing says—what the bylaws actually say, including any recent amendments. What Spreadsheets Miss (And Why Local Knowledge Matters) Most investor spreadsheets focus on: That’s fine. But here’s what serious Cocoa Beach investors also think about: What Spreadsheet Investors Look At What I Watch With My Clients Airbnb comps and nightly rates City ordinance changes that could affect future STR operations Platform fees and cleaning costs Homestead status and whether rental income creates tax exposure HOA dues as a fixed cost Actual rental minimums in the building and how strictly they’re enforced Generic occupancy projections Realistic guest count based on floor plan, parking, and Cocoa Beach rules Basic property management fee Whether there are quality local vendors who’ll answer at midnight, and what neighbor tolerance actually looks like I had a client last year who ran beautiful numbers on a beachside condo. Everything penciled. But when we read the condo docs, we found out the building
Florida’s New Condo Reserve Requirements: What Space Coast Waterfront Buyers Need to Know Before December 31, 2025
By Carrie Liotta, Space Coast Waterfront Real Estate Specialist | 321coastalliving.com You’ve been watching the listings. Maybe it’s that riverfront unit in Merritt Island with the boat dock, or the oceanfront high-rise in Cocoa Beach with launch views. The price looks right. The association fees seem manageable. But there’s a question you should be asking that most buyers aren’t: Has this building completed its Structural Integrity Reserve Study, and what will that mean for my wallet? If you’re looking at waterfront condos on Florida’s Space Coast right now, this isn’t optional information. It’s the difference between buying a dream home and inheriting a financial crisis you didn’t see coming. I’m Carrie Liotta, and I’ve spent my career helping buyers navigate waterfront real estate across Brevard County. I’m ranked in the top 5% of all realtors in Brevard County, and there’s a reason for that: I know how to read what most people miss. Right now, across Florida—and especially in coastal communities like ours—there’s a seismic shift happening in how condos are maintained, funded, and valued. And if you don’t understand it, you could walk into a purchase that costs you tens of thousands more than you planned. The Law Everyone’s Talking About After the 2021 Surfside collapse revealed catastrophic underfunding of condo reserves, Florida legislators acted. Senate Bill 4-D, later refined by House Bill 913 in 2025, fundamentally changed the rules. Here’s what matters to you as a buyer: Any condominium or cooperative building three or more habitable stories in height must complete a Structural Integrity Reserve Study by December 31, 2025. That SIRS—pronounced “sirs,” not initials—isn’t a suggestion. It’s a mandated engineering assessment performed by licensed professionals that evaluates eight critical structural components: Once that study is complete, associations must fully fund reserves based on its findings. No waivers. No votes to defer. Starting January 1, 2025, condo owners can no longer vote to skip or reduce reserve contributions for structural items. This is where it gets personal. If the building you’re considering hasn’t done this study yet—or worse, has done it and discovered massive deferred maintenance—you could be walking into a special assessment that rivals your down payment. What This Actually Means for Waterfront Buyers on the Space Coast Let me be blunt: coastal condos face accelerated wear. Salt air corrodes rebar. Hurricanes stress roofing systems and structural integrity. Seawalls need replacement. Concrete spalling is common in buildings over 20 years old. I’ve represented clients who fell in love with a Cocoa Beach oceanfront condo, only to discover during due diligence that the building’s SIRS revealed $8 million in needed repairs across 120 units. That’s roughly $66,000 per owner—money that has to be paid through increased association dues or special assessments. Now imagine you didn’t ask. Imagine you bought that unit, moved in, and six months later received a letter notifying you of a $50,000 special assessment. That’s not hypothetical. It’s happening across Florida right now, and it’s happening more in coastal communities where environmental factors compound deferred maintenance. The Questions I Ask Before My Clients Make an Offer When I’m working with waterfront condo buyers—whether it’s Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, or anywhere along the Indian or Banana Rivers—here’s my due diligence checklist: These aren’t “nice to know” questions. They’re deal-critical. And most buyers don’t ask them because most agents don’t think to guide them here. Why Space Coast Waterfront Condos Deserve Extra Scrutiny Brevard County’s waterfront real estate is unique. We have oceanfront high-rises in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. We have riverfront mid-rises along the Indian and Banana Rivers in Merritt Island. We have canal-front townhomes and smaller condo communities scattered through our barrier islands. Each of these faces specific environmental stressors: Oceanfront properties endure salt spray, wind-driven rain, and direct hurricane exposure. Concrete balconies, exterior cladding, and structural steel are all vulnerable to accelerated corrosion. If you’re looking at a beachside building built in the 1970s or 1980s, expect the SIRS to uncover significant deferred maintenance. Riverfront properties face saltwater intrusion from tidal waterways, seawall degradation, and foundation concerns in areas with high water tables. A building on the Indian River might look pristine from the lobby, but the seawall holding back the river could be on borrowed time. Canal-front communities often have smaller reserve budgets because they’re lower-density, but they still face the same corrosive environment. And with fewer units to spread costs across, individual owner liability can be proportionally higher. This is why working with a local waterfront specialist matters. I’ve sold properties in every micro-market across the Space Coast. I know which buildings have been proactive, which have deferred maintenance for decades, and which are ticking time bombs for unsuspecting buyers. The Financial Reality: What Buyers Are Actually Facing Building Characteristic What Traditional Agents Focus On What You Actually Need to Know Monthly HOA Fees “Fees are $450/month—great for the area” “Fees are $450 now, but the SIRS shows $6M in needed repairs with only $300K in reserves. Expect fees to double or a $40K special assessment within 18 months.” Building Age “Built in 1985—solid construction” “Built in 1985, original plumbing and electrical, no major capital improvements in 15 years, and the SIRS is overdue. High risk.” Amenities “Pool, gym, boat docks—fantastic lifestyle” “Amenities are maintained, but the seawall is failing, the roof is 8 years past recommended replacement, and the elevators need modernization. Those aren’t in the budget.” Reserve Fund Never mentioned or “adequately funded” “Current reserves: $1.2M. Required per SIRS: $8.5M. Shortfall: $7.3M. Funding plan: 5-year special assessment of $60K per unit.” Recent Sales Comps “Units selling at $400K” “Units were selling at $400K before the SIRS was released. Now they’re listing at $350K and sitting because informed buyers know about the pending assessment.” That table isn’t exaggeration. Those are real patterns I’m seeing in the market right now. And the gap between what inexperienced agents tell buyers and what’s actually happening financially is staggering. The HB 913 Adjustments: Slight Relief, But Not a Free Pass In July 2025, Florida passed HB 913, which provided
