Titusville, Florida Real Estate Market

Titusville, Florida, much like other parts of the state, has experienced difficulties in its real estate market over the last several years.  However, there are signs that the economy in this area is improving, even if the current trends are not considerable enough to signal a housing recovery.  Occupancy is one measure of real estate market developments.  At the beginning of 2000, there was a housing occupancy rate of almost 90%, which figure is calculated by comparing the number of households in the Titusville against the number of housing units.  This rate is considered very typical of the national rate.  However, between 2000 and 2009, more than twice as many houses were built than there were residents to move into them.  As a result, the occupancy rate to just over 80%.

As far as housing prices, the median sales price of single-family homes sold in the Titusville area in April 2011 was up almost 22% as compared to the same time period in 2010.  The sale of condominium units, as a separate measurement from single-family homes, was also higher during the months of March and April 2001 versus March and April 2010:  40% more condos were sold in in 2011, though the median sales price was down about $10,000.

In a separate examination, it was determined that house prices in the Titusville area were overvalued at different times from 2000-2009.  The average price in December 2009, fell to a new recent low of $104,100.  In January 2010, the number of housing sales dropped to mark another recent low.  Annual foreclosures rose from just over 1,000 in 2005 to almost 10,000 in 2008, and from 2007-2010, there were 25,600 foreclosure filings.  In fact, by 2010, more than one-third of real estate sales were the result of foreclosures.

Climate and Storm History of Titusville, Florida

Due to its location along the Indian River and close in proximity to Florida’s Atlantic Cost, Titusville experiences a subtropical climate classification.  This term is characterized by its varying year-round distribution of rainfall, and is basically a subtropical climate with especially hot and humid summers.   There are distinct differences between the wet months and the dry season:  The latter lasts from December through May, and the former from June through November.  Temperature varies significantly from winter to summer, as well.  Titusville experiences a moderating affect from the Atlantic Ocean, and slightly less so from the Indian River.  Low temperatures are higher in winter, while summer’s high temperatures are lower, at least as compared to those further inland.

January is the coldest month in Titusville, with an average low of 51 degrees and average high of 72 degrees.  The warmest months are July and August , which have average highs in the low 90 degrees range and average lows of 73 degrees. The driest month is April with just under 2 inches of rainfall; the wettest is September with almost 7 inches.

The state of Florida is largely subtropical, and as such experiences hurricanes during most season, including Titusville. Still, despite its location, Titusville is affected less often by direct hurricane landfalls than other portions of Florida, such as the Panhandle or the southern regions.  Two main  factors offer an explanation for this phenomenon.  First, hurricanes which make landfall along the west coast of Florida and the Gulf Shore will often weaken as they travel across the exspanse of land.  Typically, they are downgraded to a tropical storm by the time they into the Titusville area.  Another factor that results in fewer direct hurricane hits in Titusville is that most storms coming from the east, moving westward, often weaken near Bermuda by the time they approach Florida so far to the north.

Top Titusville, Florida Restaurants

Titusville, Florida is home to numerous restaurants, bars, diners and cafes, popular with visitors and residents alike.  One must-do spot is the Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, at 1475 Garden Street, Titusville, FL 32796.  This restaurant is a family owned and operated, having been in business for over 25 years.  Dixie Crossroads serves fantastic seafood, caught daily and delivered directly from the Atlantic.  They also feature char-gilled steaks, prime rib, chicken dishes, fresh salads.  Don’t forget to try the famous hot corn fritters, an iconic dish that makes the Dixie Crossroads truly special and at the top of everyone's must do list.

Also, a casual setting with fine dining food, Chops Restaurant & Lounge is at 336 S. Washington Avenue, Titusville.  While this spot only serves dinner, it is an unforgettable experience.  Chops is a one-of-a-kind restaurant and bar, with an open bar outside and a fine dining room inside.  The restaurant serves amazing grilled steaks, and seafood lovers crave the Lime Poached Salmon.  Appetizer choices include bacon-wrapped shrimp or eggplant appetizer and other classic dishes.  For dessert, dig in to the Grand Marnier Creme Brule or a slice of the chocolate cheesecake.  Attire can be fancy and dressed up, ore more casual in the outside bar area.

Fun Activities and Historic Landmarks of Titusville, Florida

Due to its location along the Indian River and close to the Atlantic Ocean, Titusville, Florida has numerous entertaining attractions and things to do in the area.  For nature lovers and water sports enthusiasts, make sure to check out A Day Away Kayak Tours, located at 1390 Old Dixie Highway, Titusville, FL 32796.  Here, visitors can experience the best of Old Florida with a kayak tour on the grounds of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  Considered one of the most diverse estuaries in North America, if offers guests the chance to paddle with manatee, dolphin, and a vast array of birds.  The Merritt Island NWR is also home to Florida's Original Bioluminescent Kayak Tour.  During nights in the summer months, the waters in the area glow from a phenomenon known as bioluminescence.

Another popular attraction is the American Police Hall of Fame, at 6350 Horizon Drive, Titusville, FL 32780.  The biggest claim to fame is that it is the United States’ first museum, attraction and memorial dedicated to honoring all police officers throughout the nation.  This is an educational attraction, offering visitors the opportunity to view thousands of items and police-related relics on display.  On exhibit are crime scene memorabilia, a gas chamber, an electric chair, various police cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, a crime forensics learning center and a dress up area for the kids.  Many of the exhibits and displays are interactive, enabling visitors to really experience the lives of our nation’s police officers.  For young adults and adults, there is an indoor gun range available for public use.

City of Titusville, Florida: General Information

Titusville is a city located in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, and it is the county seat of Brevard County.  It sits along the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center, and southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore.  It is a principal city of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of 40,670 according to the 2000 census.

Of the 40,670 people that call Titusville home, there were 17,200 households, and 11,094 families residing in the city.  The population density was 1,913.4 inhabitants per square mile.  The 2000 census reported that the households in Titusville included 26.7 percent housing children under the age of 18, while 47.9 percent were married couples living together, and 12.6 percent had a female head of household.  The remaining 35.5 percent were non-families.  Of all households in Titusville, 29.9 percent were individuals, and 13.9 percent were a person living alone who was 65 years or older.  The average household size was 2.32, while the average family size was close, at 2.86 persons.

In the city of Titusville, the population was distributed across several age groups.  Under the age of 18, there were 22.9 percent of the population, 6.9 percent were aged from 18 to 24, 26.2 percent ranged in age from 25 to 44 years.  Among the older age groups, 23.2 percent were aged from 45 to 64 years, and 20.8 percent of the population was 65 years of age or older.  Throughout these figures, the median age was 41 years.  According to early 2010 Census figures, the median age rose to 43.4.  For every 100 females there were 90.8 males, though for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.  Also in 2010, among those residents 25 and older, 89.3% had completed high school, 22.6% had at least a bachelor's degree.

History of the City of Titusville, Florida

The area now known as present-day Titusville, Florida was once inhabited by the Ais Indians, who made their meals by gathering the region’s palmetto, cocoplum and seagrape berries.  In addition, they fished the Indian River for food.  This river eventually was referred to as the “Rio de Ais” by the Spanish who arrived years later to explore the region.  By 1760, however, the Ais tribe had largely disappeared due to enslavement, diseases brought by the European explorers and rum.  Florida was acquired by the U.S. from Spain in 1821, but the Seminole Wars would delay effective settlement.

Titusville, Florida was originally named Sand Point, where a post office was established in 1859 and closed a few months later.  The Confederate Colonel Henry T. Titus arrived in 1867, with the vision to build and develop a town on land that was owned by his wife.  Mary Hopkins Titus was the daughter of a prominent planter from Darien, Georgia.  Titus constructed roads and in 1870 built The Titus House, a large one-story hotel lo0cated next to a saloon.  During his lifetime, Titus also donated land for four churches and a courthouse, which spearheaded an effort to get the town designated as county seat.

An fascinating story is behind the name of the town, and Titusville could have been called Riceville.  In a lively game of dominoes, Titus challenged Captain Clark Rice in order to decide the name. Titus won , and Sand Point became Titusville in 1873.  Incorporated as a city in 1887, that year also saw the beginning of the construction on St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church which was listed in 1972 on the National Register of Historic Places.

Two railroad lines, the Atlantic Coast and the St. Johns & Indian River Railroads, arrived in 1885 from Enterprise, Florida.  Enterprise was connected by a spur line to the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railroad at Enterprise Junction in present-day DeBary, Florida.  Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad south from Daytona, and a railroad station was built in Titusville in 1892.  This event brought the arrival of tourists to Titusville, and the Indian River area became increasingly popular as an agricultural and shipping center for pineapple and citrus produce. A wooden bridge was built east to Playalinda Beach in 1922.

Beginning in the late 1950s and later the Kennedy Space Center on nearby Merritt Island, Titusville’s economy, population and tourism grew considerably. The association with the space program led to the city's two nicknames in the 1960s: Space City, USA and Miracle City.