East Homestead

Right off U.S. 1, East Homestead offers quiet suburban living with single and multifamily homes.

Despite its name, this area is actually split between the town of Homestead and unincorporated Miami-Dade County. "The price point is one of the main reasons people move here," says Florentina Moncada, a local Realtor with Sun Realty Investments Inc. "It's lower than in surrounding communities. The area is also just nice and safe with a mix of homes. There are schools nearby, shopping's nearby and the Turnpike and U.S. 1 are close." Shopping strips for daily errands with big-box stores, including Publix and Marshalls, sit conveniently along U.S. 1., also referred to as North Homestead Boulevard or South Dixie Highway. Curious about local flavor? Well, from well-known chains like Chili's and Sonic to more local restaurants, such as Portofino Coal Fired Pizza, Cuba Bakery and Red Crab Juicy Seafood, there are plenty of eateries to turn into your neighborhood haunt.

You'll predominantly find single-family houses in East Homestead, some of which were built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, while others only date back to the early 2000s or are new construction properties. As is typical in much of South Florida, the ranch-style home is the most popular build in this area, typically inspired by Spanish Revival architecture or utilizing the simplicity of Minimal Traditional designs. That said, you'll also see some bi-level charmers borrowing aspects from the same styles. Single-family houses in East Homestead range in price from the low-$300,000s to around $600,000, with the exception of some HOA-managed communities on the east side, which can be a little pricier. With that in mind, a budget of $350,000 could land you a 1959-built ranch-style home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on a 14,227-square-foot lot. As for multifamily homes, town houses and low-rise condos cluster around the area's south side, ranging in price between $100,000 and $350,000. HOAs are typical in these complexes.

Now, when it comes to schooling in East Homestead, there are a few different academic pipelines students may go down, depending on where in the neighborhood they live. Those living in the southeast corner of the community can get their start at Campbell Drive K-8 Center. From there, they can either attend Homestead Middle for grades six through eight or remain at Campbell Drive until moving on to their secondary school, Homestead Senior High, with students from the west side. Featuring a handful of magnet programs and academies, this high school has several academic programs to choose from, including a magnet program in veterinary science. Operation P.A.W.S. was designed to educate future veterinarians and vet assistants. Students in this program are offered hands-on learning experiences in healthcare and dog training via the school's veterinary medical lab and onsite dog park. Students living on the northern tip of the community, and those on the upper east side, can attend Redland Middle before graduating from South Dade Senior High, which offers dual enrollment classes through Florida International University, as well as criminal justice and law studies programs.

There's no shortage of green space in and around East Homestead. Right in the neighborhood is a county-managed passive park. Seminole Wayside Park spans almost 28 acres, cultivating a healthy pine rockland habitat. This park is ideal for scenic picnics and hikes. Due south, Harris Field Park offers more recreational options for fun under the South Florida sun with baseball fields, basketball courts, football fields, soccer fields and even the Homestead Rodeo.

With accessible commuter routes, nearby strips for casual shopping and reasonable prices and lot sizes, East Homestead is a quiet residential area that's more than worth considering if you're looking to move to South Florida.

Written By

Micaela Willoughby

Photography Contributed By

Yanan Sun

Video By

Dan Mack