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Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski · The Complete Real Estate Team · Florida DRE #3301665
Ask The WizardThe Hammocks is southwest Miami-Dade's model planned community: a full-town village grid with clubhouses, lakes, and preserved hardwood hammocks built around families since the 1970s. It suits families who want security and amenities at a sane distance from the city, condo and townhome buyers who want the community without single-family taxes, and investors who follow the area's steady rental base.
In this guide
The short answer, with the numbers
Yes, for the buyer who wants the community before the commute. The Hammocks is one of the largest and most successful planned communities in America: a forest-green grid of villages, lakes, clubhouses, and preserved hardwood hammocks in southwest Miami-Dade, developed from the 1970s into a self-contained town where pools, tennis, and parks are the everyday routine. The numbers anchor the reality: Redfin's July 2026 read put the all-home-types median sale price at $567,216, up 3.1 percent year over year, with a typical price per square foot of $308 and about 173 homes on the market across portals.
Families get exactly what the community was built for: zoned schools that include Oliver Hoover Elementary at 9/10 on GreatSchools, Felix Varela Senior High, and the village's own recreation network. Condo and townhome buyers get resort-style living without single-family price tags, and investors get one of the most stable rental markets in the western suburbs. The Falls, Kendall's retail spine, and the turnpike sit minutes east.
The honest trade-offs: this is car-dependent suburbia by design, and the HOA layers are part of the deal. The Miami commute is real, the older core villages age visibly, and flood awareness matters on the lakefront. If you want security, amenities, and a working family machine over urban edge, The Hammocks is one of the most proven addresses in the county.
Miami-Dade County · The model planned community of the west
Median sale price (all home types)
$567,216
Redfin, Jul 2026 (up 3.1% YoY)
Typical price per sq ft
$308
Redfin, Jul 2026
Homes for sale
~173
Homes.com, Mar 2026
Cost-of-living index (county)
~118.9
BestPlaces, Miami-Dade County (US = 100)
Every figure on this page carries its source and its as-of date, because a good advisor labels the data before he uses it. Jump to the The Hammocks Market Data Snapshot for the full grid.
The character of the community
The Hammocks is the rare planned community that grew into a town. The original developers preserved the hardwood hammocks that give it the name, then built the villages around them with lakes, green space, and a clubhouse culture that still runs deep: swim teams, tennis leagues, holiday parades, and neighbors who have known each other for decades.
What surprises newcomers is the scale and the quiet. The village grid handles daily life internally, with parks, pools, and recreation centers steps from most homes, while the eastern edge delivers The Falls, Kendall's shopping corridors, and the turnpike. You can live a full family week without leaving the community, which is precisely the point.
The pace is family-first and orderly: kids on bikes, pool days, school runs, and a social calendar run by the village associations. The newer outer sections carry larger homes and newer finishes while the core villages hold the original mid-century-modern planned character, and the whole thing sits under a canopy of preserved hammock trees.
The money line, sourced
The honest numbers: the index, the home values, the income range, and the one tax break that changes the math for relocators.
The index, honestly
BestPlaces puts Miami-Dade County's cost-of-living index at about 118.9, roughly 19 percent above the U.S. average. The Hammocks' planned-community product trades near the county median, with the premium showing in housing rather than everyday costs.
BestPlaces, Miami-Dade County
Home values
Redfin's July 2026 read put the all-home-types median at $567,216, while single-family sales ran higher, near $660,000 in local reporting. Condos carry the entry and lakefront single-family the top, a full price ladder inside one community.
Redfin / JMC Real Estate, 2026
No state income tax
Florida levies no state income tax, a permanent line on the budget for relocators from high-tax states. In a county where the index runs high, that saving lands directly on the monthly number.
State law, applies in The Hammocks
The bottom line
The Hammocks delivers the community you pay for: security, amenities, and structure. The honest catches are the HOA layers, the car-required layout, and Miami-Dade's insurance realities, which Michael prices before anyone signs.
BestPlaces / Redfin, 2026
| Category | The Hammocks | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living vs. U.S. average | ~19% above (county index ~118.9) | U.S. average = 100 (BestPlaces, Miami-Dade County) |
| Median sale price (all home types) | $567,216 | Redfin, July 2026, up 3.1% YoY |
| Median single-family sale price | ~$660,000 | JMC Real Estate local report, 2026 |
| State income tax | None | Florida state law, applies in The Hammocks |
| Property insurance | Higher than most northern states | Miami-Dade premium; exact street and elevation matter |
The current picture, in numbers
Here is the honest, current picture, labeled by source and date. Redfin's July 2026 read put the all-home-types median sale price at $567,216, up 3.1 percent year over year, with a typical price per square foot of $308 and the market rated somewhat competitive at 38/100. Zillow pegs the average home value near $535,006 with homes pending in about 52 days, and Homes.com lists on the order of 173 homes for sale.
Three honest frames before the numbers: this snapshot is static and dated, not a live ticker. Single-family and condo product trade in different bands, so the all-home-types median hides a wide spread, and different portals count differently. And the tax angle that sweetens every line below: Florida has no state income tax.
Median sale price (all home types)
$567,216
up 3.1% year over year
Redfin · Jul 2026
Median single-family sale price
~$660,000
average SF $658,970 · ~$336/sq ft
JMC Real Estate · 2026
Typical price per sq ft
$308
all home types; SF runs ~$325-336
Redfin / Homes.com · 2026
Homes for sale
~173
varies by portal
Homes.com · Mar 2026
Days to pending
~52-66
by source
Zillow / Momentum · 2026
Market rating
Somewhat competitive
38/100 on Redfin's scale
Redfin · 2026
Redfin, Jul 2026 · Zillow, 2026
| Measure | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $567,216 | up 3.1% year over year |
| Average home value | $535,006 | Zillow, down 2.1% over the past year |
| Typical price per sq ft | $308 | Redfin, July 2026 |
| Days to pending | ~52 | Zillow, 2026 |
| Market rating | 38/100 | somewhat competitive |
JMC Real Estate, Aug 2026
| Measure | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Average single-family sale price | $658,970 | ~$336 per sq ft |
| Average days on market | 62 | single-family |
| Active listings | ~73 | plus 202 closed sales in 12 months |
Redfin / Homes.com, 2026
| Measure | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Median list price | $580,000 | Homes.com, March 2026 |
| ZIP 33196 home value index | $567,280 | Zillow, June 2026 |
| Honest read | Condos carry the entry, lakefront single-family the top | the median is a blend, not your street |
Read it honestly: The Hammocks is one community with a full price ladder: townhomes and condos at the entry, mid-range single-family in the core villages, and lakefront and newer product at the top. The all-home-types median near $567,000 is a blend, not your street, and matching the right village to the right budget is exactly where local knowledge shows up. Insurance, HOA fees, and flood elevation are the honest filters. For the freshest look at The Hammocks today, the snapshot above is the starting point; your exact street gets current numbers on a call.
The honest trade-offs, local read
The genuine upsides and the honest trade-offs locals actually talk about, every one grounded in the sourced numbers on this page. The Hammocks is a wonderful place to live, and it is not the right fit for everyone. That is exactly the conversation worth having before you move.
Villages with gates, lakes, and shared clubhouses built around a master plan: one of the most successful large planned communities in America, and it shows.
Pools, tennis, basketball, playgrounds, and community events on every corner of the plan: the amenities are the lifestyle.
Gated villages, maintained common areas, and a consistent standard give families the safety and predictability they seek.
A genuinely family-first population with playgrounds full of kids, schools within reach, and community life at the parks.
Homes price near the county median, with entry townhomes and condos reaching below it and lakefront units above.
The Hammocks Town Center and the mall corridors along Kendall Drive supply shopping, dining, and services minutes away.
Walk Score sits near 44 and most villages are spread: nearly every errand, school run, and social trip begins with the car.
Master association, village association, and sometimes condo HOA fees stack up, and rules govern everything from paint to parking.
Downtown Miami is 30 to 40 minutes with traffic, and the airport is a similar drive; daily city commuting is a grind.
The earliest villages date to the 1970s and 1980s, so some homes need updates while newer phases carry premiums.
Miami-Dade assignments vary by block, and results vary by school, so planning is required for many families.
Whether The Hammocks fits comes down to your street, your budget, and your season of life. Talk it through on a free 15-minute strategy call, or call Michael directly.
Where to look first
5 pockets buyers ask Michael about most, each with the honest read attached. The spread between them is the single most important thing to understand about The Hammocks, and the reason the right neighborhood matters more than the town name.
Mid-century planned homes under the preserved hammock canopy
The first villages built in the 1970s: mature trees, established families, and the community's deepest roots. Homes are older and priced for it, with the clubhouse network minutes from every door.
Fits best: Value buyers and community lifers
Water views and open space on the community lakes
Homes and condos along the lakes carry the community's premium views, with fishing, walking paths, and water at the window. This is the top of The Hammocks' price ladder.
Fits best: Buyers who want the resort view
Larger homes and newer finishes on the community's edges
The build-out-era product: bigger floor plans, newer kitchens and finishes, and a more suburban feel than the original villages, minutes from the turnpike and Kendall's retail.
Fits best: Families who want modern single-family
Clubhouses, pools, tennis, and the social calendar
The recreation cores where swim teams, leagues, and holiday events happen. Living near a village center means the community's best assets are literally outside the front door.
Fits best: Families who live the amenities
Lock-and-leave product across the community
The community's denser pockets: condos and townhomes with the same clubhouse access at a fraction of the single-family entry, and the strongest rental numbers in the community.
Fits best: Investors, downsizers, and first-time buyers
The Hammocks asks buyers to think in villages, not street names: the original core, the lakefront, the newer outer sections, the village centers, and the condo product each suit a different life and budget. Tell Michael your price range and whether you want the pool view or the starter townhome and he will match you to the village, not the plat map.
Find Your The Hammocks NeighborhoodThe district report, with rankings
The Hammocks is served by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the feeder chain is the community's quiet strength. Oliver Hoover Elementary inside the community scores 9/10 on GreatSchools, Christina M. Eve Elementary runs 7/10, Hammocks Middle carries a 5/10 with a Niche B, and Felix Varela Senior High serves the area at 5/10. Boundaries are drawn by village in places, so Michael confirms the exact assignment for a specific address.
| School | Rating / rank | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver Hoover Elementary School | GreatSchools 9/10 | GreatSchools, 2026 |
| Hammocks Middle School | GreatSchools 5/10 · Niche B | GreatSchools / Niche, 2026 |
| Felix Varela Senior High School | GreatSchools 5/10 | GreatSchools, 2026 |
9050 Hammocks Blvd · inside the community
9889 Hammocks Blvd
15255 SW 96th St
Rankings and attendance zones come from GreatSchools, US News, Niche, and PublicSchoolReview, all as of 2026 or the most recent published cycle, and they change. The School District of Miami-Dade County zones by address, so Michael always confirms the exact assigned schools for a specific address before you make an offer.
The drive math, by the numbers
The Hammocks sits in southwest Miami-Dade, and the commute is the trade-off of living in a full community: daily life stays local, and the city waits down the road. Kendall's shopping and dining along the 88th Street corridor run about 10 minutes east, Doral about 25 minutes, downtown Miami roughly 25 to 30 minutes, and the turnpike is minutes from the community's eastern edge.
For flyers, Miami International (MIA) is about 25 to 30 minutes north and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) roughly 45 to 50 minutes, with the turnpike tying the region together.
The local economy is the western suburbs' engine: healthcare (Baptist Health's Kendall campuses and the hospital corridor), retail and hospitality anchored by The Falls, logistics along the turnpike, and the professional and tech base of western Miami-Dade. It is a working, growing side of the county with a strong service backbone.
To The Falls and Kendall
~10 min
Driving, east
To downtown Miami
~25-30 min
Driving, turnpike / SW 88th St
To Miami Int'l (MIA)
~25-30 min
Driving, north
Match the town to your life
The buyer types The Hammocks fits especially well, each with the sourced reason attached. This is the audience range Michael works with every week as The Life Transition Specialist: buyers, sellers, retirees, families, and investors from the Treasure Coast to South Florida.
The community was built for them: a 9/10 elementary inside the grid, pools and tennis at the clubhouses, and a village social calendar that keeps kids busy from swim season to the holiday parade.
Condos and townhomes with strong rental demand, a stable western-suburb base, and resale liquidity make The Hammocks one of Miami-Dade's most dependable income plays.
Lock-and-leave condo product with the full amenity network, Kendall's healthcare and dining minutes away, and no state income tax: the classic downsize math with the resort routine attached.
Flat, walkable village cores, the pool and tennis life, Baptist Health's Kendall campuses nearby, and a community that runs itself. The Hammocks has been a retirement favorite for decades.
Townhomes and condos at the community's entry band deliver the Hammocks lifestyle without the single-family price, with a 9/10 elementary that matters for the resale timeline.
Secure, gated-in-spirit village life, amenities that keep parents active, and Kendall's hospitals minutes away make The Hammocks a humane senior transition choice, planned with Michael's Senior Transition Specialist hat on.
For out-of-state movers
Moving to The Hammocks from outside Florida is a life transition, and the people who plan it as one land better. Here is the practical short list, every point grounded in the sourced numbers on this page and in how Michael guides relocators from the Treasure Coast to South Florida.
Florida taxes no wage or retirement income at the state level, a permanent line on the budget for anyone moving from a high-tax state.
The Hammocks runs on village associations, and the monthly HOA is part of the real carrying cost. Michael builds it into the number before anyone compares apples to apples.
Miami-Dade property insurance and lakefront flood elevations are honest budget lines. Michael checks the flood map and quotes the premium before anyone falls for the water view.
Downtown Miami is 25 to 30 minutes and growing. Great for the western-suburb life, wrong for anyone who needs the urban core every day.
Core villages, lakefront, newer sections, village centers, and condo product each change rhythm and resale. Michael matches the village to the person.
Michael treats every relocation as a life transition, and a 15-minute strategy call sorts your timeline, budget, schools, and HOA questions before you ever tour.
New to Florida entirely? Start with the Moving to Florida Checklist, the Florida Tax Guide, and the Relocation Guide Hub.
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski · The Wizard of Real Estate
The Hammocks is the community I show families when they want proof that planned living works: a 9/10 elementary inside the grid, pools and swim teams, lakes under hammock oaks, and a social calendar that runs itself. It is suburbia done honestly, and the people who thrive here understand the trade: the community is the lifestyle. My job is to make sure your move here is planned like the life transition it is, HOA and insurance included.
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski · The Wizard of Real Estate · Talk Soon
Local favorites
Straight answers, no fine print
The questions buyers ask Michael most about moving to The Hammocks, answered directly with the sourced numbers on this page.
Yes, for buyers who want a complete community. The Hammocks is one of America's largest and most successful planned communities: preserved hammock trees, lakes, clubhouses, and a family-first social calendar, with a 9/10-rated elementary inside the grid. Redfin's July 2026 read put the all-home-types median at $567,216. The honest trade-offs are the HOA layers, the car-dependent layout, and a 25- to 30-minute drive to downtown Miami.
Near the county median with a full price ladder. Redfin's July 2026 read put the all-home-types median at $567,216 at $308 per square foot, while local reporting pegs single-family sales near $660,000. Miami-Dade's cost-of-living index runs about 19 percent above the U.S. average per BestPlaces, and Florida has no state income tax.
About 25 to 35 minutes east to the Atlantic. Matheson Hammock Park and the historic Virginia Key beaches sit roughly 25 to 30 minutes away, with the county's best-known beaches a bit further depending on traffic.
Yes, and it has been for decades. Flat village cores, the pool and tennis life, lock-and-leave condos, Baptist Health's Kendall campuses minutes away, and no state income tax make it a proven retirement choice. Michael, a Certified Senior Transition Specialist, plans the move itself, HOA budgets included.
The community's quiet strength. Oliver Hoover Elementary scores 9/10 on GreatSchools, Christina M. Eve Elementary runs 7/10, Hammocks Middle carries 5/10 with a Niche B, and Felix Varela Senior High serves the area at 5/10. Village boundaries matter, so Michael confirms the exact assignment for a specific address.
Balanced and somewhat competitive. Redfin's July 2026 read put the all-home-types median at $567,216, up 3.1 percent year over year, with homes pending in about 52 days and roughly 173 homes on the market across portals. Single-family product runs hotter than condos, and the HOA-inclusive pricing is the honest comparison.
Yes, it is the template. A 9/10 elementary inside the community, swim teams and tennis at the clubhouses, the village social calendar, and the security of a gated-in-spirit grid make it one of the most tested family addresses in southwest Miami-Dade. The honest planning is the commute and the HOA, both priced by Michael upfront.
Have a question this page did not answer? Ask it directly: (561) 441-8420 or michael@thecompleterealestateteam.com.
Keep exploring
The western suburb next door with its own family character.
Read itThe village to the east with top schools and village charm.
Read itThe walkable downtown gateway to the western suburbs.
Read itThe city beautiful, 25 minutes east with its own legend.
Read itComparing The Hammocks against its neighbors is the fastest way to see where it fits. Read the honest The Hammocks pros and cons, then the guides above.
Your next step · Free 15-minute strategy call
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski, The Life Transition Specialist, is a Certified Real Estate Planning Advisor and Certified A.I. Real Estate Advisor at The Complete Real Estate Team, powered by Dalton Wade Real Estate, Florida DRE #3301665. Bring your questions about The Hammocks, your timeline, schools, and budget: he will tell you honestly whether this corner of the Gold Coast fits your plan, and which neighborhood pocket your money should live in.
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