Coral Gables, Florida · Miami-Dade County
Old Cutler Bay in Coral Gables, FL: Community Profile
Gated waterfront homes along Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables.
Also known as Old Cutler Bay Section 1; Sections 2, 3, 4, 4-A and 5
At a Glance
What is Old Cutler Bay like?
Old Cutler Bay is a gated, canal-front community on Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables, filed with the county as Sections 1 through 5 and Section 4-A. The water is the story: 18 of the 19 single-family homes in recent MLS records carry water frontage, most are listed as no fixed bridges to Biscayne Bay, and several streets carry canal widths of 121 feet or more. Homes run 2,591 to 10,860 sq ft on lots from 15,120 to 41,658 sq ft. Seven homes sold in the twelve months to October 2026 between $5.7M and $47M.
| Community type | Gated canal-front community with a voluntary association |
|---|---|
| Gated status | Gated — 26 of the recent listings list Gated Community and 30 note a security patrol, funded through the City's security guard special taxing district. The association itself is voluntary. |
| Security | Twenty-six of the recent listings list Gated Community and thirty note a security patrol, with Gated with Guard on seven. The guard and patrol are funded through the City's Old Cutler Bay Security Guard Special Taxing District, which the City has run since October 2018 and assesses at $5,200 per improved lot for the fiscal year that began 1 October 2026. |
| Location within Coral Gables | Coral Gables, on the canals north of Biscayne Bay and immediately south of Matheson Hammock Park, along Old Cutler Road |
| Nearest major roads | Old Cutler Road |
| Architectural style | Detached homes, close to half one-story and half two-story, with Mediterranean styling noted in the records. Homes are filed under the county plats Old Cutler Bay Sections 1 through 5 and Section 4-A. |
| Typical lot size | 15,120 to 41,658 sq ft, median about 23,800 sq ft |
| Typical home size | 2,591 to 10,860 sq ft, median about 6,312 sq ft |
| Price range | $12.795M to $30M asking in October 2026; the seven sales in the prior twelve months ran $5.7M to $47M |
| HOA fee range | About $1,000 a year in voluntary dues, plus a city security district assessment of $5,200 per improved lot for the fiscal year that began 1 Oct 2026 |
| Amenities | Private dockage on canal-front lots · No fixed bridges to Biscayne Bay on most water-front listings · Canal widths of 121 feet or more noted on several streets · Security patrol noted on recent listings · Boating access to Biscayne Bay |
| Year established | MLS records for homes here date construction from 1965 to 2027 |
| Number of homes | Filed with the county as Old Cutler Bay Sections 1 through 5 and Section 4-A — confirm the current home count with the association. |
The Setting
Overview and Location
Old Cutler Bay runs along the canals immediately south of Matheson Hammock Park, filed with the county as Sections 1 through 5 and Section 4-A. It is a boating community in the literal sense: 18 of the 19 single-family homes in the recent MLS records carry water frontage, most are listed as having no fixed bridges to Biscayne Bay, and canal widths of 121 feet or more appear on several streets — width that matters for turning a large boat.
The homes are largely one and two-story houses on lots around a quarter to just under an acre, built from 1965 onward, with ongoing new construction on the larger parcels. Because the association is voluntary, dues are low, and buyers should confirm what the gate and any patrol actually depend on. Distances below are straight-line miles from the community's coordinates in the MLS feed.
Driving Distances from Old Cutler Bay
| Destination | Distance / Drive Time |
|---|---|
| Matheson Hammock Park | ≈0.4 mi (straight line) |
| Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden | ≈0.7 mi (straight line) |
| University of Miami | ≈2.5 mi (straight line) |
| Village of Merrick Park | ≈3.2 mi (straight line) |
| Coconut Grove | ≈3.3 mi (straight line) |
| Miracle Mile, downtown Coral Gables | ≈4.5 mi (straight line) |
| Downtown Miami | ≈7.6 mi (straight line) |
| Miami International Airport | ≈7.8 mi (straight line) |
The Living Experience
Lifestyle and Who Lives Here
Old Cutler Bay is organised around the boat. The canals open to Biscayne Bay without fixed bridges on most of the water-front records, the streets are lined with mature trees, and the community sits directly beside Matheson Hammock Park, so a morning on the water starts from the dock rather than the marina.
Houses range from original 1965 stock to new builds, which means the neighbourhood is a mix of owners restoring and owners rebuilding on the larger lots. The association is voluntary and dues are low; the trade is that whatever the gate and patrol do depends on the owners funding them, so that is a question worth asking before you buy rather than after.
The Association
HOA and Association Details
Fees, rules, and approval requirements at Old Cutler Bay are set by the association and can change. Nothing on this page replaces the current governing documents, budget, and estoppel, which Dan can help you request before you make an offer.
Fees
The association is the Old Cutler Bay Homeowners Corporation, Inc., an active Florida corporation, and it is voluntary. Recent listings report $1,000 a year on most homes, $1,500 on two records, and one home paying $1,000 a month. Security is funded separately. The Old Cutler Bay Security Guard Special Taxing District, created in 1993 and run by the City of Coral Gables since 1 October 2018, is billed on the annual tax bill; for the fiscal year that began 1 October 2026 the City set the assessment at $5,200 per improved lot, up from $4,900, and $2,600 per vacant lot. That district figure is the larger part of what owning here costs beyond the purchase price.
What the Fees Include
The voluntary dues and the city district pay for different things. The district funds the enhanced security services — the guard and patrol presence the listings describe — and the City collects it as a non-ad valorem assessment on the tax bill, which means it appears whether or not a homeowner joins the association. What the modest voluntary dues fund is not itemised in any listing; the corporation's budget and a current estoppel, which Dan can request, are what itemise it. Homeowners keep their own docks, seawalls and landscaping.
Buyer Approval Process
None of the 59 recent listings notes that the association approves a buyer, which fits a voluntary association: membership is not a condition of purchase, and the district assessment runs with the land either way. Renters are screened on the records that state rental terms. The recorded deed restrictions and the corporation's documents are the source of record, and the estoppel will show any amounts owed to the district.
Rules Worth Knowing
Listings describe the association as voluntary and report a wide range of restrictions: no restrictions on 21 of the recent records, other restrictions on twelve and leasing permitted on twelve. Pets are allowed on most records that note them, with restrictions on eight and a 20 lb threshold on one. Minimum lease periods appear as twelve months or 365 days, and one record states no lease in the first year owned. One record notes exterior alteration restrictions, so renovations and docks need checking against the recorded restrictions rather than the association alone.
The Market
Old Cutler Bay Market Snapshot
Figures below describe how Old Cutler Bay has been trading recently. They are a starting point for a conversation, not a valuation of any one home.
| Typical asking price range | $12.795M to $30M asking in October 2026; the seven sales in the prior twelve months ran $5.7M to $47M |
|---|---|
| Recent sold range | $5.7M to $47M — seven MLS sales in the twelve months to 23 Oct 2026 |
| Average price per square foot | $2,564 per sq ft median across the last twelve months' sales |
| Days on market | 61 days median for the sales closed in the last twelve months |
Last updated: October 23, 2026. Source: MIAMI REALTORS® MLS (Bridge Interactive) — active listings and closed sales, 12 months to 23 Oct 2026.
Schools and Commute
Schools and Getting Around
Public school assignments follow attendance boundaries and are confirmed by Miami-Dade County Public Schools for each address. Verify the assignment for a specific home before you rely on it.
Assigned Public Schools
MLS listings for this community report Sunset Elementary, Ponce de Leon Middle and Coral Gables High as the assigned public schools. Miami-Dade County Public Schools assigns by address, so confirm the assignment for the specific property.
Nearby Private Schools
Gulliver Academy (Coral Gables) — PK–8, independent · ≈1.3 mi, ~4 min St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School (Coral Gables) — PK3–5, Episcopal · ≈1.3 mi, ~4 min Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (Miami) — grades 9–12, Catholic, girls · ≈1.4 mi, ~4 min Riviera Day School (Coral Gables) — PK3–5, independent · ≈1.8 mi, ~6 min Gulliver Preparatory School (Pinecrest) — grades 9–12 · ≈2.4 mi, ~8 min Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart (Coconut Grove) — Montessori-3 to grade 12, Catholic, girls · ≈2.7 mi, ~9 min Ransom Everglades School (Coconut Grove) — grades 6–12, independent, two campuses · ≈2.9 mi, ~9 min St. Stephen's Episcopal Day School (Coconut Grove) — PK–5, Episcopal · ≈3.2 mi, ~11 min Saint Louis Covenant School (Pinecrest) — PK–8, Catholic · ≈3.4 mi, ~11 min Alexander Montessori School (Old Cutler Road, ages 1½–6; Ludlam Road, grades 1–6) · ≈4.3 mi, ~14 min Saint Theresa Catholic School (Coral Gables) — PK–8 · ≈4.4 mi, ~14 min Also close: Temple Beth Am Day School (Pinecrest, PK–5, Jewish) ≈5 min; Riviera Preparatory School (Miami, grades 6–12, independent) ≈14 min; Westminster Christian School (Palmetto Bay, PK–12) ≈14 min. Further out, still considered by families here: Christopher Columbus High School (boys, grades 9–12, Catholic) ≈20 min; Palmer Trinity School (Palmetto Bay, grades 6–12, Episcopal) ≈21 min; Immaculata-La Salle High School (Coconut Grove, grades 9–12, Catholic) ≈16 min; Belen Jesuit Preparatory School (boys, grades 6–12, Catholic) ≈33 min. Distances are straight-line from the community and drive times are off-peak estimates; the school run will differ.
Typical Drive Times
Straight-line distances to these anchors are in the table above. Old Cutler Road runs the length of this stretch: off-peak, Matheson Hammock is about two minutes away, Fairchild a minute or two more, the University of Miami about eight, Merrick Park ten, Coconut Grove ten to eleven, Miracle Mile fourteen, and downtown Miami or Miami International Airport twenty-five. Peak hours add ten to fifteen minutes to the longer trips.
My Local Insight
What I tell buyers about Old Cutler Bay
Old Cutler Bay is the most complete waterfront community in the Gables for a boater, and the numbers show a market that works: seven sales in twelve months, a median of 61 days to contract, and prices from $5.7M to $47M in the same year — so there is a price for almost every serious buyer, from an original 1960s house to a new build. What separates the top of that range from the bottom is not the house, it is the canal: width, dockage and the bridge-free run to the bay. My advice is to walk the water at the address you are considering, and to verify the seawall and dock rights in due diligence, because those are the items that are expensive to fix after closing.
Dan Rascon · Coral Gables & Miami Beach
Questions Buyers Ask
Old Cutler Bay: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Old Cutler Bay gated?
Yes. Thirteen of the recent MLS listings list Gated Community and nine note security patrol. Because the association is voluntary, confirm how the gate and patrol are funded and how guests and vendors are admitted before you buy.
Do homes in Old Cutler Bay have bridge-free access to Biscayne Bay?
Most do. Eighteen of the 19 single-family homes in the recent MLS records carry water frontage, and most are listed as having no fixed bridges, with canal widths of 121 feet or more on several streets. Verify the route and the dockage rights for the specific address, since a minority of the community is not on the water.
What are the HOA fees in Old Cutler Bay?
Recent MLS listings report $1,000 to $1,500 annually. These are voluntary-association dues, which is why they are far lower than the guard-gated communities nearby, and buyers should confirm what the gate, patrol and canal maintenance actually depend on.
What is the price range in Old Cutler Bay?
Seven homes sold in the twelve months to October 2026 between $5.7M and $47M, at a median of $2,564 per square foot and a median of 61 days to contract. Three homes were listed in October 2026 from $12.795M to $30M. The spread reflects water frontage, canal width and whether the house has been rebuilt.
What are the lots and homes like in Old Cutler Bay?
Lots run 15,120 to 41,658 sq ft with a median around 23,800 sq ft, and homes run 2,591 to 10,860 sq ft with a median near 6,312 sq ft. Construction dates from 1965 through 2027, so the community mixes original mid-century houses, renovations and new builds on the larger parcels.
What schools serve Old Cutler Bay?
MLS listings for the community report Sunset Elementary, Ponce de Leon Middle and Coral Gables High. Miami-Dade County Public Schools assigns by address, so verify the assignment for the property rather than relying on the community name.
How does Old Cutler Bay compare with Gables Estates and Cocoplum?
It sits between them on price and above them on boating practicality per dollar: recent sales ran $5.7M to $47M against $24.25M to $26.2M in Gables Estates, and most homes here have bridge-free canal access without Gables Estates' membership requirement or Cocoplum's club dues. What it does not have is a private club or the scale of a Gables Estates lot.
Keep Looking
Nearby and Similar Communities
Comparable private communities in Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County, each with its own profile.
Looking for a home rather than a community guide?
Every active listing in Coral Gables — in these communities and elsewhere in the city — is on the Coral Gables page. Community profiles here do not list homes for sale.
Work With Dan
Buying or Selling in Old Cutler Bay
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Written by Dan Rascon, Coral Gables and Miami Beach real estate agent. Last reviewed: October 23, 2026.
Sources: Florida Division of Corporations (Old Cutler Bay Homeowners Corporation, Inc., active); City of Coral Gables Resolution 2026-147 and the district record for the Old Cutler Bay Security Guard Special Taxing District (district origin, current assessment rates); MIAMI REALTORS® MLS via Bridge Interactive (dues and frequency, type of association, restrictions, pets, lease terms, security and community features); Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser plat names; Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Private-school names, grade ranges, affiliations and addresses verified against each school's own website and the City of Coral Gables school directory; distances measured from the community centre.