South Starr Hills
Homes for Sale in Lake Wales, FL
True comps, carrying-cost math, and listings before the portals.
Over the 12 months ending 2026-08-02, 4 recorded sales closed at a median of $420,000, $212 per square foot, a median 48 days on market, sellers accepting 94% of original asking. At the median price and Polk County's FY2025-26 rate of 16.19 mills, annual property tax runs about $6,800 ($6,120 with the full homestead exemption).
In South Starr Hills the price is set by the home itself, not by shared amenities or a club roster. With a median around $420,000 and roughly $212 a foot, what you pay tracks condition, lot, and finish more than any community premium. Expect a wide spread between updated and dated homes at similar sizes.
The posture here is patient. With no active listings on the board as of early August and a median time on market just under 50 days, this is a thin, slow-turning pocket. Sellers who price to condition and wait can do fine; buyers should be ready to move when the right home surfaces, because inventory does not sit in queue.
Figures in this note are as of October 26, 2026. The live market numbers elsewhere on this page update nightly and are newer.
Nearby homes for sale
No active listings inside South Starr Hills right now. These are the 6 closest homes on the market, by straight-line distance from the community's center; some may sit just outside its boundary.
Listing data from the MLS feeds named on each listing page; deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Refreshed nightly.
The 60-Second Overview
South Starr Hills market snapshot (as of August 2, 2026): the median sale price is about $420K ($212 per sq ft over the trailing 12 months of closed sales), and a median 49 days on market for closed sales.
In ZIP 33898 (Lake Wales), 157 homes closed in the last 12 months at a median of $330K ($191/sq ft), down 4.6% year over year, with a median 62 days on market. See the live ZIP 33898 housing market and the Polk County market.
Stellar MLS sales records identify 28 homes in SOUTH STARR HILLS that have changed hands since 2013, built between 1994 and 2023 (median 1999), with a median living area of about 1,944 sq ft and a typical 3-bedroom, 2-bath layout; 100% are single-family homes. Source: Stellar MLS closed-sale history compiled by Momentum Research; counts reflect homes with a recorded MLS sale, not every home in the community.
South Starr Hills is a small residential pocket in Lake Wales, Polk County, where value is driven house-by-house rather than by any community amenity package.
Who South Starr Hills is best for.
Best for
- Buying to settle into a quiet residential pocket and willing to wait for the right listing
- Buyers who want to pay for the house and location rather than community amenities
- Trading up or down when a well-matched home surfaces and ready to move quickly
Probably not for
- Needing a home under contract on a fixed timeline when there are currently no active listings
- Wanting a pool, gate, clubhouse, or other shared amenities
- Relying on deep comparable sales for valuation certainty in a thin market
Price History: What Homes Here Have Actually Sold For
Median sale price over the trailing 12 months ending August 2 of each year, from record-level Stellar MLS closed sales. Same methodology as every appreciation figure on this page: the 2026 point ($420K) IS the median in the snapshot above.
Windows contain 0 to 4 sales each (4 in the current window); every figure carries its sample size, and thin markets swing on single closings. Based on Stellar MLS data distributed by MLS GRID for the period 2013 through 2026. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
The real cost & risk here
Before the list price, the Florida math the portals skip. These are Polk County typicals — your exact home, flood zone, and insurance quote will vary, so verify each before you offer.
Check it for your address: look up your flood zone (FEMA) · insurance by county · true-cost calculator · Polk County scorecard.
County typicals from Momentum’s Florida housing data (Zillow & Realtor.com aggregates, Census, FRED), updated monthly; insurance modeled. Flood zone is property-specific — always confirm via FEMA.
14% of homes for sale in ZIP 33898 are already under contract (under contract ÷ under contract + active listings) — a read on how much of the available inventory buyers have already claimed. Source: MLS data (2026-08-01).
South Starr Hills Market Scorecard
South Starr Hills is currently a balanced market..
Go deeper: ZIP market scorecard · county scorecard · true cost calculator · affordability calculator.
Live data: Stellar MLS, refreshed twice daily. Market metrics only; these describe homes for sale and recent sales, not residents.
Schools
- Polk County Public Schools
- Verify the zoned schools by address
- Magnet and choice options may be available
- Polk County Public Schools (verify by address) · Public
- Confirm zoned elementary, middle, and high · By address
- Magnet and choice options may apply · Choice
Zoned schools reflect the assignments reported on recent South Starr Hills listings and can change; always confirm with Polk County Public Schools for a specific address.
Buying with schools in mind? We can confirm the exact zoned schools for any South Starr Hills address.
The South Starr Hills buying strategy.
If we were buying in South Starr Hills today, this is the order of operations we would run for our clients.
Underwrite the condition first. Price the roof, HVAC, and systems honestly before judging any list price; condition swings value here more than square footage alone.
Match the home to real comps. Recent sales of similar condition and lot, not the asking price, tell you what a home is worth.
Move deliberately, not desperately. Neither side has a decisive edge, so a well-prepared, fairly-priced offer wins without overpaying.
Line up financing and inspection early. A pre-approval and an inspection plan let you act fast and negotiate from evidence.
Keep an agent in your corner. The listing agent works for the seller; we represent you and prepare a hand-built valuation before any offer in South Starr Hills.
A condition-driven micro-market
The numbers here come from a shallow pool - just four closings in the window and nothing currently active - so treat the median as a directional read, not a precise benchmark. In a market this thin, one well-renovated sale or one tired fixer can swing the apparent median more than any broad trend would.
No community amenities surface from current MLS listings, which means you are buying the house and the location, full stop. That tends to reward careful inspection and a clear-eyed look at finishes, since the difference between a strong price and a soft one will live in the walls, not in a shared pool or gate.
The location and the amenities are priced into every listing in South Starr Hills. The deal is won or lost on condition, the comps, and the renovation math.
Why work with Momentum here
A market with zero active listings and only a handful of recent closings rewards people who know when something is about to come up and how to read a thin comp set. We track this pocket closely, pressure-test price against condition rather than a thin median, and keep you ready to act when inventory is scarce.
South Starr Hills in 15 seconds.
Tools for a South Starr Hills buy.
Free calculators to pressure-test the real cost before you tour.
Selling here is won on condition and pricing to real comps, not an automated estimate. The right number comes from closed South Starr Hills sales matched to your home.
Price it to the comps and condition, not an automated estimate.
If you are thinking about selling in South Starr Hills, the right list price comes from recent comparable sales matched to your home's condition and location, not an automated estimate.
What is your South Starr Hills home worth?
Get a no-obligation home value based on real comparable sales in South Starr Hills, not an automated guess. Tell us about your home and we will personally prepare your numbers and a pricing strategy. No obligation, no spam.
See all homes for sale in Lake Wales →
| Location | Lake Wales, Polk County, FL · ZIP 33898 |
|---|---|
| Sale prices, last 12 months | $420,000 median across 4 closed sales · $212 per sq ft |
| Days on market (closed sales) | 48 median |
| For sale right now | 0 active, 0 pending |
| Zoned public schools | Polk County Public Schools (verify by address); Confirm zoned elementary, middle, and high; Magnet and choice options may apply |
Data as of August 2, 2026. Based on Stellar MLS data distributed by MLS GRID for the period 2013 through 2026. Market figures describe homes, not residents. Cite as: Momentum Realty, “South Starr Hills key facts,” movewithmomentum.com/neighborhoods/south-starr-hills, data as of August 2, 2026.
Housing distress & ownership in SOUTH STARR HILLS, Lake Wales
Who owns here, how much is not owner-occupied, and how much for-sale inventory is under distress.
Source: Momentum Realty Research. Ownership & parcels from the FL DOR 2025 tax roll; distress from MLS active-listing status/remarks; price from MLS closed sales. Based on Stellar MLS data distributed by MLS GRID for the period November 2026 through November 2026. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
More Lake Wales home searches
- All homes for sale in Lake Wales, FL
- Lake Wales golf course homes
- Lake Wales home values: what is my house worth?
- ZIP 33898 housing scorecard
Lake Wales guides & data
Florida buyer guides
- Florida home insurance rates by county
- Florida property tax by county
- Florida property tax calculator
- What flood zone X means
- The 4-point inspection, explained
- Florida flood insurance calculator
- Florida housing market map
- Interactive housing market map (county, ZIP and community)
- Save Our Homes tax estimator
- How to stop a foreclosure in Florida
- Florida documentary stamp tax, explained
- Cheapest places to live in Florida
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Ask an agent about South Starr Hills
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median home price in South Starr Hills?
How long do homes in South Starr Hills take to sell?
Do cash buyers compete in South Starr Hills?
What schools serve South Starr Hills?
Who is the best real estate agent for South Starr Hills?
How do I find a top Lake Wales real estate agent who knows South Starr Hills?
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Where is South Starr Hills, and what county is it in?
Should you buy in South Starr Hills?
An honest fit check. We will tell you when it is not your community.
Data sources & freshness
| Live listings | Stellar MLS, refreshed twice daily (last: June 25, 2026) |
| Community market stats | Stellar MLS closed sales, 12-month windows ending August 2, 2026 |
| Under-contract shares | Stellar MLS records, as of 2026-08-01 |
| Schools | 2025-26 district assignments + FLDOE school grades; verify with the district |
| Historical depth | Closed-sale records back to 2013 (18 transactions analyzed) |
Verify the primary sources yourself: Florida DOR · U.S. Census · FEMA flood maps · Citizens Property Insurance.
Momentum Research figures are our own analysis of Stellar MLS records; MLS data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Methodology: how Momentum market scores are computed. Market metrics describe homes for sale and recent sales, not residents.
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The numbers on this page move markets in the aggregate. The number that matters to you is what a buyer pays for your address. A Momentum agent can price yours against live local comps.
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See how SOUTH STARR HILLS fits the bigger picture — live prices, inventory, and Momentum Scores: