Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Riverlights, Wilmington
October 20, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
Riverlights: Priced right sells in 15 days, not 74
In the last 12 months in the Riverlights neighborhood in Wilmington, 99 homes priced right sold in a median of 15 days. The 65 that needed price cuts took 74 days and sold at 93.8% of asking. Of 186 homes that ended, 22 didn't sell, about 1 in 8.
Summary written October 14, 2026 from that day's numbers. The figures in the tiles update every hour, so they can differ slightly.
Which pile do you want to be in?
Out of every 20 homes listed in Riverlights, Wilmington over the last 12 months, the solid houses sold. The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.
Priced right from day one: sold in a median 15 days. Needed price cuts: 79 days, and sold for 93.7% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $138 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $451 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $1,093 + mortgage |
About $1,093 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 84 days — roughly $2,993 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: New Hanover County rate 0.306 per $100 (NC Department of Revenue, 2025-26 county rates); town taxes add more inside town limits; insurance, upkeep (1% of value a year) and utilities are typical estimates.
When contracts fall apart
Contracts that fell apart
12%
23 of about 185 before closing
Those homes that later sold
83%
17% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
98.2%
vs. 98.5% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
50
vs. 45 on the first contract
The MLS doesn't record why a contract ends. In our experience the most common reasons are home inspection findings, appraisals that come in below the price, and buyer financing. How buyers paid on closed sales: conventional 61% · cash 16% · VA 5% · FHA 3%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. The 99 homes that did took a median of 15 days. The 65 that needed cuts took 74 days.
- Waiting costs money. Cuts came late and sold at 93.8% of asking. For a typical home at $541,058, carrying costs are estimated at about $1,093 a month before mortgage.
- Small, late cuts don't fix it. Listings that never sold had a median cut of only 0.7% and sat a median of 84 days.
- Contracts fall apart about 1 in 8 times here, most often inspection, appraisal or financing issues, in general industry experience. Get the home ready and have your paperwork in order before you list.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. 61% of homes sold below their first asking price, and the typical home sold at 98.4% of it.
- Homes that sit are where the leverage is. Those that needed cuts took a median of 74 days and sold at 93.8% of asking.
- You'll be up against some cash. 18% of buyers paid cash, 60% used conventional loans, 4% VA and 3% FHA.
Did you know?
- The share of Riverlights homes that didn't sell was 12% over the last 12 months, down from 15% the year before.
- When a contract fell apart, 83% of those homes later sold, at a median of 98.2% of asking. The other 17% never sold.
- First contracts took a median of 45 days and sold at 98.5% of asking. Homes after a fall-through took a median of 50 days.
Get the Riverlights, Wilmington report every month
The same numbers, updated monthly, straight to your inbox. No spam, one click to stop.
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
12%
down 3.0 pts from a year ago
22 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 162 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
98.4%
down 0.6 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
61%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
0.7%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
47
down 12 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
1.6%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
18%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$544K
up 0.6% from a year ago
162 homes sold
The last 24 months
14% latest month · Sep 26
70 latest month · Sep 26
97.2% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300–400K | 7 | 1 | 13% | 64 | 98.0% |
| $400–500K | 41 | 5 | 11% | 20 | 98.9% |
| $500–750K | 90 | 13 | 13% | 64 | 97.1% |
| $750K–1M | 22 | 1 | 4% | 35 | 100.0% |
| $1M+ | 2 | 2 | 50% | 50 | 98.3% |
Homes only (land excluded), last 12 months unless noted. "Didn't sell" = listings that expired, were withdrawn or were canceled (some owners stop for reasons that have nothing to do with the market); true days on market counts from the first listing, even when a home was relisted. Source: Hive MLS listing and sales records, updated October 20, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000