Built in 1996 at 202 Live Oak Drive, the Harbor Island leader stands three stories above Banks Channel, carries a private elevator to every floor and sits on a street with its own neighborhood water access at the end. It headed five reported sales across the Wilmington metro area that together came to $11.08 million for the week of September 21 through September 27, 2026.
The rest of the week’s list runs from a renovated oceanfront residence at the northern end of Wrightsville Beach and a six-bedroom oceanfront house on Oak Island to an architect-designed home in Wilmington’s Highland Hills and a 1.4-acre multigenerational property in the Porters Neck area. Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington and Oak Island are the municipalities represented on the list.
No. 1 — $2,900,000 · 202 Live Oak Drive, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
A three-story house at 202 Live Oak Drive on Harbor Island sold for $2,900,000 on September 24, 2026. The 1996 home has three bedrooms, three baths and a reported 2,587 square feet, with a private elevator serving all three levels. The property previously changed hands for $975,000 in 2018.
Water views over Banks Channel reach into nearly every room and run from sunrise to sunset, and an open floor plan connects the living, dining and kitchen areas. Multiple decks and covered porches take advantage of the home’s southern exposure. At the end of the street, neighborhood water access gives kayaks and paddleboards a launch onto the channel, and the beach, shops and restaurants of Wrightsville Beach are a short walk or bike ride away. South Harbor Island is a long-established, family-friendly community known for its walkability and for annual traditions such as the Holiday Flotilla. The property carries no homeowners association.
Ross Tomaselli of Cadence Realty Corporation held the listing side of the transaction, which ranked No. 1 in RealtyWire’s Wilmington Metro Area Top 5 for the week. The listing went under contract 24 days after the current listing date. Team Thirty 4 North of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage represented the buyer.
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No. 2 — $2,450,000 · 12 Heron Street Unit 1, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
Frederick E Barton and Stephen Schlachter of Cadence Realty Corporation were the listing agents. The sale took the No. 2 position on RealtyWire’s Wilmington Metro Area Top 5 for the week, and the listing went under contract 9 days after the current listing date. With this closing, Cadence Realty Corporation was the listing brokerage on both the No. 1 and the No. 2 reported sales in the metro that week. Karen G Thompson of Landfall Realty, LLC represented the buyer.
An oceanfront residence at the northern end of Wrightsville Beach, 12 Heron Street Unit 1, traded at $2,450,000 in a closing recorded September 23, 2026. The property previously changed hands for $750,000 in 2016.
The 1983 residence was renovated throughout and offers three bedrooms, three baths and a reported 1,684 square feet on an open-concept plan turned toward the Atlantic. The rebuilt kitchen carries contemporary finishes and runs into the living and dining areas, and all three bathrooms were updated. Expansive Trex decking faces the ocean and the sunrise. Exterior work added new siding, fresh paint, exterior lighting and permeable pavers, while a newer HVAC system and an oversized garage with room for vehicles, surfboards, bicycles and beach gear round out the improvements. Heron Street sits minutes from island dining and shopping.
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No. 3 — $2,056,100 · 1920 Hillsboro Road, Wilmington, North Carolina
Lee Crouch of Intracoastal Realty Corporation carried the listing on the metro’s No. 3 reported sale of the week. The Rising Tide Team of Intracoastal Realty Corporation represented the buyer.
Listing materials identify architect Frank Ballard as the designer of 1920 Hillsboro Road, a single-story house in Wilmington’s Highland Hills that was custom built for its original owner and sold on September 21, 2026 for $2,056,100. The property previously changed hands for $1,500,000 in 2024.
The 1969 house occupies 0.88 acre and has four bedrooms and a reported 5,254 square feet, with large rooms, high ceilings and a chef’s kitchen, and it has been through a run of recent improvements. The back yard holds a pool, a hot tub and a large cabana bar with a full bath of its own. A playroom sits above the garage, and a whole-house generator serves the property. Highland Hills lies within Wilmington’s Glen Meade and South Oleander area.
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No. 4 — $1,912,005 · 7936 Grenezay Road, Wilmington, North Carolina
A multigenerational property on 1.4 private acres in the Porters Neck area, 7936 Grenezay Road, changed hands for $1,912,005 in a closing recorded September 21, 2026. The property previously changed hands for $102,000 in 2000.
The 2000 residence has six bedrooms and a reported 7,145 square feet, with 10-foot ceilings, hardwood and tile across the first level, widened hallways and doorways, a private-entry office, a private elevator and expansive multi-level storage. The kitchen is fitted with Viking double ovens, a six-burner gas cooktop, custom cherry cabinetry carried to the ceiling and a granite island, along with a full-height refrigerator and freezer, a warming drawer and a secondary prep space in the oversized laundry room. Built-in audio extends from the main rooms out to the porches.
Construction details include 2×6 framing, copper plumbing, 600-amp electrical service, four-zone HVAC, whole-home generator capability, Kynar-coated windows and a deep Castle Hayne well paired with a modern water softening system. Above the four-car garage, a detached apartment of approximately 1,250 square feet is fully furnished and finished with 9-foot ceilings and granite surfaces, and it has its own HVAC and generator hookup. A separate climate-controlled workshop with built-ins and heavy-duty electric hoists stands on the grounds.
Fran T Cash of Keller Williams Innovate-Wilmington held the listing side of the No. 4 sale on RealtyWire’s Wilmington Metro Area Top 5 for the week. Leslie D Danielsen of Henry & Company Real Estate represented the buyer.
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No. 5 — $1,759,000 · 917 E Beach Drive, Oak Island, North Carolina
An oceanfront house at 917 E Beach Drive on Oak Island, set across 1.5 lots, traded for $1,759,000, with the closing recorded September 25, 2026. The property previously changed hands for $903,000 in 2018.
Built in 2018, the home has six bedrooms, all of them oceanfront, and a reported 2,092 square feet on a reverse, open floor plan that turns the main rooms toward the water. Two of the bedrooms are primary suites with ensuite baths. The kitchen has granite surfaces, a large island and a wine chiller, and hardwood floors, a tile backsplash and stainless appliances run through the house. Decks span both the upper and lower levels, and a walkway leads to beach access, with an outdoor shower at the house.
Christine A Cronick of Christine Smith Cronick represented the listing side of the Oak Island oceanfront sale that closed out RealtyWire’s Wilmington Metro Area Top 5 at No. 5 for the week, and the listing went under contract 18 days after the current listing date.
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RealtyWire selected these transactions from publicly reported residential sales identified for the calendar week ending Sunday, September 27, 2026. The report may exclude private, off-market, delayed or nondisclosed transactions. Prices, property details and professional representation are reported as available at publication and may be updated following confirmation from transaction participants.
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See full market data on our Wilmington, North Carolina market page.
