Riverlights

Riverlights is a 1,400-acre master-planned waterfront community along the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, North Carolina, just five miles south of historic downtown and less than 15 miles from Wrightsville, Carolina, and Kure beaches. Developed by Brookfield Properties (Newland) starting in 2013, the community will ultimately include approximately 3,000 single-family, attached, and condominium homes built by a roster of six quality builders: Pulte Homes, Del Webb, Trusst Builder Group, Charter Building Group, Legacy Homes by Bill Clark, and AR Homes, among others. Housing styles range from coastal Craftsman and New Traditional single-family homes to townhouses, cottages, and luxury custom homes, with prices ranging from the high $300s for townhomes into the $1M+ range for Charter Building Group customs starting in the high $700s. Riverlights takes a 'something for everyone' approach, with all-ages neighborhoods sitting alongside two active adult enclaves. Del Webb at Riverlights is the true deed-restricted 55+ community within the master plan — a 547-home neighborhood with its own private 15,000-square-foot amenity center featuring indoor and outdoor pools, fitness rooms, tennis, bocce, and pickleball courts, plus a full-time activities director coordinating social, hobby, and special-interest clubs. The Haven at Riverlights is a Pulte age-targeted (not deed-restricted) neighborhood of 151 low-maintenance single-story ranch homes designed for active adults of any age, with its own private clubhouse, resort-style pool, pickleball courts, and fire pit. All residents share access to Riverlights' signature community amenities. The Lakehouse is the main amenity center, set on a 38-acre freshwater lake with a resort-style saltwater pool, water slide, fitness center, game room with billiards, lounge areas, firepit, and indoor gathering spaces. More than eight miles (and growing to 10+ miles) of paved and natural walking and biking trails thread the community, including a three-mile loop around the lake. Boat Builder Park offers a non-motorized launch for paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes; Driftwood Park has a fishing and crabbing pier; Ember Park is a waterfront gathering spot with firepits; and eight public parks dot the property. A new amenity, The Riverhouse, is under construction and on track to open in 2026. The social heart of Riverlights is Marina Village, a walkable town center along the Cape Fear River featuring a riverfront boardwalk, public day dock, locally owned restaurants (Smoke on the Water, Girls with Dough), shops (Kasa Mercantile), a bike shop, art gallery, coffee, a nail bar, a sports bar, and a 112-slip marina in planning. Residents routinely golf-cart between their homes, Marina Village, and the Lakehouse. Another mixed-use node, 7Bridge, is planned to bring additional everyday convenience retail. The community is walkable and bike-friendly, with River Road popular among cyclists. Riverlights was named 2022 North Carolina Community of the Year by the NC Home Builders Association and 2023 Best New Neighborhood by Wilmington Magazine. Approximately 1,300 of the 3,000 planned homes have been built as of early 2026, with active construction continuing across all neighborhoods. The community is part of New Hanover County Schools (Myrtle Grove Middle, New Hanover High), and the median sale price over the last 12 months was approximately $553,000, with homes typically spending around 86 days on market.