1501 W Morning Dove Ct, Wilmington 28403: Sold at $670K in Bradley Creek — What the Numbers Showed

Property Summary

1501 W Morning Dove Ct sits in the Rogersville Bradley Creek neighborhood — a Landfall-adjacent pocket in ZIP 28403 that rarely turns over inventory. Originally listed at $685,000 on August 29, 2025, this property sold on November 5, 2025 for $670,000 — approximately 2% below list price — after 91 days on market. At its list price, it was marketed at $300/sq ft; the final sale price came in at roughly $294/sq ft. With only 3 single-family homes actively listed in this submarket per Zillow at the time of listing, inventory scarcity was a dominant market signal — but the sale below ask confirmed sellers were meeting resistance at this level.

Fast Facts

• Address: 1501 W Morning Dove Ct, Wilmington, NC 28403
• Original List Price: $685,000 (listed August 29, 2025)
• Sale Price: $670,000 (closed November 5, 2025)
• Beds / Baths: 3 bed / 3.5 bath
• Square Footage: ~2,278–2,281 sq ft
• Lot Size: 2,178 sq ft
• Year Built: 2000
• List Price / Sq Ft: ~$300
• Sale Price / Sq Ft: ~$294
• Days on Market: 91
• HOA Fees: Not confirmed in public listing details

What Stands Out

• Sold below ask after 91 days. The final sale at $670,000 — a $15,000 discount from the $685,000 list price — confirms buyer pushback at this price tier. In a submarket with only 7 total active listings (townhomes and SFH combined) at the time, the sale below ask in the $650K–$700K band suggests resistance in Bradley Creek.
• 3.5 bathrooms in a 3-bedroom layout is unusual for this square footage. That ratio typically indicates either a finished bonus space, a primary suite with separated bath areas, or a main-level half bath — all of which add functional value for multi-generational or work-from-home buyers.
• Lot size is notably compact at 2,178 sq ft. This is well below the half-acre lots common in nearby Landfall. Verification data confirms that townhomes in Rogersville Bradley Creek sit on lots as small as 871–2,178 sq ft, which is consistent with a townhome-style footprint or zero-lot-line configuration rather than a traditional detached home. Detached homes in the neighborhood typically occupy lots of 0.49 acres or larger. Buyers should verify the site plan and configuration.
• No renovation details were publicly documented at time of listing. Nearby active listings in the neighborhood were marketing updated kitchens and bathrooms (quartz counters, new fixtures) as differentiators. The absence of update language here could have meant either deferred maintenance or simply incomplete marketing.
• Bradley Creek proximity creates a flood insurance question. The property's location near tidal waterways puts it in a zone where FEMA AE or AO designations are common. New Hanover County's Northern Watersheds Study (ongoing as of 2025) is producing advisory maps that may augment FEMA FIRMs for the Bradley Creek area. Buyers in this corridor should confirm flood zone status directly via the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or by contacting New Hanover County Floodplain Management at 910-798-7165. Annual flood premiums in these corridors can be a material carrying cost.
• Prior sale history shows significant appreciation. The property previously sold for $415,000 in June 2018, meaning the 2025 sale at $670,000 represents roughly 61% appreciation over seven years.

Pricing Lens

At its $300/sq ft list price (and $294/sq ft sale price), this property was priced below the nearby alternative at 1300 Smith Bay Cir E ($384/sq ft) but in line with the larger comp at 1502 Crows Landing Cir ($304/sq ft). The Jefferson St comp at $288/sq ft offered a direct size match at a lower price point, though it trades in a different sub-neighborhood closer to the Oleander corridor.

Key takeaway: The subject property sold below ask, and the Crows Landing comp also took a price reduction. This pattern across multiple $685K–$695K listings in adjacent streets points to a localized softening in the upper-move-up tier, not just one motivated seller.

Neighborhood & Market Context

Rogersville Bradley Creek benefits from adjacency to Landfall — one of Wilmington's highest-value gated communities — without the Landfall HOA structure or dues. The neighborhood sits along the Bradley Creek waterway, within a short drive of Wrightsville Beach, Mayfaire Town Center, and the Military Cutoff Road commercial corridor.

The neighborhood features a clear split between detached single-family homes and townhomes. Detached homes sit on larger lots (0.49–1.5+ acres) and range from 3,000–3,600 sq ft at prices of $849,000+, while townhomes occupy lots as small as 871–2,178 sq ft with living areas of 1,250–1,600 sq ft, priced in the $347,000–$389,000 range. Townhome communities like Wrightsville Place offer features including creek views and pool access.

The broader 28403 ZIP has been a stable performer in Wilmington's residential market, driven by proximity to both UNCW and the beach employment and retail corridors.

With only 7 active listings in the immediate submarket at time of listing — and only 3 of those being single-family — the supply side remains tight. However, the concentration of price reductions on homes above $650K and the below-ask sale of the subject property suggest buyer demand in this neighborhood has a ceiling that sellers are still calibrating against.

Risks & Watch-Outs

• Flood zone status is unconfirmed in public listing data. Bradley Creek's tidal influence makes FEMA AE/AO designation plausible. New Hanover County's ongoing Northern Watersheds Study may produce updated advisory maps for this area. Flood insurance costs could materially impact monthly carrying costs and resale financing.
• HOA fees are unconfirmed. Established neighborhoods in this corridor sometimes carry community maintenance or stormwater management assessments that aren't always visible in listing portals.
• The 2,178 sq ft lot raises configuration questions. Verification data confirms townhomes in this neighborhood sit on lots in this size range, often with shared walls and minimal setbacks. A lot this size may involve easements or limited expansion potential — all of which affect long-term value and exit strategy.
• Price reductions across multiple comps in the $650K–$700K band — and the subject property's sale at 2% below ask after 91 days — suggest this segment is softening locally, which creates downside risk for buyers in this price tier.

Lessons for Buyers in This Market

• Pull the FEMA flood map panel for any Bradley Creek parcel and confirm the zone designation and base flood elevation via msc.fema.gov or New Hanover County at 910-798-7165
• Request permit history from New Hanover County's online records portal for any property of interest
• Verify HOA existence, dues, and any special assessments through the county or management company
• Confirm whether a property is a detached single-family home, zero-lot-line, or attached configuration given compact lots in this neighborhood
• Review sold comps within 0.5 miles from the last 6 months to establish a tighter value range than active listings alone provide
• Ask the listing agent for the full price-change history and DOM to calculate negotiation leverage — in this case, 91 days on market yielded a 2% discount