Canal-Front Home with Private Dock on Banks Channel in Surf City
$965,000
Topsail Island is a 26-mile barrier island in Onslow County, North Carolina, with the Atlantic on one side and Banks Channel running the sound side — the calmer water that most of the island's boat traffic actually uses.
The private dock and boat ramp are already in place — the boat goes in the day you arrive. The home backs directly onto a canal off Banks Channel, four bedrooms and 1,336 square feet built around 2019, with a back porch looking straight out over the water. It comes fully furnished and is already set up as a rental, which means the day-one overhead is low if that's the direction this goes.
Listed at $965,000 after one $34,000 price cut, this is a turnkey case for buyers who want boat access without the upkeep of an oceanfront lot. The listing is handled by Robbie Robinson of Intracoastal Realty Corporation.
Life at the Water
Water Access & Depth
Banks Channel is a residential canal system off the Intracoastal Waterway in the Stump Sound estuary — calmer and more sheltered than the open ocean a few blocks away, with depth and bottom condition worth confirming in person before relying on it for a specific boat.
Recreation & Boating
The canal connects directly to the Intracoastal Waterway, and Surf City's public boat ramp at Soundside Park (free, with courtesy docks) sits nearby for anyone without their own ramp. The marshy sound side draws kayakers and paddleboarders, while the ICW itself functions as a boating thoroughfare up and down the coast.
Dock & Waterfront Features
A private dock and private boat ramp are already in place, with the listing noting room to add a boat lift or finger docks. Any future dock work should be confirmed with state and local permitting, since canal and sound-front structures are commonly regulated.
Flood & Insurance Considerations
Canal-front property on a barrier island like this typically falls within a mapped flood zone. Buyers should pull the FEMA flood map for this parcel and get an insurance quote before making an offer.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Surf City's downtown centers on the Surf City Ocean Pier, the oldest pier on Topsail Island, built in 1948 and stretching more than 900 feet over the water, with a tackle shop and grill on site. The nearby 920-foot boardwalk at Kenneth D. Batts Family Park adds another stretch of walkable waterfront in the same few blocks.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
Surf City's public boat ramp at Soundside Park provides free Intracoastal Waterway access with courtesy docks, a fishing pier, and trailer parking — a short trip from this property's own private dock. Beyond the canal, the open ocean side of the island offers surf fishing and beach access just a few blocks from downtown.
Listed on Zillow
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