Often yes, but it depends on the building more than on you. Short-term rentals, investor concentration and unfunded repairs are what kill these loans.

Buyer closing costs here come in two waves: due diligence money you can lose, and the closing table. Your Loan Estimate is the only real number.

Yes. Your lender counts insurance inside the same monthly housing expense as principal and interest, so a coastal premium cuts your borrowing power.

On new construction, take the builder's buydown, because the builder pays. On a resale, points only pay off if you keep the loan about five years.

Usually start with them, because the builder funds the buydown. Never take their Loan Estimate without a second one sitting next to it.

The state's $15,000 program is forgiven after 15 years, with a $109,000 income cap and a $525,000 price cap in New Hanover County. Wilmington adds $25,000.

To buy the median $448,000 New Hanover County home at 6.95% with 20% down, you need roughly $112,000 a year. A lender will approve you for less than that.

Month to month, renting is cheaper in Wilmington, and it is not close. Buying wins over a longer horizon because your payment stops moving.

Lending standards, DTI ratios, and the doc-prep moves that get coastal buyers to a clean approval in 2026.

The relationship between rates and prices is messier than headlines suggest. Here's how Wilmington is actually moving.