Wilmington NC Home Buyer Blog

Buying A Home Using Seller-Paid Closing Costs

2012-01-25T14:45:00.001-05:00

We live in a world where a lot of people struggle to put money down for a major purchase. Buying a home is no different, as many people, especially first-time home buyers, don't have the cash available for a down payment, let alone closing costs. Fortunately, it has become more common for sellers to cover all or partial closing costs. Although it can vary greatly depending on the current

Open Houses in Wilmington, NC

2012-01-20T15:40:00.000-05:00

Is your new year's resolution to find your dream home in Wilmington, NC? Take a look at some upcoming open houses we found: When: January 21, 12pm-3pm Where: 539 Chattooga Place, Wilmington NC 28412 Asking Price: $173,000 This well-kept 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is located in the Beau Rivage golf and country club community and is just minutes to the beach. Access to tennis courts, community

Hammocks South Grand Opening Weekend Showcases Some Fabulous New Homes

2012-01-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

Are you thinking of relocating to the Wilmington, NC area? If so, you may want to check out this amazing getaway we stumbled across! Compass Pointe, a premier resort-style community, will be hosting a 4 day, 3 night getaway package for interested buyers. The Hammocks South Grand Opening Weekend will be held February 17th - February 20th at the beautiful Riverfront Hilton in historic

Whitney Pines Real Estate Development - Wilmington NC

2012-01-11T09:49:00.004-05:00

Every month or two we try to take a dive into exploring some of the home communities in the Greater Wilmington real estate market. Today, we wanted to take highlight Whitney Pines. This development may be a great option for first time home buyers as listing prices (as of this post) are in the $125,000- $160,000 price range. Whitney Pines is located close to Ogden on the north end of the city

NC Mortgage Rates Today - Snapshot from Bankrate.com

2012-01-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

Last week 30 year mortgage rates tied their all-time low according to Freddie Mac's weekly market report. Below is a snapshot of current NC mortgage rates and closing costs from Bankrate.com. Please note that mortgage rates are subject to change without notice. Contact the various lenders and brokers directly for information on their rates and services. 30 year fixed home loan rates: Market

Wilmington NC Open House - 4316 Tollington Drive, 28412

2012-01-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

The holidays are usually a slower time for open houses and real estate deals, but there can still be some great homes on the market. If you're searching for your next home in 2012, why not get a head start by checking out some open houses in early January? You can find a list of upcoming open houses in the area here: http://www.thewilmingtonmls.com/openhouses.php Here's an open house we

November 2011 Wilmington NC Housing Statistics

2011-12-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

The Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors (WRAR) recently released their home sales statistics for residential real estate in November, 2011. According to their data, 331 units were sold during the month which was down from 358 in October but up 13 from the same period in 2010. The average sales price was $200,575 and the median price was $160,000 (yuck and double yuck for us homeowners).

North Carolina Mortgage Rates Today from Some Local Companies' Sites

2011-12-21T16:33:00.003-05:00

Below is a list of home mortgage rates pulled from some local Wilmington area web sites today. Please keep in mind that rates can and do change without notice and the criteria that each company used in their online rate posting may vary. You'll want to check in with the lenders and brokers for personalized quotes. Gateway Bank Mortgage - 910.452.7283 30 Yr Fixed: 3.875% Rate, 0 Points, 3.904%

The Knolls at Barrington Place - Leland NC

2011-12-19T12:41:00.002-05:00

We just came across a web site for a new development in Leland called The Knolls at Barrington Place. According to the web site, BarringtonPlaceNC.com, the community offers thirty-eight homesites starting at $99,000. The properties are being built by SECOF construction, a homebuilder out of Carolina Beach. A map of the develop shows about 10 of the home sites being sold at the time of this blog

Wilmington NC Open Houses

2011-11-30T11:05:00.000-05:00

Attending a few open houses is a great way to start a real estate search. You can get a feel for what the market is like, check out a few neighborhoods, and meet a few real estate agents without committing too much to the process. You'll most likely even get a free cup of coffee or two out of the deal! You can find a list of upcoming open houses in the area here: http://

The Registry at Vineyard Plantation - New Home Community in the Porters Neck Area

2011-11-23T10:41:00.000-05:00

I was browsing through real estate listings and had to check into the new homes available in The Registry at Vineyard Plantation. From the illustrations the homes looked beautiful, and I was surprised to see that they start under (just under at $199,900) $200,000. This new home community from Stevens Fine Homes is located in the Porters Neck of Wilmington within the larger development, Vineyard

Useful Planning Sites for Building a New Home

2011-11-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

Thinking about building a new home? It can be exciting and also overwhelming to consider building from the ground up rather than buying an existing home. Here are some websites that might help you think through the options and get ideas while planning your dream home! HousePlans.comBrowse through thousands of house plans ranging from executive mansions, cozy cabins, beach cottages, and homes

Wilmington NC Mortgage Rate Update - Pricing Down

2011-11-09T10:07:00.001-05:00

There's great news for anyone considering the purchase or refinance of a Wilmington, NC home - mortgage rates have fallen once again. After a few weeks of slight increases since home loan pricing hit a record low the week of October 6th, 2011, rates have dropped sharply. Demand for US Treasury bonds has increased as investors concerned about the latest news from Greece and Italy surrounding the

Helpful House Hunting Tools

2011-10-27T13:23:00.000-04:00

In the market for a new home? Whether it's your first home purchase or your tenth it's easy to get overwhelmed by the process. There are so many properties available, so many decisions to make, and so many factors to consider. Take a look at these house hunting tools that might make home buying (and financing) a little easier. Mortgage Calculators from ForTheBestRate.comUse the various

Rent or Buy? Thinking through the tough decision.

2011-10-20T12:58:00.000-04:00

Record low mortgage rates and falling real estate prices have many renters wondering if it's time to kick the landlord to the curb and purchase a home of their own. A troubled economy and less of a sense of financial security than most of us would like tend to make the rent check a little easier to write each month. Whether to rent or buy your home is a very personal decision - there's no

Are Homes In Wilmington Selling?

2011-10-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

When looking into the housing market it's easy to find a lot of doom and gloom, but the reality is that houses are selling in the Wilmington area. According the stats on Trulia.com 227 homes have sold in Wilmington in the past 3 months. Add in Hampstead and the nearby beach towns Carolina, Kure, and Wrightsville and the number grows to 1522. What do most of these homes have in common?

Wilmington NC Mortgage Rate Update

2011-10-13T11:44:00.003-04:00

Well, it's happened again - mortgage rates have dropped even further since our last pricing update. Can they go lower? No one knows for sure, but the Federal Reserve has said they will do their part to keep rates on long term borrowing (like mortgage loans) low for the near future. Even if you have what was once a rock bottom rate in the high 4% range it might make sense to refinance. You might

Wilmington NC USDA Rural Housing Loans

2011-09-15T14:16:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago it was pretty easy to find a no money down mortgage program from any number of area lenders. Bad credit....OK. Can't verify income...no sweat. Have a debt to income ratio of 150%...just opt for the no ratio option. So, it's not all that surprising that we ended up with a bunch of over extended, under qualified people defaulting on their loans. Sure, a sagging economy,

Search for Rental Properties in Wilmington NC

2011-09-06T13:45:00.000-04:00

Let's face it, the past few years have not been kind to most real estate markets in the United States. Wilmington was no exception but lately there has been some signs of the local market beginning to stabilize. Still, many area residents are leery of purchasing property until there is some concrete evidence of the market having bottomed out. Couple these feelings of uncertainty with tighter

North Carolina Mortgage Rates Still Close to Historic Lows

2011-09-01T13:16:00.001-04:00

Mortgage interest rates fell yet again this week according to Freddie Mac's mortgage market survey. The agency's survey showed the national 30 year fixed rate mortgage average flat from the previous week at 4.22% with .7 points. The 15 year fixed rate average fell slightly to 3.39% with 0.6 points which was down 0.05%. The 5/1 treasury indexed ARM rate fell below 3% to 2.96% with .6 points.

Dogwood Lakes Real Estate - Wilmington, NC

2011-08-24T11:05:00.000-04:00

Spotlight on Dogwood Lakes in Wilmington, North CarolinaEvery month we take a look at a development in the greater Wilmington market. Dogwood Lakes is is located on Highway 17 N right before Lowe's where Highway 17 and Highway 210 meet in Surf City and is only 5-10 minuets from Topsail Beach. Steven Fine Home's is building approximately 130 properties in the development and, according their web

Different Perspective on Brunswick Forest

2011-08-10T10:14:00.002-04:00

Back in 2005, my wife and I relocated to Wilmington from Burlington, VT trading mountains for beaches. Coming from Vermont, I had not had much experience with huge real estate developments other than visiting my grandparents' retirement community down in Palm Harbor, FL every year growing up. When we made our first drive past Brunswick Forest and Waterford, I was not on board. It just reminded

Home Improvement Loan Options in Wilmington, NC

2011-08-08T10:37:00.002-04:00

Look to make some changes or fix-up to a property in the Wilmington, NC real estate market? Below are some financing options to explore with your mortgage professional. A. 203K Loans - This is an FHA loan product that allows consumers the opportunity to finance some of the cost of home repairs in a single, long-term fixed rate or adjustable rate loan. 203k loans are designed to facilitate

Mortgage Rates Hit New Lows for the Year

2011-08-05T09:19:00.004-04:00

Home mortgage rates fell to their lowest levels in 2011 according to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey. If you have been watching the news over the past few weeks, you've seen all the turmoil in both the national and international markets. Between the debt ceiling debate, less than expected gains on the employment front, and issues in many European economies, there is not a ton of

Are You Ready To Buy A Home? Ask yourself these 4 questions to find out.

2011-07-28T10:53:00.000-04:00

Low real estate prices and low mortgage rates have many renters wondering if it's time to purchase their first home. The first step should be to take a detailed and realistic look at the finances of owning a home. It's not just a matter of a small down payment and keeping up with the mortgage each month. You've got to account for up front closing costs related to the purchase, as well as the