Florence, and the insurance that followed

Hurricane Florence stalled over southeastern North Carolina in September 2018 and dropped extraordinary rainfall. Wilmington was effectively cut off by flooding for days, and the damage ran from wind and tree damage through widespread water intrusion.

The insurance consequence is what still shapes sales. A property with unrepaired damage, a claim history, or an aged roof can be very hard to insure — and in coastal areas wind and hail coverage often comes through the state's coastal property insurance pool rather than a standard carrier. No insurance means no mortgage, which turns the property into a cash-only sale whatever its condition elsewhere.

Synthetic stucco and termites

Wilmington, like Charlotte, saw considerable exterior insulation finish system cladding on houses built from the late 1980s into the 1990s. Without proper drainage details behind it, water gets trapped and rots the sheathing and framing. It is invisible from outside, found by moisture probing during an inspection, and a positive finding usually ends a financed contract.

Termites compound it. Coastal warmth and humidity mean heavy termite pressure, and structural damage to sills and joists over damp crawlspaces is common in the older wood-frame stock. Both are ordinary here and neither stops us.

Downtown, the older neighborhoods, and the beaches

Wilmington's historic district is one of the largest in the state, with nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century houses and exterior design review that makes a compliant renovation slow and expensive. The Northside and Brooklyn areas have older housing with a longer history of disinvestment. Carolina Place, Ardmore, Sunset Park, Winter Park, and Forest Hills are early- and mid-twentieth-century.

Further out, Masonboro and Ogden are newer. UNC Wilmington supports a rental market in the surrounding neighborhoods, with the usual heavy wear and annual turnover.

Wilmington property we buy

  • Houses with Florence flood or wind damage, repaired or not
  • Properties that are difficult or impossible to insure
  • Late-1980s and 1990s houses with synthetic stucco moisture damage
  • Termite-damaged structures and rotted crawlspaces
  • Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century houses in the historic district
  • Older housing in the Northside and Brooklyn areas
  • Student rentals near UNC Wilmington, occupied or vacant
  • Inherited property owned by heirs living inland or out of state

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy houses that flooded in Florence?

Yes, at any stage of repair, including where the work was done without permits or the claim was denied.

My Wilmington house is hard to insure. Can I still sell?

Yes. Uninsurability blocks a mortgage, not a cash purchase.

Will you buy a house with synthetic stucco damage?

Yes. Send any moisture testing reports you have.

Do you buy termite-damaged houses?

Yes, including active infestation and prior structural damage.

Will you buy a house in the Wilmington historic district?

Yes. Exterior design review is part of our assessment, not an obstacle.