The gap under I-95

When Matthew's rain pushed the Lumber River out of its banks in October 2016, water reached West and South Lumberton through the railroad opening under I-95, which forms part of the city's levee. Florence flooded the same neighborhoods in September 2018, and the two storms damaged or destroyed more than 600 homes in the city.

A floodgate on Cox Road to close that opening was dedicated in October 2026, and NCDOT has been widening and raising I-95 through the city. New protection does not erase a house's flood history. Insurers and buyers still ask what happened in 2016 and 2018, and we buy houses with that history as they are.

When the house was built matters

Lumberton joined the National Flood Insurance Program in 1980 and adopted stricter freeboard rules in 2005. In one subdivision FEMA studied after Florence, houses built before 1980 flooded, houses built to the 1980 standard had damage mostly to ductwork and insulation, and houses built after 2005 were not damaged.

For an older, low house in a flood zone, a heavy repair can trigger substantial-improvement rules that require elevation. That is why many were never fully repaired, and why some owners waiting on a state buyout left houses as they were. We buy at any stage, gutted, half-repaired, or untouched.

Family land and heirs' property

Land passed down for generations without a will or a probate is a long-standing problem in rural North Carolina, and NC A&T's heirs' property program held one of its 2024 landowner summits in Lumberton. Every heir holds an undivided share, so a clean sale needs either every heir's signature or an estate opened with the clerk of superior court.

We work with all the heirs, including those who live out of state, and the estate can be opened as part of the sale. Unpaid taxes from the 2024 values come out of the proceeds, and land in present-use value carries three years of deferred taxes plus interest if it leaves qualifying use.

Robeson County property we buy

  • Houses that flooded in Matthew, Florence, or both
  • Gutted or partly repaired flood houses in West and South Lumberton
  • Family land and houses owned by several heirs
  • Manufactured homes on family land
  • Rural houses on wells and septic around Pembroke, Rowland, and Fairmont
  • Rentals with tenants in place
  • Vacant houses with open code cases

Records, courts, and closing in Robeson County

Lumberton is the county seat. The Robeson County Register of Deeds records deeds and deeds of trust, the clerk of superior court in Lumberton holds estate files and foreclosure hearings, and the county tax office sets values. Floodplain permits for city property go through the City of Lumberton.

A licensed North Carolina attorney handles the closing. If you have an open flood claim or a pending buyout or repair application with the state, tell us where it stands so the closing accounts for it.

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy Lumberton houses that flooded in both Matthew and Florence?

Yes. Tell us what flooded each time and what was repaired.

My family's land was never put through probate. Can it still be sold?

Yes. We work with all the heirs, and the estate can be opened with the clerk as part of the sale.

Does the new floodgate change what my house is worth?

We price on the house's condition and flood history as it stands today, and the floodgate does not change what happened in 2016 or 2018.

I applied for a buyout but never heard back. Can I sell to you instead?

Often, yes. Tell us where the application stands, and the closing attorney confirms there is nothing on the title that prevents a sale.

When is the next Robeson County revaluation?

It is scheduled for 2030. Current values date from January 1, 2024.

Do you buy in Pembroke and Red Springs?

Yes, along with St. Pauls, Fairmont, Maxton, Rowland, Parkton, and the rest of the county.

Robeson County property and court resources