First-Time Home Buyers in Brunswick County, NC

This page is general information, not legal, insurance, or lending advice. Loan programs and insurance requirements change, so please confirm what applies to you with your lender and your insurance agent. I am a real estate professional, and my part is helping you find the home and walk the process.

On a $300,000 first home, Brunswick County's 2026 table works out to about $1,026 a year outside any town, $1,446 in Holden Beach at 0.482, $1,776 in Leland at 0.592, and $1,956 in Shallotte at 0.652. That gap is real money every month. One more thing: the county's revaluation takes effect January 1, 2027, and new rates follow, so your second year's bill may not match your first. Ask your lender how they plan the escrow.

Before you fall for a house near the marsh or the water, check the flood zone. Lenders require flood insurance on a federally backed loan for a building in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and that premium sits in your payment next to the tax. Beyond the down payment, you need earnest money, maybe a negotiated due diligence fee to the seller (typically not refunded if you end the contract during due diligence, according to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission), your inspection, the appraisal, the first year of insurance, and closing costs, including the closing attorney.

The order: pre-approval, our written buyer agreement (required by the National Association of REALTORS before touring since August 17, 2024), the search with comps on every house, the offer, due diligence, the appraisal, and an attorney-run closing. I also run every address through Brunswick County Schools' "What school will my child attend?" lookup. Read buying a home in Brunswick County, then call me.