In the North Carolina Due Diligence era, the inspection period used to be a second round of price negotiations. You found a broken HVAC, and you asked the seller to fix it.

But in 2026, the landscape in New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties has shifted. With skilled labor shortages tightening their grip on the coast and insurance companies rewriting the rules on wind/hail coverage, the old strategy of "ask them to fix everything" is a recipe for a delayed closing—or a dead deal.

Here is the insider reality of navigating repairs versus credits in the current coastal market.

The "Contractor Gap" Reality

If you ask a seller to repair a foggy window or a rotted deck board in Hampstead or Leland today, you are gambling with your closing date.

The Problem: Qualified, licensed contractors in our region are booked weeks out. If the seller agrees to the repair, they are likely hiring the cheapest handyman available to meet the deadline.

The Insider Move: Take the Credit. In 2026, cash is king. Negotiating a Seller Credit at Closing puts the money (indirectly) in your pocket and the control in your hands. You choose the contractor, you choose the materials, and you ensure the job is done to your standard—not the seller's "good enough" standard.

The "Insurance Exception": When You Must Repair

While we generally advocate for credits, there is one massive exception where you must demand a repair before closing: the roof.

The Coastal Trigger: Insurance carriers in Wilmington and the beaches are becoming militant about roof age and condition. If a roof has less than 3–5 years of life left, many carriers will deny wind/hail coverage entirely.

The Trap: If you take a $15,000 credit for a new roof, but the insurance company refuses to write a policy until the roof is actually replaced, you cannot close on your mortgage. You end up in a catch-22: you need the house to fix the roof, but you need the roof to buy the house.

The Strategy: For major insurability issues (roofs, active polybutylene leaks, structural failures), the work typically must be completed and reinspected prior to deed recording.

The "Lender Ceiling" (The Hidden Cap)

This is where inexperienced negotiators lose money. You cannot just ask for a $20,000 credit because the inspection was bad.

The Limit: Your lender has a strict cap on how much money the seller can give you.

• Conventional Loans: Usually capped at 3% of the purchase price if putting less than 10% down.
• FHA Loans: Capped at 6%.
• VA Loans: Capped at 4%.

The Scenario: You are buying a $400,000 home in Castle Hayne. You negotiate a $15,000 credit for repairs. But your actual closing costs are only $9,000.

The Result: You lose the difference. You cannot use the extra $6,000 for a down payment or take it as cash. It disappears back to the seller. We help structure these deals correctly—often by reducing the sales price instead of inflating the credit—to ensure you keep every dollar you negotiate.

Your Next Step

The ask-for-repairs phase is no longer a simple checklist; it is a complex balance of contractor logistics, insurance mandates, and lender math.

Are you worried about how to interpret a scary inspection report without blowing up the deal?

Aspyre Realty Group excels at listening and communicating your concerns into a strategy that protects your investment. We know which repairs are deal-breakers for insurance, which ones are better handled with a credit, and exactly how to structure the contract so you keep every dollar you negotiate. Let’s review your inspection strategy together.