Raleigh Mortgage Blog

  • Lender or Agent First Raleigh NC: The Truth Most First-Time Buyers Get Wrong

    ByKevin Martini

    Lender or agent first in Raleigh NC is not a preference question — it is a financial risk question specific to North Carolina’s contract structure. When a buyer goes under contract in Wake County, the Due Diligence fee is paid directly to the seller and is non-refundable under any circumstance, including a financing failure discovered during underwriting. A buyer working from an unverified estimate loses that deposit when reality corrects the number. Kevin Martini NMLS 143962 and Logan Martini NMLS 159148 of Martini Mortgage Group take a Strategy Before Structure approach: the lender conversation, producing a fully underwritten approval, comes before the first showing. Experienced agents in Cary, Apex, and Fuquay-Varina will not schedule showings without a credible letter, and listing agents across the Triangle evaluate financing certainty before they evaluate offer price.

  • No Down Payment FHA Loan Raleigh NC: What Most Buyers Never Hear

    ByKevin Martini

    A no down payment FHA loan Raleigh NC is not a grant program with strict income caps or a first-time-buyer-only offering. Martini Mortgage Group structures it as a two-loan approach: a standard FHA first mortgage paired with a second loan or grant from an approved assistance partner that covers the required 3.5% down payment in full. Forgivable second mortgage options carrying a 0% interest rate and no monthly payment are available for buyers who plan to remain in the home for 5 to 10 years. The program is open to repeat buyers and is available across Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, and Wake County. Kevin Martini NMLS 143962 and Logan Martini NMLS 159148 model the total combined payment, closing cost structure, and post-closing reserve position before any buyer commits to the structure. This is not a last resort. It is a strategy.

  • Property Taxes Raleigh NC: What Most Homeowners Get Wrong

    ByKevin Martini

    Property taxes Raleigh NC are calculated by multiplying a home’s assessed value by the combined county and municipal tax rate, and in Wake County that assessed value resets on a revaluation cycle rather than annually. Wake County’s 2025 tax rate is 51.71 cents per $100 of valuation, and property values rose 51% between 2020 and 2024, producing significant escrow adjustments for homeowners across Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest when the 2024 revaluation took effect. The next revaluation is effective January 1, 2027, meaning buyers who purchase in the Triangle between now and then should plan for a new assessed value, a recalculated tax bill, and a likely adjustment to their monthly mortgage payment. Kevin Martini NMLS 143962 and Logan Martini NMLS 159148 of Martini Mortgage Group build a full projected tax and escrow figure into every buyer’s pre-approval review so the complete monthly cost is understood before an offer is made, not discovered after the first escrow analysis letter arrives.