Median Total Costs
$5,736
−14.1% vs national ($6,680)
↑ $16 vs prior year
Median Rate
6.380%
−1.7% vs national (6.490%)
Median Origination
$1,912
Purchase Originations
118,473
Denial Rate
9.1%
vs national avg (9.0%)
North Carolina is a deed-of-trust state that uses non-judicial foreclosure as its primary process, allowing lenders to foreclose through a trustee sale rather than court action, though a clerk-of-court hearing is required before the sale proceeds. NC is an attorney closing state: a licensed North Carolina attorney must supervise and conduct the closing, which adds a mandatory attorney fee to every transaction. Transfer tax (called excise or deed stamp tax) is levied at $1.00 per $500 of consideration (0.2%) and is customarily paid by the seller, though this is negotiable by contract. Title insurance in North Carolina operates under a promulgated-rate system regulated by the NC Department of Insurance, meaning insurers file rates that must be approved, limiting price variation between providers. Prepayment penalties on most residential mortgages are restricted under NC's Predatory Lending Law, which broadly prohibits prepayment penalties on higher-rate loans and limits them on standard loans. The NC Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division and the NC Commissioner of Banks both provide oversight relevant to mortgage origination and servicing.
Conventional loans dominate North Carolina's purchase market at 66.1% of originations (76,201 loans), consistent with the state's mix of suburban and urban growth markets. FHA loans represent a notable 17.2% share (19,817 loans), reflecting a meaningful first-time and lower-credit-score buyer segment. VA loans account for 15.8% of volume (18,231 loans), an elevated share driven by the state's substantial military presence, including Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. USDA loans are a small but present 0.9% (1,065 loans), concentrated in the state's rural Piedmont and mountain communities.
State Employees' Credit Union
The largest credit union in North Carolina and one of the largest in the country, SECU serves state and public-school employees and their families. With 7,438 originations and a median total closing cost of $4,561 — the lowest among the top five lenders in this HMDA dataset — it has a notable cost profile for eligible borrowers.
Movement Mortgage, LLC
Headquartered in Fort Mill, SC, Movement Mortgage has a strong retail presence across North Carolina and originates through a dense branch network in the Carolinas region. Its 6,064 NC originations make it the second-highest-volume lender in this dataset.
Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, L.L.C.
Virginia Beach-based Atlantic Bay focuses heavily on the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with meaningful origination volume across coastal and inland North Carolina markets. It ranked fifth by volume in this HMDA dataset with 4,399 originations.
| Loan type | Volume | Median Rate | Median Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| conventional | 76,615 | 6.490% | $4,857 |
| fha | 21,954 | 6.250% | $10,345 |
| va | 18,712 | 6.125% | $6,560 |
| usda | 1,192 | 6.250% | $7,445 |
Ranked by median total loan costs among lenders with 50+ purchase originations in North Carolina.
| Rank | Lender | Median Total Costs ↑ | Median Rate ↕ | Median Origination ↕ | Volume ↕ | vs. Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | 6.438% | $0 | 70 | −$5,736 | |
| 2 | $0 | 6.500% | $0 | 65 | −$5,736 | |
| 3 | $544 | 6.375% | $0 | 101 | −$5,192 | |
| 4 | $948 | 5.750% | $0 | 1,313 | −$4,788 | |
| 5 | $1,455 | 5.250% | $1,190 | 1,757 | −$4,281 | |
| 6 | $2,382 | 7.750% | $0 | 285 | −$3,354 | |
| 7 | $2,910 | 5.750% | $101 | 552 | −$2,826 | |
| 8 | $2,921 | 5.500% | $102 | 551 | −$2,815 | |
| 9 | $3,236 | 6.250% | $193 | 155 | −$2,500 | |
| 10 | $3,585 | 6.700% | $0 | 59 | −$2,151 | |
| 11 | $3,597 | 6.000% | $400 | 223 | −$2,139 | |
| 12 | $3,710 | 6.625% | $995 | 317 | −$2,026 | |
| 13 | $3,757 | 6.125% | $250 | 247 | −$1,979 | |
| 14 | $3,801 | 6.625% | $279 | 343 | −$1,935 | |
| 15 | $3,832 | 6.000% | $0 | 2,205 | −$1,904 | |
| 16 | $3,967 | 5.875% | $1,295 | 161 | −$1,769 | |
| 17 | $3,991 | 6.375% | $1,250 | 506 | −$1,745 | |
| 18 | $4,115 | 6.375% | $1,482 | 1,487 | −$1,621 | |
| 19 | $4,121 | 6.000% | $1,485 | 1,135 | −$1,615 | |
| 20 | $4,151 | 6.375% | $1,125 | 470 | −$1,585 | |
| 21 | $4,172 | 6.500% | $1,129 | 348 | −$1,564 | |
| 22 | $4,179 | 6.625% | $1,295 | 70 | −$1,557 | |
| 23 | $4,188 | 6.375% | $1,550 | 77 | −$1,548 | |
| 24 | $4,218 | 6.490% | $995 | 251 | −$1,518 | |
| 25 | $4,248 | 6.375% | $1,095 | 84 | −$1,488 |
Includes lenders with 50+ purchase originations in North Carolina. Source: HMDA 2025. Sorted by median total loan costs.
Total closing costs in North Carolina typically represent a moderate share of the purchase price, helped by competitive title insurance rates under the state's promulgated system and seller-paid transfer taxes on most transactions. The mandatory attorney closing fee is a fixed cost buyers cannot avoid but can comparison-shop within reason. Lender origination charges, including origination fees, discount points, and processing fees, are the most variable line items and the ones most worth comparing across lenders. FHA loans carry a substantial upfront mortgage insurance premium that inflates total costs significantly relative to conventional loans. Third-party costs such as appraisal, title insurance, and settlement attorney fees tend to fall within predictable ranges. Buyers should request a Loan Estimate from multiple lenders to compare Section A (lender fees) and Section B (services they cannot shop) separately.
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Grades A–F from verified closing disclosure and loan estimate uploads — not industry medians.
Wake County
14,195 originations
Mecklenburg County
12,550 originations
Guilford County
4,592 originations
Forsyth County
4,119 originations
Johnston County
3,885 originations
Brunswick County
3,508 originations
Cumberland County
3,498 originations
Durham County
3,497 originations
Onslow County
3,484 originations
Union County
3,375 originations
Gaston County
3,225 originations
Harnett County
3,053 originations
Iredell County
2,886 originations
Cabarrus County
2,825 originations
New Hanover County
2,330 originations
Buncombe County
2,245 originations
Alamance County
2,198 originations
Catawba County
2,141 originations
Davidson County
2,037 originations
Pitt County
1,704 originations
Rowan County
1,688 originations
Moore County
1,635 originations
Craven County
1,373 originations
Henderson County
1,346 originations
Randolph County
1,301 originations
Wayne County
1,253 originations
Lincoln County
1,205 originations
Franklin County
1,182 originations
Pender County
1,131 originations
Orange County
1,086 originations
Hoke County
1,082 originations
Nash County
1,042 originations
Rockingham County
1,024 originations
Chatham County
904 originations
Cleveland County
899 originations
Lee County
852 originations
Stanly County
839 originations
Carteret County
758 originations
Burke County
745 originations
Caldwell County
690 originations
Wilson County
676 originations
Haywood County
666 originations
Granville County
589 originations
Davie County
559 originations
Robeson County
559 originations
Pasquotank County
547 originations
Rutherford County
525 originations
Stokes County
491 originations
Surry County
490 originations
Currituck County
481 originations
Lenoir County
429 originations
Wilkes County
427 originations
Sampson County
416 originations
McDowell County
371 originations
Dare County
355 originations
Beaufort County
331 originations
Person County
327 originations
Yadkin County
317 originations
Columbus County
308 originations
Duplin County
306 originations
Macon County
302 originations
Alexander County
271 originations
Watauga County
259 originations
Edgecombe County
258 originations
Vance County
243 originations
Richmond County
236 originations
Jackson County
236 originations
Cherokee County
235 originations
Transylvania County
219 originations
Halifax County
203 originations
Montgomery County
202 originations
Scotland County
201 originations
Ashe County
186 originations
Camden County
180 originations
Polk County
162 originations
Bladen County
157 originations
Perquimans County
152 originations
Madison County
149 originations
Anson County
146 originations
Chowan County
142 originations
Martin County
141 originations
Caswell County
132 originations
Yancey County
129 originations
Warren County
129 originations
Avery County
126 originations
Pamlico County
122 originations
Mitchell County
109 originations
Greene County
100 originations
See North Carolina closing cost details, fee benchmarks, and county comparisons → North Carolina Closing Costs Guide
Found your lender? Make sure their quote is fair.
HMDA data shows industry-wide medians. Your actual quote may differ. Upload your Closing Disclosure or Loan Estimate to see exactly where your fees stand — and get a ready-to-send negotiation email.
Data source: HMDA Modified Loan Application Register 2025, published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Statistics reflect originated first-lien purchase mortgages on owner-occupied principal residences. Medians exclude loans with exempt or unreported fee disclosures. Learn more at ffiec.cfpb.gov.