with Jon Klein
This is the first episode of a Wilmington NC real estate podcast made for exactly one person: someone trying to figure out whether this is where they want to live, and what it actually costs to do it. Not investors. Not other agents. You — at nine at night, with sixteen tabs open, wondering if the flood insurance thing is as bad as the internet says. My husband Jon Klein joins me to explain why we made it.
Hey friend — I’m Tabetha (Tabi) Klein, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, working across New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties. I help people find home between the river and the sea.
Watch or listen: YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts · @theILMrealtor
In this episode
Those answers are local, they’re specific, and they don’t exist in a tidy article somewhere. They live in the heads of people who do this work here.
Tabi Klein, host
Why another Wilmington NC real estate podcast?
Because when I got licensed and started answering the same questions over and over, I noticed something. The questions were never the ones the national blogs answer.
Nobody asked me “what is escrow.” They asked why the house on the next street over has a property tax bill twice as high. What’s actually in the tap water. What a named storm deductible really costs when a storm comes. Whether Leland is worth the bridge. Those answers are local, they’re specific, and they don’t exist in a tidy article somewhere — they live in the heads of people who do this work here.
So the format is simple: I bring on a local expert — a lender, an insurance agent, a real estate attorney, a title underwriter, a financial planner, a preservation specialist — and I ask them the questions my clients actually ask me. Then I write it all down here so you don’t have to take notes.
Who this is for
- People moving here from somewhere else who need to understand what’s different about the coast before they commit.
- First-time buyers who are tired of advice written for a market that isn’t theirs.
- People who already live here and want to stop guessing about insurance, taxes, HOAs, or what their house is worth.
- People thinking about retiring here and trying to make the numbers work.
If you’re an agent looking for production tips, this is genuinely not that show, and I say that with love.
What we’ve covered so far
If you want to jump straight to a question instead of starting at episode one, here’s where to go:
- The market: reading the Wilmington NC housing market, with the CEO of my brokerage.
- Insurance: wind and hail coverage in North Carolina and whether your policy covers the golf cart.
- Money: seller paid closing costs and what underwriting is really doing.
- Protecting yourself: title insurance, wire fraud, and what happens to your house without a will.
- Living here: buying a historic home downtown and retiring to the coast.
The promise I’ll make you
Nobody pays to be on this show, and no guest pays me for a referral. Guests come on because they’re good at something I’m not, and because I’d send my own clients to them. Everything here is educational — I’m a REALTOR®, not an attorney, lender, insurance agent, or financial advisor, and I’ll say so every single time we get near a line.
I’ll also tell you when the answer is “it depends” instead of pretending it doesn’t. If you want to know how broker licensing and consumer protections work in this state, the N.C. Real Estate Commission’s consumer guide is the official source.
Questions about the podcast
Where can I listen to the Wilmington NC real estate podcast?
Every episode is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and each one gets a written companion post here with the links and takeaways. Use whichever you actually stick with.
Is this only for people buying a house?
No. Plenty of episodes are for people who already own here and want to stop guessing about insurance, taxes, HOA rules, or what happens to the house down the road.
Do guests pay to be on the show?
No. Nobody pays to appear and no guest pays me for a referral. Guests come on because they are genuinely good at something I am not.
Meet your hosts
Tabi Klein — that’s me. REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, based in Wilmington, serving New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties. Before real estate I went to culinary school, which explains a lot about how I talk about houses.
Jon Klein — my husband, and the reason anything around here technically works. He joins me for this first episode to ask the questions a normal person would ask, which is a genuinely useful job.
Start here
If you’re new to all of this, the best first read is my guide to buying a home in Wilmington, NC. If you’re moving here, start with the resource links you’ll want before you arrive. And if you’re still deciding where to look, get oriented by county: New Hanover, Brunswick, or Pender.
And whenever you want a real person instead of a website — call or text me at 910-983-8963. I promise it won’t feel like a pitch.
Tabetha Klein, REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage | 910-983-8963 | makingilmhome.com | @theILMrealtor
This podcast is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, insurance, or lending advice. Guest appearances are editorial and are not paid endorsements, advertisements, or recommendations of any product or service provider. Views expressed by guests are their own. Consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation. Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.