House RegretsThe house you didn’t buy.

The Wilmington house you didn’t buy

FHFA all-transactions index for Wilmington, NC, 1985–today. Pick the year you almost bought; see what it became — with the mortgage you didn’t take and the rent you paid instead.

$300k in 1985$2.10MSince 20003.4×Latest index2026 Q1

What did not buying cost?

What a house you looked at cost in that year.
Mortgage math uses that year’s average 30-year rate.
Adds the “what you paid in rent instead” line.

If you’d bought a $300k house at Wilmington prices, year by year

Entry at each year’s average index, valued at 2026 Q1. Click a year for the full story.

1985$2.10M1986$1.99M1987$1.90M1988$1.84M1989$1.75M1990$1.71M1991$1.65M1992$1.58M1993$1.52M1994$1.42M1995$1.32M1996$1.23M1997$1.16M1998$1.10M1999$1.06M2000$1.03M2001$987,8172002$959,5152003$924,5682004$842,4552005$715,7432006$604,4212007$573,7552008$589,4522009$630,8702010$685,8502011$735,0002012$768,3332013$766,3802014$744,0022015$715,7522016$684,4902017$644,7612018$605,9922019$568,0852020$533,3662021$458,6152022$370,6492023$337,3062024$318,7132025$306,434

Every year, indexed

YearIndex (avg)$300k then, nowMultiple
198564.9$2.10M7.0×
198668.4$1.99M6.6×
198771.6$1.90M6.3×
198874.2$1.84M6.1×
198977.7$1.75M5.8×
199079.9$1.71M5.7×
199182.6$1.65M5.5×
199286.4$1.58M5.3×
199389.9$1.52M5.1×
199495.8$1.42M4.7×
1995103.5$1.32M4.4×
1996110.7$1.23M4.1×
1997117.5$1.16M3.9×
1998124.4$1.10M3.7×
1999128.5$1.06M3.5×
2000131.9$1.03M3.4×
2001138.1$987,8173.3×
2002142.1$959,5153.2×
2003147.5$924,5683.1×
2004161.9$842,4552.8×
2005190.5$715,7432.4×
2006225.6$604,4212.0×
2007237.7$573,7551.9×
2008231.4$589,4522.0×
2009216.2$630,8702.1×
2010198.9$685,8502.3×
2011185.6$735,0002.5×
2012177.5$768,3332.6×
2013178.0$766,3802.6×
2014183.3$744,0022.5×
2015190.5$715,7522.4×
2016199.2$684,4902.3×
2017211.5$644,7612.1×
2018225.1$605,9922.0×
2019240.1$568,0851.9×
2020255.7$533,3661.8×
2021297.4$458,6151.5×
2022368.0$370,6491.2×
2023404.3$337,3061.1×
2024427.9$318,7131.1×
2025445.1$306,4341.0×

Figures are index-derived estimates for the metro market — not an appraisal of any specific house. FHFA data; this site is neither endorsed nor certified by FHFA. Not financial advice.

More in NC

Methodology

Metro house-price trajectories use the FHFA all-transactions House Price Index — quarterly, per metro area, reaching back to 1975 for the earliest markets.

A purchase in year Y is valued at that year’s average index level and scaled to the latest quarter. Mortgage math uses that year’s average 30-year fixed rate (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED). The rent line grows a reference rent with the CPI rent index; the stock line uses S&P 500 total return.

Limits: an index describes a metro, not your street or your house; condition, remodels, taxes, insurance, maintenance and selling costs are not modeled. Full methodology →

FAQ

What would a house bought in Wilmington in 2000 be worth today?

A $300,000 house bought in 2000, tracked by the FHFA all-transactions index for this metro, would be worth about $1.03M at the 2026 Q1 index — a 3.4× market multiple. Your street and your house can differ from the metro index.

What would a house bought in Wilmington in 2012 be worth today?

A $300,000 house bought in 2012, tracked by the FHFA all-transactions index for this metro, would be worth about $768,333 at the 2026 Q1 index — a 2.6× market multiple. Your street and your house can differ from the metro index.

Does this include mortgage leverage?

Yes — the calculator computes equity for your down payment using that year’s average 30-year fixed rate (Freddie Mac PMMS), amortized monthly. Leverage is why the return on cash is usually a bigger number than the market multiple.

Is this the value of MY house?

No. The index tracks the whole metro’s repeat transactions. Your block, condition, remodels, taxes, insurance and selling costs all move your personal number. Treat every figure here as the market’s trajectory, not an appraisal.

Is this investment advice?

No. This is historical arithmetic for education and entertainment. Past prices never guarantee future prices.