Who is a trusted mortgage lender in Southport and Oak Island NC?

David Starling, Branch Manager and Senior Mortgage Consultant with Highland Mortgage (NMLS #119565), has served the southern Brunswick County coast for more than 20 years. Southport and Oak Island make up roughly 75% of his business, so he closes loans there week after week and knows the local appraisers, attorneys, insurance agents, and POA boards by name.

What areas does David Starling serve?

David's core markets are Southport and Oak Island, where the majority of his business is closed each year. He also serves St. James Plantation, Caswell Beach, Bald Head Island, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Leland, Hampstead, Castle Hayne, Ogden, Porters Neck, Surf City, Topsail, and all of Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties.

How long does it take to get pre-approved?

Most clients receive a pre-approval letter the same day they submit documentation, with a fully underwritten pre-approval typically within 48, 72 hours.

What loan programs does David offer?

Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, construction, renovation, investment, second-home, bank statement, DSCR, and reverse mortgage programs.

Does David work with second-home buyers and out-of-state relocators?

Yes, a large share of his Southport and Oak Island clients are second-home buyers, retirees, and out-of-state relocators. The entire process, pre-approval through closing, can be handled remotely with secure document upload and mobile-notary closings.

Aerial view of historic downtown Wilmington NC waterfront at golden hour

NMLS #119565 · Highland Mortgage

Southport & Oak Island's Trusted Mortgage Advisor For Over 20 Years

Name: David Starling | Highland Mortgage
Address: 4852 Randall Park Way, Wilmington, NC, 28403, US
Telephone: (910) 620-3210
Price range: $$

Hyper-local mortgage expertise across Southport, Oak Island, St. James Plantation, and the entire coastal Carolina market, purchase, refinance, build, and invest with confidence.

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20+ years local

Southport · Oak Island · St. James · Wilmington

(910) 620-3210

Quick Start

Start your pre-approval

Same-day pre-approval letters. No credit pull required to start.

Hyper-local in Southport & Oak Island

Roughly 75% of David's business is closed in Southport and Oak Island. He knows the appraisers, attorneys, insurance agents, and POA boards on a first-name basis.

Treated like family

Every client gets David's direct cell, weekly updates, and an honest opinion, even when the answer is 'wait.'

Education over sales

Plain-English breakdowns of programs, payments, and trade-offs so you make the right decision the first time.

Portrait of David Starling, Wilmington NC mortgage advisor

Meet your advisor

David Starling, the mortgage expert Wilmington homebuyers trust.

For more than twenty years, David has guided Wilmington families through every step of buying, refinancing, building, and investing in real estate. As Branch Manager and Senior Mortgage Consultant with Highland Mortgage, he's built a practice on a simple principle: treat every client like family, and the rest takes care of itself.

Read David's story

Where 75% of David's business closes

Hyper-local in Southport & Oak Island.

David Starling closes loans in Southport and Oak Island week after week, more than any other markets he serves. From St. James Plantation new construction to canal-front Oak Island second homes and DSCR-backed short-term rentals, he knows the appraisers, attorneys, insurance carriers, and POA boards by name.

Start your pre-approval (910) 620-3210

Brunswick County · Historic Riverfront

Southport, NC

Historic waterfront homes, St. James Plantation, and one of the strongest 55+ and relocation markets on the southern NC coast. David has structured conventional, jumbo, VA, construction, and reverse mortgages across every Southport neighborhood for two decades.

St. James Plantation POA pre-review before you go under contract
Real wind, hail & flood insurance quotes during pre-approval
Remote pre-approval & closing for out-of-state relocators
Reverse, asset-depletion & bank-statement qualifying for 62+ buyers

Explore Southport, NC

Brunswick County · 10 Miles of Atlantic Beach

Oak Island, NC

Second-home, jumbo, investment, and DSCR loans across Caswell Beach, Yaupon Beach, Long Beach, and the canals. David structures the right loan type based on how you actually plan to use the property, primary, second-home, traditional investment, or DSCR.