On-Demand Replay · 100% Free · No Obligation

Investor & Second Home Class.

DSCR · Conventional · Second Home · Portfolio. Built for coastal NC.

How real investors and second-home buyers are financing deals in Oak Island, Southport, Bald Head Island, Wrightsville Beach, and the rest of the South East NC coast, taught by the advisor closing those loans every week.

45 min + recorded Q&A Recorded live session DSCR · Conv · Portfolio Brunswick · New Hanover · Pender
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Investor & Second Home Class

Free, no pressure. Recorded live session with David.

Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS #119565. We never share your information.

What you'll walk away with

An operator's playbook, not theory.

Most investor classes either pitch a course or hand-wave the financing. This one gives you the actual loan structures, current rate ranges, and a coastal NC cash-flow worksheet you can run on a real deal that night.

Underwrite a coastal deal in 7 minutes

A repeatable model for Oak Island, Southport, and Wrightsville Beach that includes flood, wind, taxes, POA, and realistic STR seasonality.

Pick the right loan for the deal

DSCR vs. conventional vs. jumbo vs. portfolio, when each one wins and what each one actually costs in rate.

Scale without tripping the rules

How to structure past the conventional cap, when to LLC, and how lenders look at multi-property borrowers.

Avoid the expensive mistakes

The 5 mistakes David sees second-home and investor clients make most often, and the structures that prevent them.

Full agenda · 45 minutes

Every minute earns its place.

0:00
The 3 ways coastal NC investors actually make money

Appreciation, cash flow, and tax. Why most investors over-index on the wrong one.

0:05
DSCR loans, explained without the jargon

How the ratio is calculated, what rates and LTVs look like today, and when to use it vs. conventional.

0:14
Conventional investment financing

DTI, reserves, 75% rent rule, and the 10-property cap. Plus the most common reason investor files fall apart in underwriting.

0:22
Second-home financing (10% down)

Fannie/Freddie occupancy rules, how to structure offers in Oak Island and Bald Head Island, and what to NEVER put in writing.

0:30
Coastal cash-flow modeling

Real Oak Island, Caswell Beach, and Southport numbers. STR vs. LTR. Flood and wind insurance. POA fees. Management.

0:38
Scaling: BRRRR, cash-out, 1031s, and portfolio loans

How experienced investors recycle equity in a high-rate environment without overpaying.

0:43
Live Q&A recording with David

Real questions from real buyers and investors in the room.

Who it's for

If any of these sound like you…

  • You want a second home in Oak Island, Southport, Bald Head Island, or Wrightsville Beach and want to know the cleanest way to finance it
  • You're buying your first short-term rental on the Brunswick coast and the cash-flow math feels fuzzy
  • You own 2 to 4 doors and want to scale past the conventional cap without burning your DTI
  • You're self-employed and tired of underwriters tearing your tax returns apart for an investment loan
  • You're sitting on equity in a property and want to recycle it (cash-out or BRRRR) the right way
  • You're doing a 1031 exchange and need a lender who has actually closed one before

Hyper-local examples

Real coastal NC deals, not theory.

Every example uses real tax rates, flood-zone insurance ranges, POA dues, and seasonal STR occupancy patterns from:

Oak IslandSouthportCaswell BeachBald Head IslandSt. James PlantationWrightsville BeachCarolina BeachKure BeachSurf CityTopsailHampsteadWilmington

Roughly 75% of David's business closes in Southport and Oak Island. Second-home and investor deals along the Brunswick coast are something he structures every week.

Your instructor

David Starling

Branch Manager & Senior Mortgage Consultant · NMLS #119565

David has spent 20+ years financing primary, second-home, and investment property across Southport, Oak Island, St. James Plantation, Bald Head Island, Wrightsville Beach, and the rest of South East North Carolina. He has closed DSCR loans, conventional investment files, jumbo second homes, construction-to-perm builds, and portfolio refinances for clients buying their first rental and operators with 10+ doors. He teaches this class because most investors lose money on the financing decision, not the property.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

What's the difference between a DSCR loan and a conventional investment loan?

A DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loan qualifies the property based on its rental income, not your personal W-2 or tax returns. A conventional investment loan qualifies you, the borrower, using your personal DTI. DSCR is faster, doesn't require tax returns, and is the right tool when your write-offs make your taxable income look low. Conventional usually wins on rate when your personal income is straightforward.

Can I really buy a second home in Oak Island or Southport with 10% down?

Yes, for a true second home (you'll use it personally and it isn't a year-round rental), conventional financing allows as little as 10% down. The property must meet second-home occupancy rules and you cannot have a rental management agreement on the deed at purchase. We cover the exact occupancy language Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac look for and how to structure your offer cleanly.

Do short-term rental (STR) income projections count for qualification?

On DSCR loans, yes. We can use a 1007 market rent appraisal or, on many programs, projected short-term rental income from AirDNA or a comparable STR analysis. On conventional investment loans, lenders typically use the 1007 long-term rent for purchases (75% of fair market rent) until you have a 2-year history.

How does flood insurance affect investment property cash flow on the coast?

Massively, and it's the number one variable new investors underestimate. We walk through real AE-zone and X-zone quotes for Oak Island, Caswell Beach, Southport, and Wrightsville Beach, plus how the FEMA Risk Rating 2.0 changes the numbers year over year. Expect a separate slide just on insurance modeling.

Can I use a 1031 exchange with these programs?

Yes. DSCR, conventional, and jumbo investment programs all play nicely with 1031 exchanges. We cover the timeline, the QI (qualified intermediary) handoff, and the most common reason 1031s blow up at the financing step.

I already own 4 properties. Can I keep scaling?

Yes. We cover financing past the conventional 10-property cap, including DSCR portfolio loans, blanket loans for 3 to 10 doors, and cash-out refinance strategies to recycle equity (BRRRR-style) on coastal vacation rentals.

Is this only for experienced investors?

No. The first half is structured so a first-time investor or second-home buyer can follow every concept. The second half goes deeper into portfolio scaling and tax-efficient cash-out for experienced operators.

Is this a live class or a replay?

This is the on-demand replay of a live class David taught for coastal NC investors and second-home buyers. You get the full recording, the slide deck, and the Coastal NC STR/LTR cash-flow worksheet, so you can pause, rewatch, and run the numbers on your own deals.

Ready to underwrite your next deal?

Get instant access now. You'll receive the replay, slide deck, and the Coastal NC cash-flow worksheet by email, so you can watch on your schedule and run the numbers on your own deals.

Why the name Highland?

The Highland culture was historically proud, fiercely independent and rooted in important traditions of family, loyalty and conviction. Through 100% employee ownership and an unwavering belief in our team, Highland Mortgage exemplifies and embodies the spirit of this venerable culture. Put simply, trust equals behavior over time, a sincere credo that underscores our commitment to a life's work of advocating for our clients and each other.

Licensing Information

For licensing information, go to: NMLS Consumer Access

Boxcar Mortgage, LLC DBA Highland Mortgage
NMLS #1969375

404-850-0959

664 Seminole Ave NE, Suite #101
Atlanta, GA 30307

© 2026 David Starling · Highland Mortgage · NMLS #119565 · Equal Housing Opportunity.

Not a commitment to lend. Programs subject to change. All loans subject to credit approval.

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