This Week Around Wilmington: New Chase Branch and Job Growth News

0:00Welcome to Real Stories with Buddy Blake. Today's episode features real estate insights from Buddy Blake. Let's dive in. Happy Friday, Wilmington. Welcome back to Real Stories with Buddy Blake. Buddy, there's actually a lot packed into this week's roundup. A new bank, a huge jobs report, film money, and like five things to do this weekend.

0:27Let's start with the bank thing, because I think it's actually a bigger deal than people realize. Chase Bank just did their grand opening for their first ever branch in the whole Wilmington market, and it landed in Hampstead. Wait, their first one? Not just first in Hampstead, but first in the whole area?

0:45First in the whole Wilmington market, yeah. And according to the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, there's three more locations planned already, so this isn't a one-and-done thing. They're committing to the area. That's interesting that it landed in Hampstead specifically though. Why there? Honestly, it tracks with everything else I'm seeing.

1:05Hampstead keeps picking up new services, new infrastructure as more people move in. A national bank deciding to set up shop there? That's the kind of thing I file away. If you're looking at homes for sale in Hampstead, or even thinking about selling a home out there, a new bank branch is one more sign of where things are headed for that area.

1:26Right. It's like a vote of confidence from a company that does a lot of research before they plant a flag somewhere. Exactly. They don't just pick a spot randomly. There's a lot of number crunching behind a decision like that. Okay, so speaking of numbers, the jobs report. This one kind of stopped me when I read it.

1:45Walk me through that. Yeah, this one's a big one. There's a new report also covered by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, and it shows Wilmington's total number of jobs grew by close to 30% between 2015 and 2025. 30% over 10 years? That's huge. It is, and here's the part that really got my attention. That growth puts us fifth highest among metro areas nationwide, not just in North Carolina, nationwide. Fifth in the whole country? No kidding.

2:20No kidding. And honestly, that number explains a lot of what I've just watched happen on the ground here over the past decade. New employers coming in, new rooftops going up, more demand for housing. It's not abstract to me. I've literally watched it unfold. So this isn't just a cool stat. It's actually connected to everything else you talk about. The housing market, the growth in these smaller towns around here. It's all connected. I actually wrote a longer

2:49post breaking down what this ranking means for the area, and if you want to see how it's actually showing up in local housing numbers, the New Hanover County Market Insights page is a good place to look. I'll make sure both are linked in the show notes. Good. I'll check those out myself. Okay, switching gears. Tell me about this film incentive thing. That caught me off guard. Yeah, this is a good one. North Carolina legislative leaders announced support for an additional $31 million in funding for film projects specifically

3:21in New Hanover County. 31 million just for film here? Just for here, yeah. And WWAY News Channel 3 reported that local film workers are saying it could ease some of the ongoing uncertainty in that industry. And look, Wilmington's film history runs deep. This isn't new for us. Right. We've had that reputation for a long time. Exactly. And steady work for that community matters way beyond just the film sets. We're talking restaurants, rental housing near the

3:54studios. All of that ripples out. If anyone's curious what's currently on the market in that part of the county, there's a homes for sale in New Hanover County page worth a look. That's such a good point. It's not just actors and crew, it's the whole local economy around them. Okay, let's do the fun stuff. What's on the calendar this week?

4:15Oh, there's good stuff. First up, there's a Paul McCartney tribute show, Live and Let Die, the music of Paul McCartney, playing at Thalion Hall Center for Performing Arts on October 9th. Thalion Hall's such a great spot for something like that. It really is. And it sits right in the heart of downtown Wilmington, so honestly, it's a good excuse to grab dinner nearby and make a whole evening out of it. I love that. What else?

4:42Art in the Arboretum is turning 30, which is kind of wild. New Hanover County News reports the community's invited to celebrate on October 10th and 11th, $5 gate tickets. 30 years? That's a real tradition at this point. It is. And a milestone like that is worth showing up for if you've got a free weekend afternoon.

5:02Then there's Scare Fair, a Halloween-themed market coming to Wilmington that same weekend, October 10th. Local vendors, trick-or-treating, family activities. Good one if you've got kids looking for something before the actual holiday. Exactly that. And if you're more into live music, Little River Band is scheduled to perform at the Wilson Center on October 16th. Solid pick for an evening out if you're a fan.

5:27Nice variety this week, honestly. Anything else before we wrap up? One more, and I think it's important. There's free VA claims assistance happening Friday, October 9th for veterans in the Wilmington area who need help filing or updating a VA benefit claim. WWAY News Channel 3 covered that one. If you're a veteran and you've been putting it off, this is a chance to get it handled with help right there in hand.

5:53That's a great one to mention. People really do put that stuff off. Well, buddy, this was a packed roundup. The bank, the jobs number, the film money, all the weekend stuff. Thanks for breaking it all down. Anytime. And look, if any of this has you thinking about Hampstead, downtown Wilmington, or anywhere else around New Hanover County, give me a call or text 910-395-1000. Always happy to talk through what's happening in your neighborhood. And the full article with

6:25all the sources is linked in the show notes if you want to dig into any of it yourself. Perfect. Thanks, everybody, for listening. We'll catch you next time on Real Stories with Buddy Blake. Thanks for listening to Real Stories with Buddy Blake. For the full article and more, check the show notes. See you next time.