According to the Wilmington Star News, our county is the second most crowded county in NC. Our average cost per lot in New Hanover jumped from about $115,000 in 2005 to about $155,000 in 2006. Builders are having to sell homes higher to make a profit. Who can afford all these new homes? The answer is "not as many people". Permits in 2006 decreased down to under 1000 (over 1500 in 2005). While this year is already proving to be a better real estate market than 2006, our prices have still held.