A local nonprofit is buying properties to help keep housing prices down for some residents. Using a $2.5 million investment made by Live Oak Bank, Cape Fear Collective has acquired 17 rental properties in Wilmington and three in Pender County, where the nonprofit is aiming to keep rents below the market rate. It's part of a new initiative called Collective Ventures, which aims to funnel capital into communities with significant barriers to resources. To that end, the nonprofit looks to serve as an intermediary between its nonprofit partners and financial institutions like Live Oak Bank to direct dollars toward affordable housing solutions.