Welcome to the forum.
I've lived in several areas of NC and you can find a few basement homes in the Raleigh area, but they're not common. You'll find more with basements towards the western part of the state towards the mountains. May also need to consider an older home. A garage or free...
ExoticBlanks, Ed and Dawn, sell quality kits. I like their basic kits better than PSI.
Haven't had an issue with pressing them in, but its been a few years since I've turned anything.
What kits was he using, slimline, Jr Gent, etc?