Closing on a home in North Carolina
The taxes, the closing rules, and the programs North Carolina buyers and sellers are entitled to — whether anyone at the table mentions them or not.
The North Carolina basics
Excise tax of $1 per $500 of the price (0.2%), customarily paid by the seller. Seven northeastern counties add a local land transfer tax of up to 1%.
North Carolina is an ATTORNEY state — a licensed NC attorney must handle the closing. You choose the attorney; the attorney works the title, the closing, and the recording.
NC Housing Finance Agency's NC Home Advantage mortgage offers down payment help up to a percentage of the loan, with a larger $15,000 option for first-time buyers in targeted counties.
What to watch for in North Carolina
The closing attorney requirement is consumer protection IF you use it: the attorney you select represents the transaction's legal integrity — ask them questions, that's what the fee buys.
Seller-paid excise tax is the custom, but customs aren't law — read your contract's cost-allocation section rather than assuming.
In the seven counties with the extra 1% land transfer tax, that's real money on top of the state excise tax — budget for it if you're buying in northeastern NC.
Questions North Carolina buyers ask
Is there a transfer tax when buying a home in North Carolina?
Excise tax of $1 per $500 of the price (0.2%), customarily paid by the seller. Seven northeastern counties add a local land transfer tax of up to 1%.
Do I need an attorney to close on a house in North Carolina?
North Carolina is an ATTORNEY state — a licensed NC attorney must handle the closing. You choose the attorney; the attorney works the title, the closing, and the recording.
What down payment assistance is available in North Carolina?
NC Housing Finance Agency's NC Home Advantage mortgage offers down payment help up to a percentage of the loan, with a larger $15,000 option for first-time buyers in targeted counties.
Our North Carolina reporting
- Raleigh's $60,000 Down Payment Gift Has a Line Item the City's Housing Reports Never Name
The city will spend $6 million in bond funds on homebuyer assistance this year. Its own progress dashboards do not disclose the loan structure, repayment terms, or what happens when a recipient sells.
Worth reading before any closing
- The American Home at 250 Years: A Fourth of July for Buyers and Sellers Alike
Two and a half centuries in, owning a home is the closest thing the Republic has to a birthright. The history is worth celebrating. So is understanding a transaction most Americans go through only a handful of times, inside an industry that has quietly changed the rules between visits.
- Wire Fraud Stole $275 Million From Home Buyers Last Year. Here's the Step-by-Step That Could Save Yours.
The FBI's recovery team can freeze stolen funds, but only if you act within hours. Here's what to do before, during, and after your closing.
- The $275 Million Warning: AI Scams Targeting Home Buyers and Sellers Right Now
Five specific fraud patterns are draining closing accounts across the country, here is what each one looks like and exactly how to stop it before you lose a dollar
- The Mortgage Points Trap: Why Paying Thousands Upfront to Lower Your Rate Often Backfires
Before you hand your lender $9,000 to buy down your rate, do this one calculation or you could lose thousands
- Why Builder 'Preferred' Lenders and Title Companies Often Cost You More Than They Save
That 3% rate buydown or $15,000 closing credit looks like a bonus. Here's what's actually inside it, and what the builder doesn't want you to compare.
- Wire Fraud Is Stealing Six Figures From Home Buyers. Here's Your Defense.
In 2023, criminals stole more than $145 million from real estate transactions. The FTC and FBI can help, but only if you act within hours of discovering the theft. Here's exactly what to do.