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
- Wire Fraud Is Hitting 1 in 20 Home Closings. Most Buyers Have No Idea They Are the Target.
Criminals now steal $70,000 or more per incident using AI and spoofed emails. Here is the one rule that stops almost every scheme.
- The Rate Lock Math Nobody Walks You Through at Your Closing Table
Before you lock or float down, run these three numbers against your actual loan scenario
- THDA Just Raised Its Price Cap by $100,000. Here's What That Means for Your First Home in Tennessee.
If you earn under $160,720 and have been priced out of single-family homes in Nashville or Middle Tennessee, this May 2026 change may reopen the door.
- Your $72,000 Down Payment Can Vanish in One Email. Here's the Three-Step Wire Verification Protocol That Stops It.
Wire fraud hit $275.1 million in real estate losses last year. The good news: the fix is a phone call and a face-to-face confirmation.
- Wire Fraud Stole Their Life Savings Three Days Before Closing. Here's How to Protect Yours.
Two buyers lost a combined $274,000 to criminals spoofing their closing attorneys' emails. The scam is growing, your title company has an incentive to keep quiet, and the banks will not help you get it back.
- Criminals Are Forging Your Deed Right Now. Here's How to Catch It Before They Sell Your House.
Title fraud can steal your home while you sleep. The tools to catch it are free and take 20 minutes to set up.