Buying a Home in Winston-Salem, NC

This page is general information, not legal, tax, or lending advice. Tax rates, contract forms, and loan programs change, so please confirm what applies to you with your lender, your closing attorney, and the county. I am a real estate professional, and my part is the search, the negotiation, and the path to closing.

Forsyth County Tax Administration's 2026 rate table lists a county rate of 0.554 per $100 of value. With the town and fire rates added, the totals are 1.143 in Winston-Salem, 1.081 in Kernersville, 0.8291 in most of Lewisville, 0.7991 in Clemmons, 0.834 in Rural Hall, and 0.714 in Walkertown. Outside any town, the county rate plus the countywide fire district comes to 0.6491. Downtown Winston-Salem's business improvement district is 1.233.

On a $300,000 home, that is about $3,429 a year in Winston-Salem, $3,243 in Kernersville, $2,487 in Lewisville, $2,397 in Clemmons, and $1,947 in unincorporated county. The city also lists a $30 vehicle fee, and Clemmons a $90 stormwater fee. The county's tax site also flags a 2025 reappraisal, so an older tax figure on a listing may be out of date. I confirm the current value and district for every address.

Start with a lender. The FHA allows as little as 3.5 percent down with a credit score of 580 or higher, and Fannie Mae's HomeReady allows as little as 3 percent down. Most North Carolina deals use the Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T), with an optional due diligence fee paid to the seller for the right to end the contract during a negotiated due diligence period. End it inside that period and you typically get your earnest money back but not the fee, according to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

We sign a written buyer agreement before touring, as the National Association of REALTORS has required of MLS participants since August 17, 2024, and your closing runs through an attorney. First house? See first-time buyers in Winston-Salem.

The rules and figures above come from these sources, checked in October 2026. Rates and programs change, so the county, your lender, and your closing attorney have the final word.

• Forsyth County Tax Administration, 2026 tax rates
• Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, School Locator
• HUD, FHA loan information
• HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2010-29, minimum credit scores
• Fannie Mae, HomeReady Mortgage
• North Carolina Real Estate Commission, due diligence questions and answers
• National Association of REALTORS, settlement FAQs, practice changes effective August 17, 2024
• FEMA, flood risk and lending requirements
• City of Winston-Salem, Salem Lake Park