Aging at Home in the Triangle

North Carolina has three homestead relief programs for your primary home. Apply through your county tax office (Wake, Durham, Johnston, Harnett, and the rest all use the same state form, AV-9).

• Elderly or Disabled Exclusion — age 65+ or totally and permanently disabled, with income under the state limit.
• Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment — caps your tax as a share of income; deferred taxes come due when the home changes hands.
• Disabled Veteran Exclusion — for honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected total disability.

Income limits change every year — check the current figure on the NC Department of Revenue property tax relief page. The usual deadline is June 1.

• Grab bars, a walk-in shower, and lever door handles.
• Brighter lighting on stairs and a night-light path to the bathroom.
• A first-floor bedroom and full bath — or a plan to create one.
• No-step entry from the garage or driveway.

• Never sign a deed or "quitclaim" someone brings to your door.
• Be wary of unsolicited cash offers and "we'll pay your back taxes" calls.
• Ask your county Register of Deeds about free property fraud alerts.
• Reverse mortgages: only through an FHA-approved lender, after required HUD counseling.

Talk with an estate attorney about a will, a durable power of attorney, and how the house passes. Heirs' property — land passed down without a clear title — is one of the biggest ways families lose generational wealth. Clear title now saves your kids a court fight later.

Sometimes staying "at home" means a home with an owner's suite on the main floor. One example in Harnett County: Pulte's Everbrook in Angier lists 1st-floor owner's suites as an option, with plans from $564,990 (builder's site, as of October 14, 2026). Prices change — confirm with the builder.

Want to talk through stay, modify, or move? Email Nyia.