Buying a home in North Dakota

North Dakota's effective property-tax rate is about 0.941%of a home's value per year, about the same as the U.S. average of 0.888%. On a $500,000 home that's roughly $4,705 a year.

Full North Dakota property-tax guide →

North Dakota involves an attorney at closing, and North Dakota has no state real-estate transfer or deed tax. On a $400,000 home, estimated closing costs run about $8,477–$12,577 on top of your down payment.

Full North Dakota closing-costs guide →

North Dakota runs a housing finance agency with first-time-buyer help: down-payment assistance, below-market first mortgages, and mortgage tax credits.

See first-time buyer programs in North Dakota →

What you can afford depends on your income, debts, and down payment, not just the home price. North Dakota's property taxes above feed straight into the monthly payment lenders measure against your income.

Enter your numbers once and see your real affordability range, debt-to-income, and rent-vs-buy break-even for North Dakota:

Home Buying Steps walks you through the whole process, from checking if you're ready to getting pre-approved to closing day, one clear step at a time, tailored to North Dakota where the rules differ.

• 1. Are you ready? — budget, credit, rent vs. buy
• 2. Get your finances in order — pre-approval
• 5. Making an offer — earnest money & contingencies
• 10. Closing day — every cost, line by line