Investment Property Loans in Winston-Salem, NC

For 2026, Forsyth County levies 55.40 cents and Winston-Salem 58.90 cents per $100 of value, a $1.143 combined rate, or $1.233 inside the downtown Business Improvement District.

For investors: When comparing a Winston-Salem rental with one in Kernersville or Clemmons, use the county's full rate table, because each town adds its own rate and both towns' stormwater fees appear on the county's 2026 fee list. The city itself adds a $30 vehicle fee.

Source: Forsyth County Tax Administration, Tax Rates (2026 table and 2026 Additional Fees), Oct 2026

Forsyth County's latest reappraisal took effect January 1, 2025, replacing values set in 2021; the county says it has generally reappraised every four years since 1988.

For investors: Values on Winston-Salem rentals now reflect four years of market change, so a seller's 2024 bill is no guide to holding cost. If the county keeps its four-year habit, a multiyear hold may cross another reset, so keep rent and sale records ready for an appeal.

Source: Forsyth County Tax Administration, 2025 Reappraisal, Oct 2026

Forsyth County property taxes are due September 1 and payable through January 5; late real estate accounts are charged 2% for January and another 0.75% each month after.

For investors: If the bill is unpaid on January 6, whoever owns the property that day becomes liable, so a Winston-Salem buyer closing in early January should have the bill paid at closing. Unpaid accounts can be advertised in local papers from March 1 to June 30.

Source: Forsyth County Tax Administration, Collections, Oct 2026

As of January 2022, a Winston-Salem planning FAQ said accessory dwellings could be rented short term, with no city limits on which homes qualify or for how long, and no permit needed.

For investors: The FAQ was written for the 2022 accessory dwelling amendment, so confirm current rules with Planning and Development Services before counting on nightly income. It also warns that HOA covenants can still restrict renting, and the city neither writes nor enforces them.

Source: City of Winston-Salem, UDO-CC15 Accessory Dwelling Units FAQ (January 2022), Jan 2022

Inside Winston-Salem, staff can permit one detached accessory dwelling per lot, up to 70% of the main home's floor area and 1,000 square feet, with 576 square feet always allowed and no added parking.

For investors: Unincorporated Forsyth still sends detached units to the Board of Adjustment, so confirm a parcel is inside city limits before planning a backyard rental. A newly built city unit needs 5-foot side and rear setbacks, a 25-foot height cap and a permanent foundation.

Source: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO Sec. 5.3.4C.2 (ClearCode, updated October 1, 2026), Oct 2026

More than 9,000 Forsyth County properties are mapped in flood hazard areas, homeowner policies normally exclude flood, and city policyholders get 10% off NFIP premiums as a Class 8 Community Rating System community.

For investors: The Stormwater Division at City Hall keeps records of past flood problems and elevation certificates for floodplain buildings built since 1993, a quick check before buying a Winston-Salem rental near a creek. Forsyth County holds the same Class 8, so the discount is no edge over county parcels.

Source: City of Winston-Salem, National Flood Insurance Program; class from FEMA CRS Eligible Communities, October 1, 2026, Oct 2026

Winston-Salem's UDO adopts Forsyth County flood maps dated June 10, 2026, and new or substantially improved homes in mapped flood areas must raise the lowest floor, basements included, 2 feet above base flood elevation.

For investors: Recheck any Winston-Salem parcel against the June 2026 maps, since a revision can add or remove a flood insurance requirement. A renovation large enough to count as a substantial improvement can force elevation, so price that risk before buying a flood-zone fixer.

Source: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO Secs. 8.1, 8.1.3B.2 and 11.2 (ClearCode, updated October 1, 2026; UDO-CC36), Oct 2026

Winston-Salem Code Enforcement can fine owners over $380 for grass or weeds above 8 inches, and it lists vacant properties with housing violations that could go to City Council for demolition.

For investors: The distressed property list is both a sourcing lead and a warning: anyone who buys a listed house should notify Neighborhood Services and plan repairs quickly. Absentee owners should contract mowing so grass citations do not stack up between tenants.

Source: City of Winston-Salem, Code Enforcement, Oct 2026

Winston-Salem's Housing Justice Act bars owners of city-funded housing from rejecting applicants over criminal records, except serious crimes such as assault or illegal weapons use, or over lawful income such as child support.

For investors: It reaches only housing built, renovated or developed with city grants, loans or city land, which must also keep at least a third of units affordable for 15 years, or 30 for multifamily. Taking city rehab funds means accepting these screening limits and yearly inspections.

Source: City of Winston-Salem, Housing Justice Act, Oct 2026

Winston-Salem's residential stormwater fee, effective January 1, 2026, runs from $61.87 a year for up to 2,000 square feet of impervious surface to $131.01 above 6,000 square feet.

For investors: The city's billing FAQ says a tenant may get the water bill while a separate stormwater bill goes to the landlord, and it groups landlords with nonresidential accounts, so confirm the rate class with Stormwater Collections when a rental changes hands.

Source: City of Winston-Salem, Stormwater Billing and Utility Rate, Oct 2026

Downtown Winston-Salem's Innovation Quarter, a research district led by Wake Forest Health Sciences, covers more than 330 acres, with 1.7 million square feet built since 2012 and room for 2.4 million more.

For investors: Researchers, medical staff and students working downtown support rental demand in nearby neighborhoods. Check commute times from a property to the district, and weigh new downtown apartment deliveries when setting rents on older houses close by.

Source: Innovation Quarter, About, Oct 2026