Register of Deeds

(Charles P. Gilliam is retired as the Register of Deeds of Wake County, North Carolina. The information on this page was valid as of December 2020. The page is now archived and not updated. See https://www.charlespgilliam.com/home-2/)

Wake is the largest county in North Carolina. Register of Deeds is one of four countywide elected executive officials, along with Sheriff, District Attorney and Clerk of Superior Court.

As an elected office the Register of Deeds is unique as the only elected official in the county who holds no actual political power. The job is to maintain records and make them public. 100% of records are digitized and available on-line going back to 1795.

100% of services are available on-line or virtually by video conference.

Newest Developments!

New on-line recording monitor service released for the public.
Document Recording Alert was written in-house by the ROD IT staff. Enter a person’s or business’ name to monitor when something is recorded. You can enter your own name to monitor whether anything unexpected is recorded. Try it!
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Wake County Regional Centers are re-opening and Register of Deeds operations there have resumed. Check with your closest regional center for the latest on post-COVID-19 hours and procedures. Northern, Southern, Eastern. (The regional centers were temporarily closed in March due to COVID-19 and ROD operations there had to be temporarily suspended.)
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Wake County Historic Maps Rescued, Restored and Preserved by the Register of Deeds
The project to rescue historic maps originally recorded at the Register of Deeds was introduced to the public in September.  Documents going back into the 1800’s are now available on-line after being restored and preserved. Details including exemplary maps of interest are available here.

For even more information there is a thirty minute feature on a local television station.

One of the main duties of the Register of Deeds is to protect and make public records for all time. Our oldest record is 1785.

New Analysis by the Register of Deeds: Affordable Housing is Not Participating in the Strong Real Estate Market   

A new analysis by Register of Deeds Charles Gilliam demonstrates in more detail that “It continues to be difficult for a person of moderate means to keep head above water in Raleigh’s swift river of real estate flowing for more affluent people.”

Duties of the Register of Deeds

The Register of Deeds records, maintains and makes public, and in some cases creates, important public records. There are two primary functions: recording legal documents (mostly real estate) and vital records (births, deaths, marriages).

The Register of Deeds holds a wealth of information but the information is of little use if the public is not aware of the information. When Charles Gilliam because Register of Deeds he initiated programs of “pushing out” information to the public so that it can be used.

Real Estate Information

Register of Deeds Charles Gilliam issues monthly reports on real estate activity, especially so that the public can gauge the effect on the Wake County economy of the COVID-19 virus situation and the various measures limiting economic activity that were taken in response, as well as the effect of the eventual lifting of those measures.

The dollar value Wake County real estate activity in September 2020 was the highest for  any month this year and the second highest month over the last four years. During September $1.62 billion worth of real estate changed hands.

This chart shows the value of property transferred for each month in 2020. After a dip in April and May the market, overall, is back to pre-COVID-19 levels.

See the ROD report on September 2020 real estate activity with detailed information here and a Triangle Business Journal story is here.

An analysis at a more detailed level shows that transactions in affordable housing are proportionately in decline during the COVID-19 period.

The following chart shows the proportion of all transactions that occurred in the price ranges indicated. Following the restrictions on economic activities (which were initiated by executive order in March 2020), activity in property affordable by people of moderate means has declined. More details are available in Register of Deeds Gilliam’s report.

Register of Deeds Charles Gilliam is interested in affordable housing. Over the last five years the price of property valued under $300,000 has increased at a percentage growth rate greater than that for higher valued property. The typical property valued under $300,000 in 2014 increased in value $60,000 by 2019. See the Register of Deeds Charles Gilliam’s report for more information.

Wake is a growing county overall. In 2019 there were $15.3 billion worth of real estate transactions in Wake County. Over six years this has increased at a 7.9% compound annual growth rate.

The median sales price for real estate in 2019 was $303,000. This is up from $223,000 six years ago, a 6.3% compound annual growth rate. More information here.

In September 2020 the media sales price was $329,500.

Additional facts concerning real estate and can be found at the Register of Deeds.

Vital Records Information

Half of what the Register of Deeds does is vital records (marriages, deaths, births, etc.).

100% of services are available on-line, virtually by video conference and by mail.

Register of Deeds Charles Gilliam was the first register of deeds to issue marriage licenses using video technology so that it was not necessary for couples to venture out to obtain a license. This was done in March 2020 in response to COVID-19 safety needs.

Wake County vital statistics for the first half of 2020 quantify the impact of Cov-19 on marriages. In the 2020 first quarter marriage licenses were up 18% but then dropped off 38% in the second quarter. An executive order of March 27, 2020 made traditional religious weddings largely unworkable and on that same date Wake County magistrates suspended performing civil marriages for three weeks. These events, combined with general concerns about the pandemic, curtained the demand for marriage licenses.

Register of Deeds Charles Gilliam issues vital statistic reports for use by the public.

A six-year study of drug overdose deaths is an example of information. This table shows the drugs most commonly causing drug overdose deaths in Wake County. (Percentages add to more than 100% because overdose drugs typically are taking in combination and more than one causes death.)

The main driver of the increase in overdose deaths is the drug fentanyl. 77% of the time a lethal fentanyl dose was taken with another drug. It is often used to “enhance” the effect of another illicit drug.
For more information see the full report by Charles Gilliam, Register of Deeds, on drug over dose deaths. This report includes a searchable database.
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Births in Wake County are trending slightly down over the long-term. In 2019 there were 13,572 births. Approximately 19% of those were to mothers who reside outside the county.
Deaths are increasing at a steady 3.8% compound annual growth rate.
As a result, organic growth (births minus deaths) is declining at a 3.5% rate. In 2019 organic growth was 6,753 people, down from more than 10,000  a dozen years ago. These figures include the 19% born in Wake who live in other counties. Adjusting for out of county births would put organic growth in the four thousands.
Additional information on vital statistics is available at the Register of Deeds internet site.