Addressing the problems of rural housing site selection and development in North Carolina, this guide is designed for cooperative and coordinated use by: technical assistance personnel employed by the Farmers Home Administration; local lending institutions; Health Departments; the Agricultural Extension Service; the Soil Conservation Service; and real estate and housing developers. Presenting various kinds of maps, charts, tables, diagrams, and illustrations, this manual addresses the following specific areas of concern: (1) Site Selection (preference area; priority group determination; soils investigation; ground water availability; land parcel investigation; investigation of the priority site; purchase of the site); (2) Site Test (suitability for septic tanks; suitability for foundations; slope suitability; erosion management suitability; depth to bedrock; no potential flooding; ground-water level suitability); (3) Site Development (property survey; locating the well; slope analysis; locating the driveway on the site; locating the house; locating activity areas; locating other site facilities; grading the site; post conclusion planning); (4) Appendices (North Carolina laws on site development and a list of site development information sources). (JC)