I don't know if you've consulted this reference source, but Helen Leary published a decade or so ago, a major guide to researching North Carolina records titled, North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History. The chapters are arranged by record type, and there is considerable info on land records, deeds, and such that you will find helpful with your research. Unfortunately I couldn't find an online bookseller with a preview table of contents to recommend that you consult. It is worth the effort to get by interlibrary loan.