Home Buying Incentives

State and City incentive programs require housing counseling prior to signing a sales contract for your new home. Click here to sign up.

For an up-to-date list of incentive programs in Baltimore City and the State of Maryland, click here to visit Live Baltimore’s incentive page.

Baltimore City Employee
Homeownership Program

This program is designed to assist employees of the City of Baltimore to become homeowners within the city limits. All employees of Baltimore City’s agencies and quasi-agencies working for a minimum of 6 month can get $5,000 for down payment and closing assistance with no annual income limits. Property must be located in Baltimore City in an eligible neighborhood. An additional $750 is given for homes purchased in Healthy Neighborhoods target blocks. Click here for a list. Buyer must contribute at least $1,000 towards purchase and must use the property as the principal residence.

Call 410-396-3124 for more information.

Baltimore City Live Near Your Work

The Baltimore City Live Near Your Work Program is a partnership between employers and the City of Baltimore to encourage homeownership near the place of employment. This program provides direct financial assistance for eligible employees’ in Baltimore City. Eligible employees must be making their first home purchase. Baltimore City will contribute up to $2,500 per employee, which will be matched by the participating employer. Buyers are required to contribute a minimum of $1,000 cash toward the purchase of their home. Buyer must occupy the property as primary residence.

For a list of participating employers, click here.

Buying Into Baltimore

Buying Into Baltimore is a $5,000 incentive to use toward buying a home anywhere in Baltimore City. You must attend a Buying Into Baltimore event to become eligible for the $5,000 incentive. Click here for more information.

Baltimore First Time Homebuyers Incentive

Baltimore City’s Housing Department’s First Time Homebuyer Incentive is a $10,000 five-year forgivable loan to first-time homebuyers to assist with downpayment and settlement expenses. Homebuyer’s family income must be 80 percent or below the area median income. Homebuyer must be a first-time homebuyer. Property must be the homebuyer’s primary residence. The forgivable loan is 0% interest and the balance is forgivable by 20% each year for five years. For more information, click HERE.

Call 410-396-3124 for more information.

Downpayment and Settlement Expense
Loan Program (DSELP)

The State of Maryland offers downpayment and closing cost assistance commonly referred to as DSELP. Individuals or families who are approved to purchase a home using a CDA first mortgage loan (see above) can apply for a DSELP. DSELP is a deferred loan that is repayable when you payoff or refinance the home or upon sale or transfer of the house you financed through CDA. DSELP can provide up to $5,000.

For more information, click here.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Affordable Housing Program

Many banks in the Baltimore area are members of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and participate in the First-time Home buyers Program. Participating banks receive funds at the beginning of each year that can be used for closing cost assistance grants of $5,000 – $7,500 for low and moderate-income families.

For more information, visit https://corp.fhlbatl.com/services/affordable-housing-programs/.

Good Neighbor Next Door

Law enforcement officers, pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, firefighters/emergency medical technicians are eligible for a discount of 50% from the list price of a HUD-owned home. In return you must commit to live in the property for 36 months as your primary residence. Eligible single-family homes are listed exclusively for sale through the GNND program. Eligible homebuyers do not need to be first-time homebuyers, but cannot own any other real estate at time of sales offer. Eligible homebuyers must be employed full-time and must be employed by the government where the home is located.

For more information, call 410-962-2520 or visit www.hud.gov.

Johns Hopkins Live Near Your Work

Employees of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medical System are eligible for the expanded Johns Hopkins Live Near Your Work program. Click here for more information and to see the target map.

Employees of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medical System that purchase in the CARE neighborhood can receive $26,000 toward the purchase of their new home!

For more information, contact Katie Walsh at kschro10@jhu.edu, 443-997-7000, or visit www.hopkinsworklife.org.

Maryland Mortgage Program (CDA)

The State of Maryland offers a loan program (commonly referred to as CDA loans) that let you finance the purchase of a new home with below-market, fixed interest rates. The CDA mortgage is available for homes in priority funding areas. The home must be occupied as a principal residence-no investment property is eligible.

For more information, click here.