Maryland Mortgage Program - Free Eligibility Check

A program too often overlooked

Maryland's best home-loan program - and most buyers never hear about it.

The Maryland Mortgage Program offers state-backed financing and deferred down-payment assistance. The assistance carries no monthly payment and no interest (0% APR) - it is simply repaid when you sell, refinance, or move. Yet many eligible buyers either do not know the program exists or do not know which product applies to them. That is what this conversation is for.

What MMP gives you

Three advantages that make a real difference

1

Deferred down-payment assistance at no interest (0% APR)

The deferred second carries no interest (0% APR) and no monthly payment. It sits quietly behind your first mortgage and is only due when you sell, refinance, or move. No payment, no drain on monthly cash flow.

2

Multiple products for different needs

$6,000 flat via 1st Time Advantage 6000. Or size the assistance at 3%, 4%, or 5% of your first mortgage amount. Flex (Direct, 6000, or 3%) for repeat buyers. SmartBuy 3.0 for borrowers with student debt. We match you to the right fit.

3

Strong DMV-area limits

Montgomery and PG County income limits: up to $199,320 (1-2 people) or $232,540 (3+ people, all household members 18+). Acquisition price limit: $1,306,974 in non-targeted areas, or $1,597,413 in targeted census tracts. Limits effective June 24, 2026; subject to change.

Program facts - not borrower-specific figures

Key MMP numbers for the DMV area

Facts from the Maryland Mortgage Program. Limits effective June 24, 2026; subject to change.

$199,320 / $232,540

Household income limit, Montgomery and PG County (1-2 people / 3+ people). All members 18+ counted.

$6,000 or 3-5%

Down-payment assistance: flat $6,000 deferred second, or 3%, 4%, or 5% of the first mortgage amount as a deferred second at no interest (0% APR). No monthly payment on either.

Up to $25,000

Student debt paid off via SmartBuy 3.0 (up to 15% of purchase price, conventional only, student-debt note forgiven 20%/yr over 5 yrs). Expanded June 1, 2026.

Program facts only. Not a commitment to lend. Eligibility depends on income, credit, property, and program fund availability. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is not affiliated with CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC. Programs subject to change.

Your road to keys

Four steps to using MMP

Check eligibility - income, credit, and household

We review your household income (all members 18+), your credit profile, and first-time buyer status to map which MMP products are open to you. This conversation is free and starts with no credit pull.

Choose the right product

$6,000 deferred second, percent-of-loan DPA, or SmartBuy 3.0 if you have student debt? We walk through the options and recommend the fit that makes the most sense for your situation.

Complete education and get pre-approved

Homebuyer education is required by MMP - completing it early keeps all options open. We run pre-approval through an approved MMP lender so you shop with a solid commitment behind you.

Close with your assistance in place

DHCD reserves your funds. At closing, both the first mortgage and the deferred second are signed at the table. No monthly payment on the deferred second - ever - until you sell, refinance, or move.

Your team

An MMP-approved lender and a Maryland-experienced agent

Good questions

What buyers ask most

Do I have to be a first-time buyer?

Most MMP 1st Time Advantage products apply a 3-year rule - you must not have owned a home in the past three years. Exceptions exist for targeted areas and for veterans and active-duty borrowers (one time only, with a DD-214 or Statement of Service). Flex products serve repeat buyers. Every MMP product requires that you own no other real property at closing.

What counts as household income for the limit?

Every household member age 18 or older contributes to the income total - not just the borrowers on the loan. This surprises many buyers. We review all household members' income in the first conversation.

Is the deferred second loan forgiven?

No - for most MMP products, the deferred second is repaid in full when you sell, refinance, transfer, or pay off the first. There is no forgiveness. SmartBuy 3.0 is the exception: its student-debt note is forgiven 20% per year over five years (an optional SmartBuy down payment second is still repaid) - but it applies only to buyers with student debt using a conventional first mortgage.

Can I refinance after using MMP?

You can refinance your first mortgage, but if you refinance outside MMP, the deferred second becomes due in full at that point. An approved MMP refinance product may allow the second to stay in place with state approval. We factor this into your long-term planning conversation.

What credit score do I need?

MMP requires a minimum credit score of 640 on the products covered here, except SmartBuy 3.0, which requires a minimum middle score of 720. We review your full credit profile in the first meeting at no charge.

What other MMP rules should I know?

The home must be your principal residence, you plan to move in within 60 days of closing, and non-occupant co-borrowers are not allowed. MMP does not allow discount points on the first mortgage. Your rate locks when your lender reserves your MMP funds after a fully ratified contract, with no extensions, re-locks, or buydowns, and the loan must be purchased within 105 days of reservation. A canceled reservation bars a new one for the same borrower for 3 months. If liquid assets, gifts included, are a large share of the purchase price, MMP reviews them and you could be ineligible.

Find out where you stand

Get your free MMP eligibility check

Free and no obligation - we will walk through your eligibility picture with you.

Check your MMP eligibility - free

Free and no obligation. Tell us how to reach you and we will walk through your eligibility picture with you.