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What first-time homebuyers must know about buying a house in Maryland
The first-time homebuyers of Maryland face many of the same obstacles as buyers around the nation. High prices and limited inventory can make the process seem discouraging.
But you are lucky because the Old Line State gives you easy access to a ton of support.
The Homebuyers can get counseling and advice as well as homebuyer education courses. And, best of all, you might be in line for cash assistance to help cover your down payment and closing costs.
Maryland home buyer overview
According to the reports by Maryland Realtors, in the Old Line State, the median sales price for homes was $380,000 in July 2021. There was a 12% increase year over year that was up from $339,000 a year earlier.
These sorts of rises for the homebuyers can be discouraging as they are saving for a down payment, leaving them feeling as if they’re climbing.
Maryland first-time homebuyer programs
The Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) has been offered by the Maryland Department of Housing And Community Development (DHCD), which provides an immense array of mortgage choices to first-time homebuyers.
As Explained by DHCD Website that loan terms are very much competitive with other home loan products on the market, but the thing that makes MMP unique is that its range of associated financial incentives and other assistance that, for many first time home buyers, means the difference between being able to purchase and continuing to rent.
So for obtaining down payment assistance you have to get one of DHCD’s mortgages.
And there are several other conditions, too.
For Most programs:
- You must buy a home in the state of Maryland
- You must choose one of 80 participating lenders from DHCD’s list
- You must Undergo a home buyer education course in most cases
- You Must Have a household income at or below the local income limit
- You must Not own other real estates
- You Must Live in the home once you’ve bought it (meaning its a ‘primary residence’)
These qualification criteria differ for each mortgage program and you’ll have to explore the website for the details of the one you want.
If you need help you could also ask a lender on the approved list. But committing to a lender will not be a good idea at this point.
You will need to compare shops later to find yourself the best deal.
Maryland first-time home buyer grants
Maryland DHCD has various down payment assistance programs, including:
- Flex 5000: a $5,000 no-interest loan with zero monthly payments. However, you must pay back the original $5,000 when your first mortgage ends. That might happen when you sell, refinance, transfer, or finish paying down the mortgage
- Flex 3% Loan: have a loan of 3% of your first (main) mortgage on the same terms as the Flex 5000 loan
- Flex 3% Grant: Obtain 3% of your mortgage loan amount in the form of a grant that never needs to be repaid
- Flex 4% Grant: A different grant that you don’t repay. But this time you get a loan of 4% of your main mortgage amount
Clearly, everyone would go for the Flex 4% grant if they could. So wait for the eligibility criteria to get difficult as you go down that list.
Another program which is known as Maryland SmartBuy can help qualified homebuyers with huge amounts of student debt. Its website says:
“Homebuyers must have an existing student debt with a minimum balance of $1,000 to qualify for the Maryland SmartBuy.
Maryland SmartBuy 3.0 financing offers around 15% of the home purchase price for the borrower to give their outstanding student debt with a maximum payoff total of $30,000.”
Borrowers will have to meet special eligibility criteria for getting SmartBuy and it is available through approved lenders.
Reference Source: The Mortgage Reports
