Anne Arundel County Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP)

At a glance

Amount

Up to $50,000, sized to your need

Type of help

Deferred loan

Where

Anne Arundel County

Run by

Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS)

First-time buyer

First-time buyers only

Income limit

Yes, see below

Price limit

Yes, see below

Homebuyer education

Required

How the deferred loan works

A second loan with no interest and no payment. You repay it when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage.

• Interest: 0%
• Monthly payment: None
• When you would repay: Sale or transfer of the home, the home no longer being your primary residence, or the end of 30 years, whichever comes first.

Who qualifies

• First-time buyers only. No ownership interest in real property during the last 3 years.
• Income. Household income up to 100% of Area Median Income: $93,500 for 1 person, $106,813 for 2, $120,188 for 3, $133,500 for 4, $144,188 for 5, $154,875 for 6 (effective 2026-06-01).
• Price. Purchase price up to $500,000, subject to what you can afford under ACDS underwriting.
• Property types: Single-family detached, Semi-detached, Townhouse, Condo. Must be your primary residence.
• You must graduate from the ACDS Homeownership Counseling Program before you sign a purchase contract. ACDS will not take clients who are already under contract. Certificates are good for 1 year.
• You must put in at least 1% of the sales price from your own funds. Eligible closing cost items count.
• No minimum credit score, but your back-end debt ratio cannot exceed 45%.
• The home must be in Anne Arundel County, owner-occupied or vacant when you make your offer, and pass ACDS's minimum property standards inspection.
• Any lender and any real estate agent may be used. MAP works with FHA loans and Maryland Mortgage Program loans.

How to apply

1. 1Apply to the free ACDS Homeownership Counseling Program before you shop. It is 4 classes totaling 8 hours, mostly virtual, and takes 2 to 4 months to finish. The first class books 6 to 8 weeks out.
2. 2Graduate and receive your certificate and the MAP application. Get pre-approved with a lender of your choice.
3. 3Go under contract on a home in Anne Arundel County that fits the price limit and property standards. Do not sign a contract before you graduate.
4. 4Submit the MAP application with your contract. ACDS sizes the loan with your lender, orders the property standards inspection, and needs 45 to 60 days from receipt of the contract to close.

Watch out for

• The counseling requirement is a hard gate with a long runway. Start it 4 to 6 months before you want to buy, since you cannot be under contract while you take the classes.
• Give ACDS 45 to 60 days from your ratified contract. Write your settlement date accordingly.
• The loan is repaid in full, not forgiven. It comes due at sale, transfer, move-out, or 30 years.
• Funding is budgeted each fiscal year through the county's Affordable Housing Trust Fund and federal HOME dollars. Confirm availability with ACDS when you start counseling.
• Homes that fail the ACDS property standards inspection must be repaired before closing or will not qualify.

Straight answers

Sources

• ACDS Mortgage Assistance Program page (income limits effective 2026-06-01) (read Sep 22, 2026)
• ACDS Homeownership Counseling page (read Sep 22, 2026)
• Anne Arundel County news: expanded Mortgage Assistance Program to $50,000 (2023-04-24) (read Sep 22, 2026)

Program details are summarized from public sources and change without notice. Funding badges reflect the last time we checked, not a guarantee of availability. This is buyer education from a real estate agent, not a loan pre-approval or a commitment to lend. Eligibility is decided by each program administrator and your lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.