Homes With Sean

Down payment assistanceMaryland

Accepting applications Baltimore City · Employer

University of Maryland, Baltimore Live Near Your Work Grant

$16,000 from UMB plus up to $2,500 from Baltimore City, $18,500 total, in eleven West Baltimore neighborhoods

A grant, not a loan. UMB contributes $16,000 and Baltimore City adds up to $2,500 toward your down payment and closing costs. The UMB portion is a taxable benefit reported on your W-2 over five years (20% a year). You must live in the home as your primary residence for at least 5 years from settlement. If you sell or transfer the home within that window you must notify UMB and repayment can apply; leaving UMB's employment does not require repaying the grant, but the remaining tax is due as a lump sum.

Funding was available the last time we checked.

Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Program terms change; confirm with the administrator before you rely on them.

At a glance

Amount
$16,000 from UMB plus up to $2,500 from Baltimore City, $18,500 total, in eleven West Baltimore neighborhoods
Type of help
Grant
Where
Baltimore City
Run by
University of Maryland, Baltimore Human Resources (Compensation, Benefits and Well-Being), with the Baltimore City Live Near Your Work Program
First-time buyer
Repeat buyers welcome
Income limit
None
Homebuyer education
Required
Your own funds
At least $1,000

How the grant works

Money you do not pay back, as long as you meet the program's stay-in-the-home terms.

  • Monthly payment: None
  • Forgiveness: The UMB grant is treated as taxable income spread over 60 months. Stay 5 years as your primary residence and nothing is repaid
  • When you would repay: Selling or transferring the home within 5 years of settlement, or false statements on the application

Who qualifies

  • Repeat buyers welcome. UMB states employees do not have to be first-time homebuyers.
  • Income. No income requirement. You must qualify for a mortgage on your own and bring at least $1,000 to the purchase.
  • Participating employers: University of Maryland, Baltimore, UMB, University of Maryland Baltimore.
  • Regular full-time or part-time (50% FTE or more) UMB faculty or staff in good standing, age 18 or older. Not eligible: part-time under 50% FTE, contractual employees, postdoctoral fellows, and University of Maryland Medical Center employees.
  • Home must be in one of eleven target neighborhoods: Barre Circle, Druid Heights, Franklin Square, Harlem Park, Heritage Crossing, Hollins Market, Mount Clare, Pigtown / Washington Village, Poppleton, Union Square, or Upton.
  • Homeownership counseling (class plus one-on-one session) with a HUD-certified counselor, completed and dated before you sign the contract of sale.
  • A ratified contract of sale is required to apply. Do not start the application until counseling is done and your offer is accepted.
  • Minimum $1,000 of your own money toward down payment and closing costs.

How to apply

  1. 1Complete homeownership counseling with a HUD-certified agency before you sign a contract. The certificate must be dated before the contract.
  2. 2Confirm the home is in one of the eleven target neighborhoods and get your offer accepted.
  3. 3Submit the reservation packet to UMB Benefits: the Baltimore City Live Near Your Work application signed by you and UMB, your counseling certificate, proof of your $1,000 investment (deposit, appraisal, inspection or insurance receipts), and the fully executed contract.
  4. 4For the city's full commitment, send your signed loan application, loan estimate and final loan commitment letter no less than 25 working days before settlement.
  5. 5Questions go to UMB Human Resources, Benefits, at 410-706-2606 or HRBenefits@umaryland.edu.
Official program page

Watch out for

  • Counseling must be finished before the contract is signed. This is a Baltimore City requirement and there is no exception.
  • The $16,000 is taxable. UMB reports 20% of it as W-2 income each year for five years. If you leave UMB during that period, the remaining tax is due as a lump sum and reported on a 1099, though the grant itself is not repaid.
  • Sell or transfer within 5 years and you must notify UMB; repayment consequences depend on the circumstances.
  • The 25 working day lead time before settlement is firm. Build it into your contract dates.
  • UMB is also an enrolled MMP Partner Match employer, so pairing this grant with an MMP 6000 loan can add a state match.

UMB's grant is one of the largest employer programs in the state and the neighborhoods around the campus have real value. Pigtown and Union Square are the ones buyers ask me about most.

Sean Evans, REALTOR®

Straight answers

How much is the UMB Live Near Your Work grant?

$16,000 from UMB plus a matching grant of up to $2,500 from Baltimore City, for a total of $18,500 toward down payment and closing costs.

Do I have to pay it back?

Not if you keep the home as your primary residence for 5 years. The grant is taxed as income over 60 months. If you sell or transfer within 5 years you must notify UMB and repayment can apply.

Which neighborhoods qualify?

Barre Circle, Druid Heights, Franklin Square, Harlem Park, Heritage Crossing, Hollins Market, Mount Clare, Pigtown / Washington Village, Poppleton, Union Square and Upton.

Is there an income limit?

No. You need to qualify for a mortgage and contribute at least $1,000. Part-time employees at 50% FTE or more qualify along with full-time staff and faculty.

Sources

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.

Get Sean’s help

Programs are the easy part. Timing is the hard part.

Most buyers lose assistance on a deadline, not on eligibility. Sean helps you map out the counseling, the lender conversation, and the contract dates so nothing slips.

Get in touch(240) 221-5907