First Homes for First Responders and Teachers (Maryland Mortgage Program)

At a glance

Amount

5% of the first mortgage as a 0% deferred second loan, plus a first mortgage rate 0.50% below the 1st Time Advantage 5% product

Type of help

Deferred loan

Where

Statewide, Maryland

Run by

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Community Development Administration (Maryland Mortgage Program)

First-time buyer

First-time buyers only

Income limit

Yes, see below

Price limit

Yes, see below

Minimum credit score

640

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: First mortgage priced 0.50% below MMP 1st Time Advantage 5%; second loan at 0%
• Monthly payment: None
• When you would repay: Due when you sell, transfer, refinance, or otherwise pay off the first mortgage

Who qualifies

• First-time buyers only. First-time buyers only, per the MMP compliance manual: no principal residence owned in the last 3 years. You cannot own any other real property at closing.
• Income. The standard MMP county income table applies (effective 2026-06-24), by household size. See the full 24-jurisdiction table on the MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000 page. Examples: $140,759 for 1 to 2 people and $161,873 for 3 or more in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties; $199,320 and $232,540 in Montgomery, Prince George's, Frederick and Charles.
• Price. Standard MMP maximum acquisition cost by county (effective 2026-06-24), for example $782,118 in the Baltimore metro counties and $1,306,974 in Montgomery and Prince George's. The first mortgage cannot exceed $832,750.
• Only for: first responders, teachers and educators.
• Property types: Single-family detached, Townhouse, Condo, Modular home. Must be your primary residence.
• First responders: full-time firefighters, certified EMTs and paramedics at a public safety agency, fire department, ambulance service or hospital; commissioned police officers; rescue squad members; sworn Office of the State Fire Marshal staff; and 9-1-1 specialists.
• Volunteer firefighters qualify with a letter from the municipality documenting at least 12 months of current volunteer status.
• Teachers: full-time state-certified classroom teachers or school counselors for grades pre-K through 12 at an accredited or state-recognized public, private or vocational school. Provide the MSDE teaching license if the employment verification does not make the role clear.
• At least one borrower must be actively employed in Maryland in an eligible role, or hold a signed non-contingent offer from an eligible Maryland employer if relocating from out of state.
• Your lender collects a written Verification of Employment with income detail, or a third-party income and employment report.
• Principal residence only. Works with FHA, VA, USDA and conventional first mortgages.

Income limits below are the shared table published for MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000, which this program uses too.

How to apply

1. 1Choose a lender from the MMP approved lender directory and ask for First Homes for First Responders and Teachers. Have your employer contact ready for the verification of employment.
2. 2Finish an approved homebuyer education course within 12 months before settlement.
3. 3Get pre-approved within the county income and purchase price limits. The lender confirms your occupation qualifies before reservation.
4. 4After your contract is ratified the lender reserves the loan at the First Homes rate published that day. The 5% second loan closes with the first mortgage.

Watch out for

• This is a funded initiative ($50 million in first mortgages). When the money is committed the product can close, so confirm availability when you start shopping.
• The 5% second loan is repaid when the first mortgage ends. It is not forgiven.
• Partner Match and every other MMP assistance product are off the table with First Homes. Employer, builder, developer and county assistance can still be layered if the servicer allows it.
• First-time buyers only, with no Targeted Area or veteran exception noted on the fact sheet. Ask the lender how the MMP compliance manual applies to your history.
• School counselors and pre-K teachers qualify; other school staff do not.

Straight answers

Sources

• First Homes for First Responders and Teachers product page (read Sep 22, 2026)
• MMP fact sheet: First Homes for First Responders and Teachers (updated 2026-09-04) (read Sep 22, 2026)
• MMP Directive 2026-10: First Homes for First Responders and Teachers (effective 2026-09-04) (read Sep 22, 2026)
• MMP Directive 2026-04: 2026 Income and Purchase Price Limits (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.