Down payment assistanceMaryland
Maryland Mortgage Program Partner Match
Up to $2,500 more, matching dollar for dollar what an approved employer, builder, or community partner gives you
Partner Match is an add-on, not a stand-alone program. If you are using the MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000 or Flex 6000 loan and an approved partner (your employer, the builder, a community organization, or a local government) is also giving you assistance, the state matches that contribution dollar for dollar up to $2,500. The match is added to your $6,000 second loan, so the total state second loan can reach $8,500 at 0% interest with no monthly payment, due when the first mortgage ends.
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
- Up to $2,500 more, matching dollar for dollar what an approved employer, builder, or community partner gives you
- 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
- Repeat buyers welcome
- 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: 0%
- Monthly payment: None
- When you would repay: Due with the $6,000 second loan when the first mortgage ends: sale, transfer, refinance, or payoff
Who qualifies
- Repeat buyers welcome. Follows the underlying loan. First-time rules apply on 1st Time Advantage 6000; repeat buyers can use Flex 6000.
- Income. The standard MMP county income table for your underlying loan applies (effective 2026-06-24). See the full 24-jurisdiction table on the MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000 page. Each partner also sets its own eligibility rules for its contribution.
- Price. Standard MMP maximum acquisition cost by county for the underlying loan (effective 2026-06-24).
- The partner must be enrolled with MMP. Four partner types: employers (House Keys 4 Employees), public colleges and universities, builders and developers, and community organizations or local governments. MMP keeps searchable lists of each.
- State of Maryland employees can receive a total employer-side contribution of $2,500 through House Keys 4 Employees, identified by a state POSC paystub.
- Smart Keys 4 Employees adds $1,000 on the same terms if the home is within 10 miles of your workplace or in the same jurisdiction, and sits in a Priority Funding Area.
- Partner Match can layer with county, city and nonprofit programs that are not MMP products.
Income limits below are the shared table published for MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000, which this program uses too.
| Area | 1-2 people | 3+ people |
|---|---|---|
| Allegany County | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| Anne Arundel County | $140,759 | $161,873 |
| Baltimore City | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| Baltimore County | $140,759 | $161,873 |
| Calvert County | $190,320 | $222,040 |
| Caroline County | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| Carroll County | $140,759 | $161,873 |
| Cecil County | $137,100 | $157,665 |
| Charles County | $199,320 | $232,540 |
| Dorchester County | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| Frederick County | $199,320 | $232,540 |
| Garrett County | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| Harford County | $140,759 | $161,873 |
| Howard County | $140,759 | $161,873 |
| Kent County | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| Montgomery County | $199,320 | $232,540 |
| Prince George's County | $199,320 | $232,540 |
| Queen Anne's County | $140,759 | $161,873 |
| Somerset County | $164,520 | $191,940 |
| St. Mary's County | $141,600 | $162,840 |
| Talbot County | $137,100 | $157,665 |
| Washington County | $137,100 | $157,665 |
| Wicomico County | $137,100 | $157,665 |
| Worcester County | $137,100 | $157,665 |
How to apply
- 1Check the MMP partner lists (employers, builders and developers, community and local government partners) to confirm your partner is enrolled. If your employer is listed, ask HR how to access the benefit.
- 2Ask your partner to complete MMP's Verification of Partner Contribution form.
- 3Give the completed form to your MMP approved lender when you apply for a 1st Time Advantage 6000 or Flex 6000 loan. The lender adds the match to your second loan.
- 4Make sure the partner's contribution is actually available at settlement. You are responsible for that piece.
Watch out for
- No match without a $6,000 product. Partner Match does not work with Direct, the 3% to 5% tiers, HomeStart, SmartBuy, HomeAbility, UPLIFT, First Homes or the Montgomery products.
- The match is a loan, not a grant. It is repaid with the $6,000 when the first mortgage ends.
- MMP matches only enrolled partners. Help from an employer that is not on the list can still be used, but it will not be matched.
- Partner lists change. Confirm enrollment the week you apply.
If your employer is on the MMP list, this is an easy $2,500 many buyers never claim. Look up your employer before you pick a loan product.
Straight answers
Which loans can Partner Match be added to?
Only the MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000 and Flex 6000 loans. The match is added to the $6,000 second loan for up to $8,500 total.
Who are the partners?
Enrolled employers (from Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland, Baltimore to county governments and small businesses), public colleges and universities, home builders and developers, and community organizations and local governments such as Baltimore Housing, the City of Frederick, the City of Gaithersburg and Healthy Neighborhoods. MMP publishes the full lists.
Is the match repaid?
Yes. It is 0% interest with no payment while you keep the first mortgage, and is due with the rest of the second loan when you sell, transfer, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage.
Sources
- MMP Partner Match Down Payment Assistance page (read Sep 22, 2026)
- MMP fact sheet: Partner Match Programs (updated 2025-11-06) (read Sep 22, 2026)
- MMP Partner Employers list (read Sep 22, 2026)
- MMP Community and Local Government Partners list (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.
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.