Your Maryland
Mortgage, Handled.
From Montgomery County to the Eastern Shore, our team knows Maryland lending inside and out, including the Maryland Mortgage Program, the state first time buyer transfer tax break that most guides get wrong, and the loan limit that changes by more than double across the state.
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Lending Across Maryland
Every county has a different loan limit, property tax rate and homestead cap. We know the numbers so you do not have to guess.
Maryland’s highest loan limits, the lowest tax rate of the four DC suburbs, and a 10% homestead cap.
Joint Base Andrews sits here, so VA financing is routine. The homestead cap is a tight 3%.
Full Washington metro loan limits at prices below Montgomery, and no county transfer tax at all.
Also at the ceiling, home to Naval Support Facility Indian Head, and a 0.50% county transfer tax.
Fort Meade and Annapolis anchor the buyer base. The 2% homestead cap is the tightest in Maryland.
Baltimore metro loan limits at DC suburb prices, which sharpens the conventional against FHA decision.
A 1.50% county transfer tax, the highest here, so the closing cost conversation starts earlier.
Not sure which county fits your budget? We will match you with areas where your loan limit and payment range actually work.
Call (571) 621-5413 and we will walk you through itMaryland Programs That Reduce Your Costs
The Maryland Mortgage Program is the main state vehicle. Two things decide whether it helps you, and neither one is the headline number.
Every down payment product in the core Maryland Mortgage Program lineup is a zero percent deferred second lien, not a grant. Nothing is due while your first mortgage is in place, and the balance becomes payable when that mortgage ends through sale, refinance, transfer or payoff. The program floor is a 640 credit score, with Maryland SmartBuy the exception at 720. The master servicer, the agencies and the mortgage insurers each layer their own requirements on top, and the strictest one controls.
Assistance of $6,000, or 3, 4 or 5% of your first mortgage depending on the product you qualify for. On a $500K purchase the 5% option is $25,000 toward your down payment.
Six percent of the loan amount as a zero percent second, deferred for 30 years. The most generous percentage in the lineup, with the tightest income test attached to it.
The route for a repeat buyer. Either $6,000 or 3% of the first mortgage, on the same zero percent deferred second lien structure as the first time buyer products.
Pays the lesser of 15% of the purchase price or $25,000 toward student debt. The cap rose to $25,000 on 1 June 2026, so older write ups quote a lower figure.
First Homes for First Responders & Teachers
Launched by the state in September 2026. Firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, police officers, rescue squad members, 911 specialists and full time state certified classroom teachers and school counsellors qualify. Five percent of the loan amount as down payment assistance, at zero percent, deferred for 30 years. Like every state program it runs on an allocation, so confirm it is still open before you plan around it.
Check Your EligibilitySources: Maryland Mortgage Program Product Matrix, revised 4 September 2026, and the SmartBuy 3.0 fact sheet updated 1 June 2026. Two Maryland programs are closed and still appear on competitor pages: the Montgomery Homeownership Program closed to new reservations on 1 September 2026 after fully committing its funds, and Maryland HomeCredit, the state mortgage credit certificate, has been closed since June 2020 with no plan to reopen.
Shopping the District as well? DC Open Doors works on a single citywide loan limit, and the recordation tax behaves very differently once you cross the line.
Every Mortgage Option, One Team
State assistance sits on top of a loan, and the loan is where most of the cost is decided.
The most common loan for Maryland buyers. As little as 3% down with mortgage insurance that cancels by law at 78% of original value. The 2026 conforming limit is $832,750 baseline and $1,249,125 in the Washington metro counties.
Maryland carries one of the densest concentrations of military installations in the country, from Joint Base Andrews to Fort Meade. Zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and no loan limit at all for a buyer with full entitlement.
Down to 3.5% with a 580 credit score, and more flexible on debt to income than conventional. Combines with Maryland Mortgage Program assistance for minimal cash at closing.
More of Maryland qualifies than buyers expect once you move outside the Washington and Baltimore cores, including much of the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland.
Above $1,249,125 in the Washington metro counties and above $832,750 elsewhere in Maryland. In the thirteen floor limit jurisdictions that threshold arrives far earlier than people assume.
One loan covers the purchase and the renovation, underwritten against what the property will be worth once the work is finished. Useful across Maryland’s older housing stock.
Tell us the county, the price point and your credit profile. We will price the realistic options side by side rather than guessing.
Talk to ArslanMaryland County Comparison
Loan limits, tax rates and homestead caps vary sharply across Maryland. Here is the data that drives your decision.
| County | 2026 FHA Limit | County Tax Rate | Homestead Cap | Recordation Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | $1,249,125 | 0.6742% | 10% | $4.45 per $500 |
| Prince George’s | $1,249,125 | 1.0000% | 3% | $2.75 per $500 |
| Frederick | $1,249,125 | 1.1000% | 5% | $7.00 per $500 |
| Charles | $1,249,125 | 1.1410% | 7% | $7.00 per $500 |
| Anne Arundel | $747,500 | 0.9770% | 2% | $3.50 per $500 |
| Howard | $747,500 | 1.0440% | 5% | $2.50 per $500 |
| Baltimore County | $747,500 | 1.1000% | 4% | $2.50 per $500 |
| Calvert and St. Mary’s | $541,287 | Varies | Varies | Varies |
FHA limits derived from HUD’s 2026 Areas at Ceiling and Areas Above Floor and Below Ceiling lists. County rates and homestead caps from the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, 2025 to 2026. Recordation rates from each county, cross checked against the Department of Legislative Services County Revenue Outlook for fiscal 2026. Montgomery is tiered above $500,000 and exempts the first $100,000 for owner occupants, so a flat figure understates it at higher price points. The homestead cap resets when a property changes hands and requires a one time application that a new owner has to file.
Serving Those Who Serve Our Country
Maryland carries one of the densest concentrations of military and federal installations in the country. Our team understands the PCS timelines, the BAH calculations and the documentation that comes with military lending. VA loans are a routine part of what we write here rather than a specialty line.
Installation list from the Maryland Office of Military and Federal Affairs. VA loan terms from the Department of Veterans Affairs. A veteran with full entitlement has no loan limit, so the county figures above apply to FHA and conventional financing rather than to VA.
Maryland Mortgage Questions
The questions we are asked most often by Maryland buyers.
Our team answers Maryland mortgage questions every day, with no pressure and no obligation.
Call (571) 621-5413Selling Your Maryland Home Too?
Buying in Maryland usually means selling something first. The Jamil Brothers Realty Team offers full service listings from 1.5%. The listing side is handled by the realty team and the financing by the Ken Byrne Team at ALCOVA Mortgage, and that is what makes a simultaneous sale and purchase easier to time.
Listings from 1.5%
Listing services are provided by the Jamil Brothers Realty Team. Mortgage financing is provided by the Ken Byrne Team at ALCOVA Mortgage. The two are separate businesses working the same transaction.
We are a Maryland mortgage lender licensed across the region, so a search that spans two states does not mean two lenders.