Baltimore Homeownership Incentive Program (B-HiP)

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake invites you to get hip in Baltimore with B-HiP! These incentives are specifically tailored for Baltimore City homebuyers. From Vacants to Value Booster to Live Near Your Work to Buying Into Baltimore, there’s an incentive for everyone. What’s also nice about B-HiP is that eligible homebuyers can layer incentive programs. Now that’s something to get excited about!

Here are the highlights:

Whether you’re a home buyer or a developer, Vacants to Value has grants and tax breaks to help you find your future in Baltimore.

Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program

Employees of City agencies and quasi-City agencies with six months of experience are eligible for $5,000 when purchasing their first home in Baltimore City. Houses up to $417,000 in cost are eligible and no income limits apply. Police officers, firefighters and teachers are also eligible for purchasing HUD homes at discounted prices through the Good Neighbors program.
For more information about the Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program, contact Marva Allette at 410-396-3124 orMarva.Allettte@baltimorecity.gov.

Buying into Baltimore and City Living Starts Here
Live Baltimore offers a $5,000 Buying Into Baltimore incentive to use toward buying a home anywhere in Baltimore City. Every year, there are two citywide events with incentives for the first 30 buyers. With B-HiP, Live Baltimore will sponsor four neighborhood-focused events called City Living Starts Here with 10 incentives each.

For more information about these programs, other homeownership opportunities, Baltimore neighborhoods and city life, visit Live Baltimore. Live Baltimore offers instant analysis of incentive program eligibility.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Homeownership Assistance Program

For first-time home buyers with total family income at or below 80% of area median income ($44,750 individual, $63,900 family of four), $5,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance is available.
For more information, contact Marva Allette at 410-396-3124 or Marva.Allette@baltimore.city.gov.

Live Near Your Work ProgramThis partnership between participating employers and the City of Baltimore is designed to encourage homeownership near place of employment. The City of Baltimore matches participating employers’ contributions between $1,000 to $2,500. Over 80 employers are currently enrolled in the program. A listing of employers can be found in the Baltimore Homeownership Incentive Programs packet. Of special note is the Johns Hopkins Live Near Your Work Program, which now offers $36,000 and $27,000 in designated neighborhoods near the hospital and university.

For more information, contact Daibeth Saunders at 410-396-3124 or Daibeth.Saunders@baltimorecity.gov. Live Baltimore has a dedicated staff member, Elizabeth Koontz, to aid in the enrollment and promotion of the Live Near Your Program. You may contact her atLKoontz@livebaltimore.com.

Maryland Mortgage Program

The State of Maryland offers an array of homeownership incentives for home buyers using the Maryland Mortgage Program and its participating lenders. The Downpayment and Settlement Expense Loan Program (DSELP) is $5,000. House Keys 4 Employees is $2,500. Smart Keys 4 Employees is $1,000. These and other State incentives can be layered with City incentives.
For more information, call 410-514-7530 or visit www.mmprogram.org.

Vacants to Value Booster ProgramOver 360 home buyers have benefited from $10,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance when buying a formerly vacant, renovated house. You could be next! Home buyers can use 203K loans to build renovations into their mortgage. Many homes are already beautifully renovated by Vacants to Value developers in growing neighborhood markets.

Please note: The eligibility guidelines for this program have been modified recently. A house is eligible for this program only if it was subject to a Vacant Building Notice for a year or more prior to its rehabilitation for sale to a home buyer. You can find more information about this change here.

View samples of houses that have been pre-qualified for this incentive here. For more information, contact Michael Guye, Director of Homeownership at 410-396-3124 or Michael.Guye@baltimorecity.gov.

City Program Guidelines and RulesAll City homeownership programs require pre-contract homeownership counseling from an approved agency, $1,000 investment from homebuyer’s funds, appraisals and home inspections. City incentives (with the exception of Live Near Your Work) are five-year forgivable loans.

A list of approved homeownership counseling agencies can be found in the Baltimore Homeownership Incentive Programs packet. For more information and program details, call the Baltimore City Office of Homeownership at 410-396-3124.

Office of Homeownership417 E. Fayette Street, Suite 1125
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-396-3124

Donate a PropertyProperty donation is a way for many to release themselves from the liability of an unwanted or too- expensive-to-maintain property. As an alternative to allowing your property to become another unkept or blighted property, consider donating your property to the City of Baltimore. This can help both your own personal interest and the investment of the neighborhood. The owner should be able to pay the fixed settlement expense cost of $600.00 Our staff includes real estate, tax and legal consultants who have the expertise to handle property donation. If your property is accepted, we can make the donation process simple and convenient. For more information, please complete the form.

Baltimore Homeownership Incentive Program (B-HiP)

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