How much house can I afford in Maryland?

All-in cost first, always. Estimate only — not a loan quote or pre-approval.

Not your state? Find your calculator here.

Maryland at a glance

Median home price
$463,449
Typical closing costs
2%–5% of price
Transfer tax
0.5% of sale price, customarily paid by split between buyer and seller
Closing custom
attorney
Homestead exemption
Maryland's Homestead Property Tax Credit is not an exemption on the home's assessed value but a credit that caps how much a primary residence's TAXABLE assessment can increase year over year — the state caps this at 10% per year, and individual counties/municipalities may set a lower local cap (0%-10%; e.g. Montgomery County uses 10% statewide except the Town of Kensington at 5%). It does not limit the property's actual market value or assessment as determined by the Department of Assessments and Taxation, only the portion subject to tax. Homeowners must file a one-time application with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) to receive the credit; it does not apply automatically to a newly purchased home in the year of purchase.

First-time buyer / down payment assistance programs

  • Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) 1st Time Advantage

    Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's primary low fixed-rate 30-year first mortgage for first-time homebuyers statewide (exceptions for veterans and buyers in targeted areas), offered through DHCD-approved private lenders. Several product variants bundle down payment assistance (DPA): '1st Time Advantage Direct' has no built-in DPA but allows external assistance; '1st Time Advantage 6000' includes a $6,000 zero-interest deferred second-lien loan; percentage-based variants add DPA equal to 3%, 4%, or 5% of the first mortgage amount; and 'HomeStart' provides 6% of the loan amount in DPA for borrowers at or below 50% of Area Median Income. All deferred DPA loans are repaid when the first mortgage is paid off, refinanced, or the home is sold/transferred.

  • MMP Partner Match Down Payment Assistance

    Maryland Mortgage Program partner organizations (employers, builders, local governments, and community organizations) can match a portion of a borrower's own down payment assistance funds — up to an additional $2,500 — when paired with certain MMP first mortgage products (including 1st Time Advantage 6000 and Flex 6000).

Continue calculating

Mortgage payment calculator

Estimated all-in monthly payment for a home price you have in mind.

First-time buyer programs

Check which down payment assistance programs you likely qualify for.

Take-home pay calculator

What actually reaches your account after federal tax, FICA, and your state's own brackets — with local income tax disclosed rather than guessed at.

Related reading

Closing Costs in Maryland: What You'll Actually Pay

9 min read

Maryland stacks a 0.5% state transfer tax on top of a county recordation tax that runs from 0.5% to 1.4%. Here's what closing on a $463,449 home costs.

What Is PMI, and How Do You Get Rid of It?

15 min read

Private mortgage insurance explained in plain English — what it costs, why it exists, the exact federal rules for cancelling it, and how to work out the month your PMI is scheduled to end.

Guides & templates

Buying a Home With Someone Else

$4.99

The operational guide to buying property with a partner, friend, sibling, or parent — credit and DTI mechanics, title vesting, a clause-by-clause co-ownership agreement, and how the exit actually works.

The First-Time Buyer's Playbook: 12 Months to Closing Day

$4.99

A month-by-month plan for the year before you buy: what to do in each phase, what never to touch, how to document every dollar, and how to survive closing day.