Bridge to HOPE Loan Program: Fact Sheet

This statewide program, administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Development Administration (CDA), provides Maryland homeowners with short-term relief to maintain homeownership by preventing residential mortgage foreclosures resulting from borrowers experiencing financial difficulty caused by either a sub-prime or exotic mortgage, such as a negative amortization loan or an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loan that has, or is preparing to, reset.

Overall Eligibility Borrowers must be referred by a CDA-approved housing counseling agency (click here for listing). Borrowers must either be in delinquency or imminent potential of delinquency with no other viable alternatives available. For a fraudulent or predatory loan, the borrower may be referred to a CDA-approved housing counseling agency by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection or a similar organization. Initial evaluation of eligibility for this program will be determined by the housing counseling agency.
Eligible Occupancy One-unit, owner-occupied primary residences only.Borrower is not permitted to own any other real estate at time of closing
Eligible Property Types Attached or detached residences, condos, modular and double-wide mobile homes and PUDs
Current Interest Rate 0%
Eligible Loan Term This is a deferred loan that is repayable at the time the house is sold, transferred or upon the refinance of the existing mortgage.
Maximum CLTV 110%
Income Limits See below for limits.
Maximum Appraised Value See below for limits. Current appraised value of the home must not exceed the applicable “Maximum Appraised Value”
Maximum Loan Amount $15,000.Includes:
  • delinquent mortgage payments, taxes and other arrearages, (excluding attorneys’ fees);
  • a monthly subsidy of the mortgage payment for up to 24 months to cover the difference between the borrower’s current total debt payment including housing and monthly debt and a resulting debt ratio of 45% of the borrower's gross monthly income.
Maximum total debt-to-income post-intervention Not to exceed 45% of gross monthly income
Processing Loans are originated, processed and approved by CDA Single Family Housing or its designee
Asset Test If borrower’s liquid assets equal or exceed 20% of the current appraised value, asset test must be completed and borrower must be deemed eligible
Employment Must be stable; subject to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines
Credit Payment History Must have had a good mortgage/credit history prior to the reset as evidenced on their credit report
Housing Counseling The counseling agency must develop an action plan that shows progress toward a solution that supports the borrower’s ability to maintain ownership of the property; counseling agency must demonstrate that quarterly reviews, at a minimum, are being conducted to ensure borrower is adhering to action plan.

Income and Maximum Appraised Value Limits
Jurisdiction Household Size Income Limits Maximum Acquisition Costs
Non-Targeted Targeted Non-Targeted Targeted
Allegany County 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $289,705
Anne Arundel County 1 or 2
3 or more
$89,306
$102,702
$94,920
$110,740
$429,620 $525,091
Baltimore City 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $525,091
Baltimore County 1 or 2
3 or more
$89,306
$102,702
$94,920
$110,740
$429,620 $525,091
Calvert County 1 or 2
3 or more
$94,500
$108,675
  $429,620  
Caroline County 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $289,705
Carroll County 1 or 2
3 or more
$89,306
$102,702
  $429,620  
Cecil County 1 or 2
3 or more
$79,100
$90,965
  $346,601  
Charles County 1 or 2
3 or more
$94,500
$108,675
  $429,620  
Dorchester County 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $289,705
Frederick County 1 or 2
3 or more
$94,500
$108,675
$113,400
$132,300
$429,620 $525,091
Garrett County 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $481,250
Harford County 1 or 2
3 or more
$89,306
$102,702
$94,920
$110,740
$429,620 $525,091
Howard County 1 or 2
3 or more
$89,306
$102,702
  $429,620  
Kent County 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $359,798
Montgomery County 1 or 2
3 or more
$94,500
$108,675
  $429,620  
Prince George's County 1 or 2
3 or more
$94,500
$108,675
$113,400
$132,300
$429,620 $525,091
Queen Anne's County 1 or 2
3 or more
$89,306
$102,702
  $429,620  
St. Mary's County 1 or 2
3 or more
$79,100
$90,965
  $333,947  
Somerset County 1 or 2
3 or more
  $94,920
$110,740
  $325,875
Talbot County 1 or 2
3 or more
$79,100
$90,965
  $334,125  
Washington County 1 or 2
3 or more
$79,100
$90,965
$94,920
$110,740
$326,250 $398,750
Wicomico County 1 or 2
3 or more
$79,100
$90,965
$94,920
$110,740
$266,625 $325,875
Worcester County 1 or 2
3 or more
$79,100
$90,965
$94,920
$110,740
$393,749 $481,249
Information subject to change.
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