VA loans in Baltimore.
Baltimore City is its own county-level jurisdiction in Maryland, separate from Baltimore County, and the FHFA value shown is Baltimore City's.
Source: FHFA Full County Loan Limit List for 2026 (HERA-based, final). One-unit limit; applies to mortgages acquired in calendar year 2026. Source checked 2026-09-16. · Baltimore City (FIPS 24510)
What the county figure means here.
A borrower with full VA entitlement does not have a VA loan limit, subject to lender approval, ability to repay, and the appraised value or purchase price. The FHFA one-unit county conforming loan limit matters primarily when calculating remaining bonus entitlement for a borrower who does not have full entitlement, and it may affect whether a down payment is required.
Baltimore City carries a $832,750 one-unit conforming loan limit value for 2026. It is used in remaining-entitlement calculations — including on a 2–4 unit property, where the one-unit value is still the figure used — and it is not a cap on what a fully-entitled Baltimore buyer can finance.
Planning around BAH? Rates vary by pay grade, dependency status, and ZIP-based Military Housing Area — verify yours on the official DoD BAH calculator.
This site does not publish current rates or APRs. Your rate and terms depend on your credit profile, income and assets, the property, market conditions, lock timing, points or lender credits, underwriting, and final lender approval. Request a personalized quote from Bolt Home Loans LLC.
Estimate a payment with your own rate assumptionBaltimore's tax sale can include water, stormwater and other City bills — not just property tax
Baltimore City holds an annual online tax lien certificate auction in mid-May, and its tax-sale office lists many kinds of unpaid charges that can become liens: real property taxes, metered water and stormwater fees, Environmental Control Board citations, property registration bills, minor privilege and miscellaneous bills, special benefit district charges, alley and footway paving bills and multi-family dwelling license fees.
The City advises owners who receive a Final Bill and Legal Notice or a pre-tax-sale letter in April to contact the issuing agency quickly if an amount looks wrong. Practical step: because liens can come from several agencies, ask your settlement agent to confirm that water and other City charges, not only the property tax bill, are paid or accounted for at closing.
Baltimore property registration: required within 10 days of transfer if you will not live there
Baltimore City Code, Article 13, section 4-5 requires annual registration of non-owner-occupied dwelling units, and registration within 10 days after a new owner acquires title. Section 5-4 separately requires a rental dwelling license, with a specified exception for Housing Authority of Baltimore City properties. The City's housing department lists license conditions such as a passing inspection and paid fees, and says lead certification applies to units that require it.
Living in one unit of a two- to four-unit building does not exempt the units you rent to others. Practical step: if you buy a multi-unit property in Baltimore City, plan to register and license each rented unit within the City's deadlines, and ask the City which lead and inspection rules apply to that building. These are Baltimore City rules; Baltimore County has its own.
- FHFA — Conforming loan limit values
- Baltimore City — Other City Liens (tax sale)
- Baltimore City DHCD — Property Registration and Rental Licensing
- Baltimore City Code, Art. 13 § 4-5 — Non-owner-occupied dwelling registration
- Baltimore City Code, Art. 13 § 5-4 — Rental dwelling licensing
- VA — Home loan entitlement and limits
Sources checked 2026-09-23. Educational information only, not legal, tax or underwriting advice.
Owner-occupied 2–4 units are eligible.
VA allows purchases up to four units as long as you occupy one of them. Whether any projected rental income counts toward your qualifying ratios is a lender and VA underwriting decision, not an automatic allowance. The one-unit county value above is still the figure used in entitlement calculations on a 2–4 unit property.
Run the house-hack calculatorVA loan programs available in MD.
$0 down in Baltimore. No PMI.
Lower your rate. Minimal paperwork.
Up to 100% LTV — conventional caps at 80%.
$0 down above conforming.
Finance repairs into your purchase.
Roll energy upgrades into the loan.
Widows and widowers of MD veterans qualify.
Zero down, no PMI, and a 100% funding-fee waiver on a home in Baltimore, subject to eligibility verification and Certificate of Eligibility issuance.
Surviving spouse guideDisabled veteran? Stack the SAH grant on your Baltimore purchase.
Up to $126,526 in FY 2026 toward a VA-approved plan to acquire, construct, or adapt a suitable home. VA approves eligibility and use; the grant is separate from your VA home loan.
SAH grant guideVA loans in Baltimore — answered.
FHFA sets conforming loan limit values by county. Baltimore is in Baltimore City (FIPS 24510), whose 2026 one-unit value is $832,750 per the FHFA Full County Loan Limit List. The figure only matters for remaining-entitlement calculations — with full entitlement there is no VA loan limit, subject to lender approval, ability to repay and appraised value.
BAH varies by pay grade, dependency status, and ZIP-based Military Housing Area, and DoD updates rates annually. Check your exact rate on the official DoD BAH calculator. Lenders may count BAH as qualifying income, subject to underwriting.
A VA-eligible borrower with full entitlement may be able to pursue a primary-residence purchase in Baltimore with no down payment and no monthly PMI. Eligibility, credit, income, the VA appraisal, and final lender approval all apply, and closing costs and prepaids are still due.
An unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability may qualify for the full VA benefit in Baltimore — zero down, no PMI, and a 100% funding-fee waiver, subject to eligibility verification.