Housing Options

New Developments

Looking for the latest in new homes? Developments are popping up all over Baltimore City! You just have to know where to look. Start with these high-quality new communities that offer many housing styles.  Many businesses partner with Live Baltimore to promote their properties across the City.

Rowhouses

Notorious for filling Baltimore streets from east to west and north to south, the rowhome is truly a Baltimore icon. These testaments to housing range in size not only by width, but also by height.  You can find two and three-story rowhomes in many of the City's older neighborhoods, but the style remained popular even as the city grew and newer versions featured front lawns and rear yards with garages. The rowhome has been adapted in recent years to reflect a more contemporary style of living, but many still exist in their original layout.        

Single-Family Detached

There are numerous neighborhoods where the classic single-family detached home dots the tree-lined streets in the city.  Whether it is a two-story colonial, a retro bungalow, or a cool cape cod, you can find all of these homestyles in Baltimore City.

Condominiums

If convenience is your thing, then you'll find condominium living to be exactly what you are looking for.  Condominiums are similar to apartment living except the resident owns the unit and is assessed a monthly maintenance fee, otherwise referred to as a "condo fee." Many of the City's "condo communities" not only feature a maintenance-free lifestyle, but many are located steps from mass transit, movie theaters, grocery stores, boutique shopping and our famous Inner Harbor. Unit types and amenities will vary by building, as well as fees associated with the unit, so be sure to check them all out.  Some of them are Live Baltimore Business Partners.

Co-Ops

This is similar to a condominium community, except that you don't directly own the real estate or unit in the building. Instead, you own shares of the co-op and have specific rights to your unit.  Co-op boards are comprised of residents from the building and democratically control all functions of the building from maintenance to admitting new residents.   

Rehabbed Properties

Given the rich history of the city and its housing stock, many homes are easily more than 100 years old and sometimes need refurbishing. There are several ways to approach renovating a home.  Some people prefer working within the existing configuration and amenities of the home, others find gutting the home and rebuilding to be necessary. There are great attributes to both methods and each provides its own charm for making the house unique. Every year, millions of dollars are reinvested into city homes, enhancing the already great housing stock. Whether you are a Do it Yourself type of person or prefer a professional to handle the job, you'll find resources available to help you in the city.  You can check out Live Baltimore Renovator Partners here.

Investment Properties

SCOPE - Selling City Owned Property Efficiently

Baltimore Housing has created a simplified and cost effective process for selling city-owned properties efficiently (known as SCOPE) via experienced real estate agents. Properties are selected by the City and offered to realtors who list them in the statewide Multiple Listing Service (MLS). To make an offer on a property, simply contact the listing agent identified. In most cases, offers are accepted on SCOPE properties for a pre-determined period of time after which they are reviewed by the City. If there is no deadline set for offers, they are reviewed on a weekly basis. Deadline dates are specified on the listing sheet. The City typically does not review offers below the list price for a property until the property has been listed for more than two weeks. Offers are typically awarded or rejected within 10 days of the review. From award, it can take one or two weeks for the final approval by the City's Board of Estimates. Settlement is expected to occur within 60 days of Board approval. Buyers need to demonstrate financial capacity to fully redevelop the property/ies in order to be awarded and settle on a property.

Foreclosure Properties

These properties are lender-owned after the homeowner has defaulted on the mortgage loan.  These properties typically require approval from the original lender before a sale can be completed.  Often foreclosed properties are several thousand dollars less than non-foreclosed properties on them market.  It is advised to work with a realtor who has received training to become a Certified Distressed Property Expert. They can guide you through the acquisition process for foreclosed properties. 

HUD Owned Properties

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other federal agencies offer single-family and multi-family properties for sale through HUD. Two of HUD's more well-known programs are the Officer Next Door and Teacher Next Door programs now known as the "Good Neighbor Next Door" program. Through these programs, HUD offers a substantial discount of 50% off the list price of the home for qualified applicants. The number of properties is limited and the list of available properties changes weekly. 

Ground Rent

Ground rent is common in Baltimore City's residential real estate market. The term means you own the house, but someone else owns the actual property that the house sits on; therefore you must pay the owner rent on that land. The good news is that if you don't own the ground rent, you can purchase it. Click here for more information.