<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" citation="COMAR 05.03.01.05" title_num="05" subtitle_num="03" chapter_num="01" heading="Eligible Borrowers.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>In order to be eligible for a loan to finance the purchase, or the purchase and rehabilitation, of an eligible residence comprised of one residential unit, a borrower:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Shall be all those persons who will hold title to the eligible residence;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Shall be 18 years old or older, unless married to a joint borrower who is 18 years old or older;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Shall be a member or members of a household of limited income;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Shall intend to reside in the eligible residence;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>If the borrower owns a personal residence at the time of application and is purchasing another residence, shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Have the existing residence under contract of sale at the time of the loan application and shall sell the residence before or simultaneous with the borrower's purchase of the property financed by the Program loan; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Provide evidence satisfactory to the Program that the borrower has a compelling need to purchase a new residence, because of a change in:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Circumstances of employment such as a new place of work, or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Personal circumstances such as a divorce or an increase in the size of the household;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>May not own or hold any interest in any other real property except cemetery plots, recreational vehicle lots, a 5 percent or less interest in a time share unit (2.6 weeks), real property used in a trade or business, or a lot adjacent to the purchased property that is consolidated with the purchased property securing the Program loan;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Shall satisfy the Program that the borrower does not have assets or resources, which are set forth in §C of this regulation, that could enable the borrower to qualify for conventional or other Departmental mortgage financing;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Shall have the legal capacity to incur the obligations of the loan; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>Shall agree to comply with the requirements established by the Program and with the terms of the loan.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>In order for a borrower to be eligible for a loan to finance the purchase, or the purchase and rehabilitation, of an eligible residence comprised of two to four residential units, a borrower:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Shall be all those persons who will hold title to the eligible residence;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Shall be 18 years old or older, unless married to a joint borrower who is 18 years old or older;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Shall intend to reside in one unit of the eligible residence;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>If the borrower owns a personal residence at the time of application and is purchasing another residence, shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Have the existing residence under contract of sale at the time of the loan application and shall sell the residence before or simultaneous with the borrower's purchase of the property financed by the Program loan; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Provide evidence satisfactory to the Program that the borrower has a compelling need to purchase a new residence, because of a change in:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Circumstances of employment such as a new place of work, or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Personal circumstances such as a divorce or an increase in the size of the household;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>May not own or hold any interest in any other real property except cemetery plots, recreational vehicle lots, a 5 percent or less interest in a time share unit (2.6 weeks), real property used in a trade or business, or a lot adjacent to the purchased property that is consolidated with the purchased property securing the Program loan;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Shall satisfy the Program that the borrower does not have assets or resources, which are set forth in §C of this regulation, that could enable the borrower to qualify for conventional or other Departmental mortgage financing;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Shall have the legal capacity to incur the obligations of the loan;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Shall lease all units other than the borrower's unit only to households of limited income;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>Shall agree to require each lease to include a lease addendum, in a form specified by the Program, which at a minimum:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Requires a tenant to be a household of limited income; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Requires a tenant to provide income tax returns or other evidence satisfactory to the Program of the tenant's household income, at the time the lease is made; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>Shall agree to comply with the requirements established by the Program and with terms of the loan.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>The assets in §A(7) and §B of this regulation:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>May include:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Individual or joint savings accounts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Individual or joint checking accounts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Individual or joint certificates of deposit;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Individual or joint money market or mutual fund accounts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Other individual or joint bank accounts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Proceeds derived or to be derived from the sale of real property or a mobile home or other personal property prior to loan closing;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>In trust for accounts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Any stocks or bonds;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(i)">
        <text>Funds from gift letters;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(j)">
        <text>Amounts used or borrowed from a life insurance policy, individual retirement account, or 401(k) account minus any penalty;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(k)">
        <text>Items paid outside of closing, such as appraisal, credit report fee, home inspection fee, and deposit on property; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(l)">
        <text>Other asset items as determined by the Program policy;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>May not include:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Cash surrender value of a life insurance policy, value of individual retirement accounts or 401(k) accounts, or value of other similar accounts as may be determined by the Program; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Proceeds from any Program approved secondary financing or grant.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>In order to be eligible for a loan that refinances existing mortgage debt, a borrower:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Shall satisfy the requirements in §§A and C, or §§B and C of this regulation;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Shall be likely, in the estimation of the Department, to have to forfeit title to the eligible residence;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Shall be unable to keep current the existing mortgage loan or loans on the eligible residence due to any of the following exceptional adverse personal or economic circumstances:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Involuntary unemployment of a borrower,</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Onset of a borrower's disability or handicap,</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Divorce or separation, provided that the separated spouse or former spouse no longer holds title to the property,</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Death of a spouse or other co-borrower,</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Incarceration of a spouse or other co-borrower,</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Business reversal leading to sustained material loss of income, or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Other similar circumstances of unforeseeable hardship as determined by the Program;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Is not expected, in the judgment of the Program, to recover from the adverse personal or economic circumstances which caused the applicant to be unable to keep mortgage payments current, but can afford to repay a Program loan that refinances existing mortgage debt;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Can be better assisted, in the judgment of the Program, by a loan to refinance existing mortgage debt rather than by the short-term mortgage assistance available through the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, as described in COMAR 05.03.03;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Shall hold title to the eligible residence free and clear of all other liens, except for a subordinate mortgage lien which satisfies the criteria of Regulation .04B(3); and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Shall reside and intend to continue to reside in the eligible residence at the time of the loan closing.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>