Maryland-Real-Estate-Salesperson Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Examination Question and Answers

A home inspection is a professional, non-invasive evaluation of the property’s physical condition (systems and components) to inform buyers about defects and needed repairs. It is not an appraisal (value) and doesn’t set list price; while it can reveal “red flags,” its primary purpose is to provide the buyer an accurate picture of condition to inform negotiations and contingency decisions.

The land use module distinguishes among zoning relief mechanisms:

A use variance permits a land use otherwise prohibited in the zoning district and typically requires proof of unnecessary hardship unique to the property.

An area (dimensional) variance addresses dimensional departures (setbacks, height) and usually requires practical difficulty rather than hardship.

A special use permit (special exception) authorizes uses listed as conditionally allowed if specific criteria are met.

A moratorium is a temporary halt on development.Because the question describes permission to conduct a prohibited use upon showing unnecessary hardship, the correct term is use variance.

For pre-1978 residential housing, federal law (Title X) requires the lead-based paint disclosure, EPA pamphlet delivery, and an opportunity for a lead assessment. This is a material, mandatory disclosure. Medical history of prior occupants (e.g., HIV, Ebola) is not disclosed and implicates fair housing and privacy. Number of prior owners is not a material defect by itself.

Earnest money (good-faith deposit) demonstrates buyer commitment and is typically credited to the buyer at closing, most commonly applied toward the buyer’s down payment or closing costs. Hence some materials describe it informally as a “down payment on the down payment.” Handling, escrow, and timely deposit of earnest money are covered under Maryland brokerage procedures.

In dual agency (and Maryland’s intra-company/dual agency framework), an agent cannot provide undivided loyalty to both clients in the same transaction. Maryland requires written, informed consent and limits the fiduciary duty of loyalty because representing opposing interests precludes undivided advocacy. The agent still owes honesty, disclosure of material facts, reasonable skill and care, and confidentiality (within statutory limits), but undivided loyalty is expressly curtailed in dual agency.

Encouraging a client under an existing agency agreement to terminate that agreement and switch representation constitutes contractual interference and a violation of the Maryland Real Estate Brokers Act.

Licensees must respect the exclusive representation agreements of others and may only solicit business after the prior contract expires.

This is treated as unethical conduct and may result in disciplinary action, including fines or suspension by the MREC.

In Maryland, licensees must disclose material facts that are adverse, that they actually know, and that are physical to the property or the transaction—even to customers (non-clients). The MAAP framework (Material, Adverse, Actually known, Physical) is taught in pre-licensing to help practitioners decide what must be disclosed and to distinguish disclosable facts from confidential information or client motivations that must be protected. Examples include known structural defects, roof leaks, or latent physical conditions. This aligns with Maryland’s duties of honesty, disclosure of material facts, and prohibition against misrepresentation.

References (Maryland Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Course: “Real Estate Brokerage and the Law of Agency” (brokerage duties to clients and customers; disclosure vs. confidentiality; MAAP decision tool).

COMAR 09.11.02 (standards of practice: honesty; disclosure of material facts; avoidance of misrepresentation).

Business Occupations & Professions, Title 17 (grounds for discipline related to disclosure and misrepresentation).

A condominium is a form of ownership, not a type of structure.

It typically consists of multiple units (multi-family or multi-unit buildings) in which each owner holds title to their individual unit and shares ownership of common areas (e.g., hallways, pools, grounds) through the condominium association.

This differs from a cooperative (co-op), where residents hold shares and a proprietary lease.

For recordation in Maryland, a deed must be acknowledged (typically before a notary or other authorized officer). Acknowledgment authenticates the grantor’s execution of the instrument, satisfying recording requirements. “Conveyed” and “transferred” describe the act of alienation, not the statutory prerequisite to recording; “verified” is not the recording standard.

PITI is the standard mortgage-payment acronym: Principal (loan balance reduction), Interest (finance charge), Taxes (property taxes, typically escrowed), and Insurance (homeowner’s and, when applicable, mortgage insurance). Lenders use PITI to calculate housing ratios and total debt-to-income requirements during underwriting—core content in the financing section of Maryland’s pre-licensing course.

Maryland’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for real estate licensees is promulgated in COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations) under the real estate subtitle, but enforcement rests with the Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC). The Commission investigates complaints and may impose sanctions (education, fines, suspension, revocation) for violations. REALTOR® associations enforce the NAR Code of Ethics, which is separate and contractual to membership, not the state’s legal code.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemical compounds formerly used as coolants and insulators in electrical equipment, hydraulic systems, and fluorescent-light ballasts. They are toxic, persistent in the environment, and regulated by the U.S. EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Maryland’s course covers PCBs among major environmental hazards requiring disclosure or remediation.

Maryland law establishes that the Maryland Real Estate Commission has nine members: five must be licensed real estate professionals (one from each of Maryland’s five geographic regions) and four must be consumer members who are not engaged in the real estate business. This composition ensures both industry expertise and public representation. The pre-licensing course presents this under Maryland License Law and MREC structure, aligning with the Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 17 (§17-202).

Under sub-agency, a cooperating broker or licensee assists the listing broker in selling the property and represents the seller as a sub-agent of the listing broker.

A key drawback is that the listing broker is legally responsible for the sub-agent’s actions because the sub-agent owes fiduciary duties to the same principal (the seller).

Any misrepresentation, negligence, or violation by the sub-agent can expose the listing broker to disciplinary action or civil liability.

This is why many Maryland brokers now prefer buyer agency over sub-agency.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Agency Relationships and Sub-Agency section.

– Business Occupations and Professions Article §17-534.

Under Maryland Agency Law (Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 17, Subtitle 5), a listing agent represents the seller and owes the seller the fiduciary duties of loyalty, obedience, disclosure, confidentiality, reasonable care, and accounting.

A primary fiduciary obligation is to promote the interests of the client at all times during the transaction, as outlined in the Maryland Real Estate Commission’s Agency Disclosure materials.

While the listing agent must disclose all material facts to all parties (facts that affect value or desirability), the agent’s duty of loyalty and advocacy is owed to the seller client.

Therefore, the correct answer is that a listing agent must promote the client’s interests throughout the entire transaction.

Regardless of who pays the commission, the client is the person named in the agency agreement—in this case, Sadie, the property owner.

The Maryland Real Estate Brokers Act defines the client as the party with whom the broker or salesperson has an agency relationship, not necessarily the one providing compensation.

Third-party payments do not alter the contractual relationship or fiduciary duties.

Maryland’s Fair Housing Law (State Government Article, Title 20, Subtitle 7) expands on the federal Fair Housing Act by adding additional protected categories: marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of income. This means licensees cannot discriminate in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on these traits. The course emphasizes that local jurisdictions (e.g., Baltimore City, Montgomery County) may have even broader protections.

A license is a personal, revocable privilege to perform some act on another person’s land without any possessory right or ownership interest. Unlike an easement, a license does not transfer with the land and can be revoked at any time by the licensor. Examples include permission to hunt, park, or attend an event on private property.

In Maryland’s pre-licensing course, this concept is taught under “Interests in Real Estate” as a type of encumbrance that affects property use but not ownership.

For any contract to be legally enforceable, the parties must possess legal capacity—they must understand the nature and consequences of the agreement.

Individuals suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease lack contractual capacity, making the agreement void (invalid) from its inception.

The Contracts module stresses that an invalid or void contract has no legal effect because one or more essential elements—competent parties, lawful objective, consideration, mutual consent, and legal form—are missing.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Elements of a Valid Contract section.

– Maryland Contract Law Principles, General Common Law Doctrine on Capacity.

In settlement prorations, prepaid items (e.g., prepaid property taxes or HOA dues) are credited to the seller and debited to the buyer, because the seller has paid for a period that extends beyond the closing date, and the buyer reimburses the seller for the buyer’s post-closing share. Conversely, accrued but unpaid items (e.g., the current year’s unpaid property taxes) are debited to the seller and credited to the buyer. The Maryland course teaches these conventions in the Closing and Math sections.

In the deed section of the pre-licensing course, learners are taught that the full covenant and warranty deed (often called a general warranty deed) provides the broadest protection for the grantee because the grantor warrants good title, free from encumbrances, and defends the title against all claims, whether they arose before or during the grantor’s ownership. The deed typically carries the full set of common law covenants (seisin, right to convey, against encumbrances, quiet enjoyment, further assurances, and warranty). By contrast, a quitclaim deed offers no warranties, a bargain and sale deed implies ownership but gives limited or no warranties, and executor’s or personal representative deeds convey title on behalf of an estate without full warranties.

An encumbrance is any claim, charge, or liability attached to real property that burdens the title or limits use, including monetary interests (e.g., liens, such as mortgages, tax liens, mechanic’s liens) and non-monetary/physical interests (e.g., easements, encroachments, deed restrictions). Encumbrances do not necessarily prevent transfer, but they run with the land and affect marketability.

Under Maryland agency law, a real estate licensee represents a client—the party with whom the licensee has an express, written brokerage agreement. A customer is an unrepresented party who may receive ministerial acts and required disclosures but is not owed fiduciary duties of representation. Who pays compensation does not determine representation; the written agreement does.

In Maryland-specific coverage within “Leases and Property Management,” the course explains ground leases and the unique Maryland concept of ground rents. A redeemable ground rent permits the leasehold owner (tenant) to redeem—that is, buy out—the ground rent interest by paying a statutory redemption amount, thereby merging the leasehold and reversionary interests and effectively ending the ground rent. This contrasts with irreedeemable/irretrievable arrangements (not permitted for new creations under current Maryland law) where no buyout right exists.

References (Course Outline/Study Topics): Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices of Real Estate — “Leases and Property Management” (Ground leases and Maryland ground rents; redeemable ground rent concept and tenant redemption).

REO stands for Real Estate-Owned. This term refers to properties that have gone through the foreclosure process and are now owned by the lender—usually a bank or mortgage company—because the property did not sell at the foreclosure auction.

These properties become part of the lender’s real estate inventory and are often sold through REO departments or asset managers. The Maryland pre-licensing course includes REO properties under “Real Estate Brokerage Operations,” explaining how real estate professionals handle and market foreclosed or bank-owned properties.

A buyer representation agreement establishes an agency relationship between a buyer and a broker, outlining the broker’s duties and compensation for assisting the buyer in finding and purchasing a property.

This agreement serves the same purpose as a listing agreement does for a seller—it defines the relationship, responsibilities, and authority between client and broker.

Both agreements are legally binding contracts and must include the terms of representation, duration, and agency disclosures as required by Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) regulations.

Agreeing—or even coordinating—on a minimum commission or listing fee among competing brokerages is price fixing, a per se violation of antitrust law. Maryland pre-licensing emphasizes that competitors must not discuss or set commission rates, fees, or pricing policies; each brokerage must independently determine its fees.

Group boycotting = competitors conspiring to refuse to deal with a party.

Market allocation = dividing territories/customers.

Tie-in arrangement = conditioning sale of one product/service on purchase of another.

References (Maryland Sources / Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Course: “Real Estate Brokerage Operations” (antitrust compliance: price fixing, market allocation, group boycotts, tie-ins).

Sherman Antitrust Act principles as incorporated in Maryland real estate education.

COMAR 09.11.02 (ethical conduct; avoiding anticompetitive practices); MREC guidance on commissions being negotiable and set independently by each brokerage.

In Maryland, agency is established by an express, written brokerage agreement that identifies the client, defines the scope of services, and sets compensation terms and required disclosures. Who pays compensation does not determine agency; payment can come from any party or through the cooperative compensation system (e.g., MLS offers) without changing whom the licensee represents. Implied agency is not an acceptable substitute for the required written agreement in Maryland.

When a life estate is measured by the life of a life tenant (Jacob) and the grantor (Janice) specifies that, upon the life tenant’s death, the property passes to a third party, that third party holds a remainder interest (a present, non-possessory future interest). If the property were set to return to the grantor instead, the grantor would hold a reversionary interest.

A promissory note is a borrower’s written promise to repay a specified amount of money under agreed terms.

A mortgage is the security instrument that pledges real property as collateral for that note.

Together, they form the legal and financial foundation for most real estate loans.

If the borrower defaults, the lender may foreclose on the property under the rights granted by the mortgage.

The Maryland 60-Hour Course explains that while some states use deeds of trust instead of mortgages, Maryland primarily uses mortgages and promissory notes in conventional real estate financing.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), enacted in 1980 and commonly known as “Superfund,” authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances.

CERCLA also establishes liability for potentially responsible parties (PRPs)—including current and past owners, operators, and those who arranged for disposal of hazardous substances.

Maryland’s pre-licensing course covers CERCLA as a federal regulation that affects real estate transactions involving contaminated properties, as buyers and sellers must be aware of any cleanup responsibilities before transfer.

In Maryland, a redeemable ground rent (ground lease) allows the leasehold tenant to redeem (buy out) the ground rent by paying the statutory redemption amount to the ground rent holder, typically with advance written notice (often 30 days) after a minimum period has elapsed. An irredeemable ground rent cannot be bought out by the tenant. The question’s facts—15 years of payments and the tenant giving 30 days’ notice to buy out—match the characteristics of a redeemable ground lease.

The standard net-to-seller calculation is:

Net to seller = Sales price × (100% − commission rate) − closing costs.

Thus, the missing element is Sales price. (Commission is calculated on the sales price, then other seller-paid closing costs are subtracted to arrive at net.)

In a seller-agency relationship, the agent owes the client (seller) fiduciary duties, which include loyalty, obedience (lawful instructions), disclosure, confidentiality, accounting, and reasonable care. Practical responsibilities include advising the seller on pricing and marketing strategy, actively marketing the property, presenting offers, and negotiating in the seller’s best interests. Duties owed to buyers (customers) are limited to honesty and disclosure of material facts, not advocacy. Therefore, “Market and sell the property” reflects the seller’s agent’s core duty; negotiating for the buyer or representing the buyer would conflict with loyalty to the seller unless properly disclosed and permitted as dual agency under Maryland law.

HUD and fair housing organizations use paired testing to identify covert or subtle discriminatory practices that may not be openly admitted—i.e., hidden discrimination—such as disparate treatment in availability, terms, steering, or information provided. Testing is an investigative tool to enforce the Fair Housing Act, not a revenue or punitive scheme in itself.

Maryland licensees may use pre-approved or attorney-drafted forms in the course of their duties.

However, they may not draft legal documents or interpret legal implications, as doing so constitutes unauthorized practice of law.

The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) allows licensees to fill in the blanks of standard forms approved by the Maryland Association of REALTORS® (MAR) or by legal counsel, but all legal interpretations must be referred to an attorney.

The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio compares the loan amount to the property’s appraised value or purchase price, whichever is less. An LTV of 90/100 (or 90%) means the borrower’s loan equals 90% of the property’s value, and the borrower provides a 10% down payment.

Lenders use the LTV ratio to assess risk and determine if mortgage insurance is required. Maryland’s pre-licensing course explains this formula in the “Real Estate Financing” section under “Loan Underwriting and Ratios.”

In Maryland, buyers have the right to receive full disclosure of any additions, alterations, or improvements made to a property. This is crucial because such modifications may have required building permits and inspections under state and local building codes.

A buyer wants to know whether permits were obtained to ensure that:

The work was done legally and safely,

It meets local code requirements, and

There are no future liability or resale issues.

Unpermitted work can lead to enforcement actions or costly repairs. The Maryland Property Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement (per Real Property §10-702) requires sellers to disclose known material defects or improvements.

Within Brokerage Operations and Advertising Compliance, the course explains that while state license laws prohibit false, misleading, or deceptive advertising, at the federal level the Lanham Act allows businesses to bring civil actions against competitors for false or misleading advertising that misrepresents the nature, characteristics, or qualities of goods or services. This is distinct from consumer protection frameworks (e.g., FTC Act) and privacy/financial statutes (e.g., Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act and the Privacy Act), which do not create the same competitor-to-competitor false advertising claim.

Brokerage risk management includes cybersecurity best practices to protect client nonpublic information (e.g., transaction documents, IDs, financial data). Licensees are instructed to avoid unsecure/public networks and untrusted or suspicious websites, use secure/encrypted connections, maintain strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, and follow brokerage data security policies. Avoiding unsecure environments reduces exposure to malware, phishing, and interception.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that results from the decay of uranium found in soil, rock, and groundwater. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and can accumulate in enclosed spaces, such as basements and homes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies radon exposure as a leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.

In Maryland, the pre-licensing course emphasizes that while radon testing is not mandatory, sellers and licensees have a duty to disclose known environmental hazards to buyers.

A contract assignment occurs when a buyer (the assignor) transfers his or her contractual rights to another party (the assignee) before closing.

However, this is only allowed if the original purchase contract permits assignment—that is, if it includes an assignability clause or does not prohibit assignment.

If the contract specifically states “non-assignable” or “assignment requires seller consent,” the assignor must comply with those terms.

This concept appears in the Contracts and Transaction Procedures section of the course.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Real Estate Contracts and Assignments section.

– Maryland Contract Law Principles (General Common Law on Assignability).

The principle of regression states that a property of higher value may decrease in worth when located near or among lower-quality properties. Conversely, the principle of progression means a lower-valued property can gain value by proximity to higher-quality ones.

This concept is emphasized in the Maryland pre-licensing module “Real Estate Appraisal and Valuation” to explain how neighborhood characteristics influence market value.

Under Maryland Real Estate Brokers Act §17-530 and COMAR 09.11.02.08, dual agency is permitted only when informed, written consent is obtained from both buyer and seller. When licensees operate as part of a team, the broker (or office manager acting as the broker’s designee) may appoint intra-company agents (ICAs) from within that team to represent each party.

The broker or manager then acts as the dual agent, overseeing both sides without providing direct representation to either. This structure preserves confidentiality and compliance with Maryland’s agency disclosure requirements.

In Maryland, a real estate licensee may only perform brokerage services and be entitled to compensation when a written brokerage agreement exists between the client and the broker.

This agreement must clearly state the broker’s duties, compensation terms, and representation type (buyer, seller, or dual).

Verbal agreements are insufficient to establish an enforceable right to a commission.

Foreclosure is the legal process by which a lender exercises its right to force the sale of mortgaged property when the borrower defaults on the note or deed of trust.

In Maryland—a judicial foreclosure state—the lender must file a court action before selling the property.

Proceeds from the sale are used to satisfy the debt, accrued interest, and foreclosure costs.

This definition is covered in the Financing module under Mortgage Default and Foreclosure Remedies.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Financing and Foreclosure Procedures section.

– Maryland Real Property Article §7-105 et seq.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act) prohibits discrimination in housing-related transactions and targets discriminatory practices including blockbusting (inducing sales by suggesting the entry of protected classes), steering (directing clients to or from areas based on protected characteristics), and redlining (denying or varying terms for loans or insurance based on neighborhood demographics).

Marital status, sexual orientation, and source of income are not federal protected classes in the 1968 Act’s original text; however, Maryland law provides broader protections at the state level.

References (Maryland Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Course: “Fair Housing and Ethics” (federal protected classes; prohibited practices—blockbusting, steering, redlining).

Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII) concepts as taught in the Maryland curriculum; Maryland Human Relations Law adds state protections.

In the sales comparison approach, after making market-supported adjustments to comparable sales, the appraiser engages in reconciliation—a professional judgment process that weighs the quality and relevance of each comparable (e.g., similarity, extent and reliability of adjustments, data verification) and does not simply average the indicated values.

Bracketing is a selection technique (choosing comps slightly superior and inferior to the subject), and conformity is an appraisal principle (value is maximized when properties are similar). Neither is the final weighing process.

In the valuation module, the course explains bracketing as an appraisal technique where the appraiser selects comparables that are both superior and inferior to the subject on key characteristics (e.g., gross living area, condition, lot size, age, quality, transaction price) to “bracket” the likely value range. Proper bracketing strengthens the sales comparison approach and supports a credible reconciliation by demonstrating the subject’s position within a range indicated by the market.

A tax-deferred exchange, also known as a 1031 exchange, allows investors to exchange one qualifying investment or business property for another “like-kind” property and defer payment of capital gains taxes until the new property is sold.

This provision falls under Internal Revenue Code §1031.

In the Maryland pre-licensing curriculum, this is explained under the “Real Estate Financing and Investment” section to show how investors legally postpone capital gains recognition by following IRS guidelines.

In a gross lease, the landlord/lessor pays the property’s operating expenses—commonly including real estate taxes, property insurance, and maintenance—while the tenant pays a fixed rent. By contrast, in net and especially triple-net (NNN) leases, the tenant bears some or all of these operating costs (with NNN typically meaning taxes, insurance, and maintenance are all tenant-paid). A percentage lease bases rent (in whole or part) on the tenant’s gross sales and does not inherently shift taxes/insurance/maintenance to the landlord.

The course’s antitrust module identifies group boycotts as agreements among competitors to refuse to deal with a particular person or firm, thereby restraining trade. By contrast:

Option B describes a tying arrangement;

Option C is market allocation;

Within the Agency/Fiduciary Duties portion of the course, self-dealing is identified as a breach of fiduciary duty that occurs when a licensee has a personal interest in a transaction and fails to disclose it fully and obtain informed consent. Examples include purchasing a client’s property for oneself (or through an undisclosed third party), steering a client to a business in which the licensee has a hidden financial stake, or otherwise placing personal gain ahead of the client’s interests without disclosure. Maryland law requires full disclosure of material interests and adherence to fiduciary duties of loyalty, disclosure, and obedience.

Real property is real estate (land and improvements) plus the bundle of rights (interests, benefits, and rights inherent in ownership), such as possession, control, enjoyment, exclusion, and disposition.

Land refers to the earth’s surface, subsurface, and airspace (naturally occurring).

An estate is a degree, quantity, nature, or extent of interest in real property (e.g., fee simple, life estate).

Personal property (chattel) is movable and not affixed to real estate.

References (Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Pre-Licensing Course: “Real Property and the Law” (definitions of land, real estate, real property, personal property; bundle of rights).

Common-law property definitions widely adopted in real estate education.

Under the federal Fair Housing Act, “handicap” (disability) is a protected class. HIV/AIDS is considered a disability, and making statements or disclosures that identify or single out someone based on a protected characteristic is prohibited. Disclosing that an owner (or occupant) has HIV is treated as discriminatory, violates fair housing standards, and also breaches confidentiality. Maryland fair housing law mirrors and expands federal protections, and the pre-licensing course emphasizes that licensees must never disclose information tied to protected classes because it can facilitate or signal discriminatory treatment (e.g., steering, discouraging, or differential terms).

A real property exchange, often called a 1031 exchange, allows investors to defer paying capital gains taxes when swapping one investment property for another of like kind. However, if the transaction does not meet IRS requirements or if “boot” (cash or non-like-kind property) is received, the gain becomes taxable. The Maryland course identifies taxable gains as the main drawback when the exchange fails to fully qualify for deferral.

An amendment is a written change or modification to an existing contract that is made after the original agreement has been executed.

All parties must agree to and sign the amendment for it to be legally binding.

This differs from an addendum, which is added before or at the same time as the contract and becomes part of the original agreement.

The Maryland course highlights amendments as critical tools in real estate practice for making mutually accepted changes—such as closing dates, purchase prices, or contingencies—without voiding the original contract.

Appraisers generally employ three approaches to value: the Sales Comparison Approach (market data), the Cost Approach (replacement/reproduction cost minus depreciation plus land value), and the Income Approach (capitalizing net operating income). Maryland’s pre-licensing curriculum teaches all three as standard methodology, with applicability depending on property type and data availability.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Loan Program provides financing for low- to moderate-income borrowers in rural areas.

The Maryland course teaches that Section 502 Direct Loans may offer repayment terms of up to 38 years, depending on borrower income and property location.

These loans are designed to promote homeownership in eligible rural communities and may include payment assistance or subsidies to reduce monthly payments.