Maryland Mortgage Program Recognizes Top Lender and Realtor Partners at Annual Awards Ceremony

NEW CARROLLTON, MD (April 22, 2025) – The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development recognized the top performing lender and realtor partners of 2024 today during the Maryland Mortgage Program’s annual awards event.

For more than 40 years, the Maryland Mortgage Program has provided sustainable, fixed-rate mortgages, primarily to first-time homebuyers. Program borrowers receive access to down payment and closing cost assistance and, if eligible, student debt relief through the popular Maryland SmartBuy initiative. 

“The Maryland Mortgage Program provides more Marylanders and their families the chance to own a home,” said DHCD Secretary Jake Day. “The long-term success of this program is built on our lenders, realtors, title companies, housing counselors and other industry partners. These partners understand the importance of home ownership and how it creates opportunities for generational wealth and stronger communities.”

For the fifth calendar year, the Maryland Mortgage Program surpassed $1 billion in loan reservations with nearly 3,000 households receiving down payment assistance. 

Tuesday’s event featured remarks from Secretary Jake Day and MMP Director Maddy Ciulu, along with representatives from US Bank and the Maryland Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Association. Afterwards, several partners were recognized for their accomplishments.

The Maryland Mortgage Program 2024 Top Performers include:

Top Performing Lender

• First Home Mortgage Corporation

Gold Tier Lenders

• First Home Mortgage Corporation
• NFM, Inc. dba NFM Lending, Main Street Home Loans
• Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
• Direct Mortgage Loans, LLC
• Lower, LLC
• Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc.

Silver Tier Lenders

• Meridian Bank
• FitzGerald Financial, a Division of TowneBank Mortgage
• PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company
• Movement Mortgage, LLC
• Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC

Rising Star

• CMG Mortgage, dba CMG Financial and Select Lending Home Loans

Top Producing Loan Officer 

• Alexis Vining – Lower, LLC
• Barry Diggins – Cazle Mortgage
• Lola Pol – Capital Bank, NA

Top Producing Processor

• Terri Dikes, Cazle Mortgage
• Ashley McGregor, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
• Ashish Desai, Direct Mortgage Loans, LLC

Top Producing Realtor

• James Archie, Samson Properties
• Diego Rodriguez, Spring Hill Real Estate
• David Wheaton, Revol Real Estate

Smartbuy Student Debt Eliminators

• Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
• Guild Mortgage

Photos from the 2025 MMP event can be found here.