If you are buying your first home, or you help first-time buyers find one, you have probably heard about MAXPower 5 and wondered what the path actually looks like. The MAXPower 5 process is built around four plain steps: Connect, Explore, Verify, and Compare. Nothing happens in a rush, and nothing is decided before you see the numbers side by side.
This guide walks through each step for homebuyers and real estate agents together. We will spotlight Mississippi, from Jackson to the Gulf Coast, but the program is available for eligible properties in all six states where Max Mortgage is licensed: Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
No one-size-fits-all promises. Your individual loan and program review comes first.
What MAXPower 5 Is (and What It Is Not)
MAXPower 5 is a social innovation research program that combines FHA financing, financial education, mentorship, potential earned income, and a homeowner-owned financed solar system. It is administered by Attainable Housing Advocates (The AHA Group), which studies financial education, savings, and long-term homeowner outcomes. Max Mortgage, LLC is the exclusive lender offering it.
Here is the part that matters most: MAXPower 5 is not a down payment assistance program and not a grant. Participants may qualify to earn potential income of 5% of the purchase price, capped at $16,000, subject to program approval. That potential income is not guaranteed and is not automatic cash to close.
If approved, the potential earned income may be applied toward several uses, including the down payment, eligible closing costs, an interest rate buydown, paying off other liabilities, or reserves. Because it can serve several purposes, it is not a down payment assistance program. Buyers still need to show 3.5% of their own funds available (gift funds allowed), and FHA funds-to-close rules still apply.
Illustration only, not a loan quote: a $200,000 purchase could mean up to $10,000 in potential earned income, a $250,000 purchase up to $12,500, and $320,000 or more reaches the $16,000 cap.
Why the MAXPower 5 Process Starts With a Conversation
A lot of buyers expect to fill out a form and wait. The MAXPower 5 process works differently. Because the program has education, mentorship, survey, and solar pieces, the first job is to make sure it fits your goals before anyone talks about paperwork.
For agents, this matters too. A buyer who understands the MAXPower 5 process up front is a buyer who is less likely to be surprised later. That keeps your transaction calm and your client confident.
Step 1: Connect
The first step in the MAXPower 5 process is simply to connect with Charles. You share what you are hoping to buy, where, your rough budget, and what monthly cost feels comfortable.
For a Mississippi buyer, that might sound like: “I’m looking at a three-bedroom house near Hattiesburg, and I want to keep my total monthly housing and power costs predictable.” That is all you need to get started.
Agents can make this step easy. When a buyer asks about MAXPower 5, the best move is to have them request a program review directly. You do not need to explain every detail yourself.
Step 2: Explore
Next, the MAXPower 5 process moves into a personalized review of your FHA eligibility and program eligibility. This is where the basics get checked:
- Minimum credit score of 640
- 3.5% of your own funds available, even if not needed at closing (gift funds allowed)
- An FHA purchase or refinance scenario
- A property in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, or Georgia
- A property suitable for solar installation
- Condominiums are not eligible
- Ability to meet FHA lending standards
Exploring also means understanding the commitments. Before closing, participants complete financial education of roughly 4 to 6 hours, with a $149 fee. After closing, there is mentorship of about 9 hours, with a $99 fee, plus two surveys per year for five years.
If any piece does not fit, this part of the MAXPower 5 process is the right time to find out. A standard FHA loan may be the better path, and that is a perfectly good outcome.
Step 3: Verify
The third step of the MAXPower 5 process is verification. This is where the home itself, the solar plan, program rules, and your documents all get reviewed.
The solar side uses the FHA Solar and Wind Technology policy. You can learn more about FHA programs at HUD’s FHA homebuying page. Under this policy, the home and solar can be combined in one loan, allowing up to 120% loan-to-value, with no change to the appraisal or down payment amount. The system is owned free and clear, with no solar lease, no UCC-1 filing, and no second lien.
Verification reviews roof condition and property suitability, system cost, energy output, warranties, utility rates, insurance, tax considerations, and FHA mortgage limits. Installation costs, financing, and actual savings depend on the property.
For agents, this is the point in the MAXPower 5 process where property choice matters most. Before writing an offer, it helps to remember that condos are not eligible and the home needs to be suitable for solar.
Step 4: Compare
The final step in the MAXPower 5 process is a side-by-side comparison of standard FHA and FHA plus MAXPower 5. You look at monthly costs, cash to close, timing, and responsibilities, then decide.
Here is the program’s monthly cost illustration. Illustration only, not a loan quote or savings estimate. Solar financing may increase the mortgage payment; actual utility costs and savings vary.
| Monthly item | Standard FHA | FHA + MP5 |
|---|---|---|
| Mortgage | $2,000 | $2,200 |
| Electric bill | $300 | $100 |
| Combined | $2,300 | $2,300 |
The idea is to look at mortgage and energy costs together. The program materials note that US electricity prices have risen nearly 3% per year over the past 25 years, often making electricity a homeowner’s second-largest expense after the mortgage.
How Agents Can Present the MAXPower 5 Process to Buyers
Real estate agents do not need to become program experts. A simple, compliant explanation works best: “There is a research program through Max Mortgage that pairs FHA financing with education, mentorship, and owned solar. Buyers may qualify for potential earned income, subject to approval. The MAXPower 5 process has four steps, and the first one is a free conversation with Charles.”
Avoid promising the 5%, avoid calling it a grant, and avoid calling it down payment assistance. Then hand off. There is no referral compensation involved; the goal is simply giving your buyer one more option to compare.
You can read more about the program on our MAXPower 5 page.
Common Questions About the MAXPower 5 Process
Is MAXPower 5 down payment assistance?
No. It is a research program. Potential earnings may be applied toward the down payment, but they can also be used for closing costs, a rate buydown, paying off other debts, or reserves, which is why it is not a down payment assistance program. Earnings are not automatic cash to close.
Can the 5% go toward my down payment?
It may, if you are approved. Down payment is one of several possible uses, subject to program approval and FHA funds-to-close rules. You still need to show 3.5% of your own funds (gifts allowed).
How much can I earn?
Potentially 5% of the price, up to $16,000, if approved. It is not guaranteed.
What does the MAXPower 5 process cost?
$149 before closing and $99 after closing.
Can I buy a condo?
No, condos are not eligible.
What credit score do I need?
640 minimum.
Do I own the solar?
Yes. It is owned free and clear, with no lease and no second lien.
Which states are eligible?
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
Start the MAXPower 5 Process Today
Whether you are a first-time buyer in Mississippi or an agent helping buyers anywhere across our six states, the MAXPower 5 process starts with one conversation. Ask about your eligibility, request a program review, or schedule a homebuyer consultation.
Charles Parharm, Mortgage Loan Advisor, Max Mortgage, LLC
Phone: 504-584-8999
Email: charles@callthemax.com
Web: www.maxxla.com/mp5
Ask about your eligibility. Request a program review. Schedule a homebuyer consultation.
About the author: Charles, Mortgage Loan Advisor with Max Mortgage, LLC. 20+ years in mortgage and real estate. NAMB Certified FHA Mortgage Professional.
MAXPower 5 is presented as a research program involving earned income, financial education, mentorship and solar financing. Program participation, any payments, permitted uses, fees and state availability are subject to written program terms and lender approval. FHA financing remains subject to underwriting, property eligibility, mortgage insurance, funds-to-close requirements and all applicable agency guidelines. This is for educational and marketing purposes only and is not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to approval. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS #1413036 | Company NMLS #1446745
