USDA Guidelines

USDA Guidelines And Requirements & How Can I Qualify

This BLOG On USDA Guidelines And Requirements & How Can I Qualify Was UPDATED And PUBLISHED On January 15th, 2020
What are the USDA guidelines and requirements and how can I qualify

USDA Guidelines & Loan Program

A USDA Home Loan is from the USDA loan program and is also known as a USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Housing Loan Program.

  • It is a mortgage loan offered primarily to property owners in rural areas
  • It is a surprise to some that the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) provides financing for real estate purchases
  • USDA loans generally possess desirable terms for prospective borrowers and thus should be considered for those who qualify

In this article, we will cover and discuss USDA Guidelines And Requirements & How Can I Qualify.

USDA Mortgage Loans Guidelines

This blog will go through some of the generalities of USDA loans then examine each of the three types of USDA loans.

  • General Benefits of USDA Loans
  • Loans are generated by local lenders
  • 100% financing is offered
  • All closing cost can be covered by the Seller or financed into the Loan for no borrower “out of pocket” costs
  • General Eligibility for a USDA Loan
  • Areas are approved using zip code as the criteria

Both new purchases and refinances qualify.

USDA Guidelines On Types Of Property Eligibility

The mortgage is not strictly for farmland. It may apply to standard residential real estate outside of major metropolitan areas.

  • The loan may be used for single-family and multi-unit homes
  • There are maximum household income limits which vary by the county where the property is purchased or refinanced

Types Of USDA Loans

There are three major types of USDA Loans:

  1. The Guaranteed Loan
  2. The Direct Loan
  3. Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Loan

The Guaranteed Loan

What is the meaning of a guaranteed loan

Borrowers can have an income of 115% of the Annual Median Income for the area

  • Families must be without “adequate” housing
  • Borrowers must be able to afford the mortgage payments:
    • This includes property taxes and insurance, which are typically around 24% of borrower’s income
  • Income limits do vary by county which borrowers are in
  • Household income is any member of the household who is a wage earner
  • This holds true even for example an elderly grandparent living in the house who receives a social security check
  • This also holds true even if that grandparent is not slated to be on the actual loan
  • USDA Guaranteed Loans require a 2.75% of the purchase price in an “upfront” funding fee
  • Monthly mortgage insurance premiums based on .40 of balance annually

The annual premium is divided by 12 to arrive at the premium charge per month.

The Direct Loan Or Section 502 Loan

Purpose of Direct Loan

  • The purpose is to help low-income individuals purchase homes in rural areas
  • Funds can be used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites, including water and sewage facilities.
  • Specific Eligibility of a USDA Direct Loan

USDA Guidelines On Borrowers Income

AMI or Area Median income is the criteria for determining income eligibility requirements

  • “Low” income is defined as 50% to 80% or below of Area Median Income
  • “Very Low” is defined as below 50% of Area Median income
  • Families must be without “adequate” housing
  • Borrowers must be able to afford the mortgage payments
  • This is including the property taxes and insurance, which are typically around 24% of borrower’s income
  • Payment subsidies are available to augment the ability of borrowers capacity to repay
  • Applicants must have been unable to obtain credit elsewhere, yet still have reasonable credit histories

Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Loan.

Purpose Of Housing Repair Loan

To provide loans and grants to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes or to remove health and safety hazards

Eligibility Of Housing Repair Loan

How does the eligibility of a loan affect housing repairs?

Homeowners must be unable to obtain credit affordable credit elsewhere

  • Homeowners must have very low incomes, as defined by incomes below the 50% AMI threshold
  • The money loaned must be utilized to make the dwelling safer or more sanitary or to remove health or safety hazards.
  • Grants are ONLY available to homeowners who are 62 years or older

USDA Home Loan Versus Conventional Mortgage Loans

USDA home loans do not require any down payment, the financing of 100% of the property value is covered

  • The borrower must meet certain income restrictions.
  • Each county has a maximum income requirement
  • The property the loan is being used for must be in a rural area as defined by the USDA

Only owner-occupied properties are eligible, not investment properties.

Qualify Today For USDA Loans With Direct Lender With No Overlays

Mortgage Lenders For Bad Credit dba of Gustan Cho Associates are national lenders with no overlays on government and conventional loans. Please contact us to qualify for USDA Home Loans at 800-900-8569 or text us for faster response. Or email us at gcho@gustancho.com. Our team of licensed and support personnel are available 7 days a week.