USDA direct and guaranteed loans are one of the most underutilized loan programs used today. During the mortgage bubble, loan officers and lenders had very little reason to use them. And those mortgage and real estate professionals that haven’t educated or trained themselves on the USDA programs, well let’s just say that they are probably not as busy as they once were.
What is a farm or Rural Developement loan and how in the heck is that going to help you? How could I, a non-farmer, possibly qualify for a farm loan?
Simply put, the United States Department of Agriculture has made available several loan programs to spur interest in development of rural areas or agricultural dominant areas. Places like Hawaii have seen rates of residential development outpace the USDA’s eligibility location guidelines. Ultimately this lapse in time, or judgment, means increased opportunities for homeowners and homebuyers who are actively pursuing properties in these areas.
I’m not a farmer, how can this program help me?
If the USDA website deems you and the property eligible, then go put an offer on that parcel! By way of the USDA, the US Government still offers 100% home financing. This is completely unheard of in the mortgage industry today. The loan amount is actually 103.5% accounting for the prepaid and financed mortgage insurance premium. So the extra 3.5% is simply the additional cost for taking such a risk, do you care? It’s financed which means you don’t have to pay it out of your pocket and there is no additional charge or monthly fee that is usually associated with mortgage insurance. Along with complete financing, there are even more benefits!
Most USDA lenders allow seller credits, meaning, the purchase contract of an eligible property can include credits from the seller to pay for closing costs and fees incurred to acquire a mortgage and/or the property. Seller credits can cover all of the costs anf fees typically associated with a real estate purchase.
So to review, we can purchase a home with no money down and have the seller credit the buyer funds to pay for the costs associated with a real estate transaction? Yep. So it really is No Money Down isn’t it? How do I go about finding these zero-down payment properties? Good question.
Listing agents or Realtors can easily find out if there listed property is eligible for USDA financing by simply checking the website and inputting the address. Or if you are a little more self-reliant, you can check for yourself at http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do and put in the address of the home you are considering. The system will tell you if it eligible or not, pretty simple. Just cause the property meets guidelines doesn’t mean you do!
USDA has put income limitations on their programs, meaning there are ceilings or income limits to deal with. If you make too much for USDA, then you are NOT eligible. And if your income exceeds the limitation for eligibility, then boohoo for you. Check your state or area by clicking this link. http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/incomeEligibilityAction.do?pageAction=state&NavKey=income@11
I have put together training manuals and educational material for anyone who wants to learn more about the mortgage side of processing transactions like this. It is geared towards real estate professionals, but consumers can easily use it as well. All training and educational materials are free but for members only. Free Memberships are always available by subscribing onto http://loangoose.com and requesting your particular subject material. Once you are logged in, all materials can be viewed and downloaded for easy access.