The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has several programs that help people in rural areas obtain financing to purchase homes. The most prominent of these initiatives is the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, also known as the Guaranteed Loan Program. Here is a brief guide to this important government program.
What Does It Do?The Guaranteed Loan Program offers mortgages to those who meet certain eligibility requirements and are unable to obtain a mortgage through other channels. The USDA does not lend the money themselves, but acts as a guarantor of the loan. The loans are actually made by private financial institutions approved by the USDA.
Who Is Eligible?The Guaranteed Loan Program has a number of requirements for eligibility. You must have an income that is less than
115 percent
of the median income in your area. Borrowers must also have a reasonably good credit history, although your credit does not need to be spotless.
Typically, lenders who offer Guaranteed Loan Program mortgages prefer to work with people who have not had any debts go into collections in the last year. If you are able to explain why you have a credit problem, however, such as an unavoidable health emergency, you might still be able to obtain a loan.
You must also have enough income to ensure that you're able to repay the loan in the allotted time frame. The house that you purchase with the mortgage must be your primary residence. The program is open to United States citizens, U.S. non-citizen nationals, and qualified aliens.
DebtAnother important eligibility requirement involves the amount of debt you are carrying as a percentage of your total income. You are typically not allowed to have a monthly mortgage payment that is more than 29 percent of your monthly income. Also, your total monthly debt payments cannot exceed 41 percent of your monthly income.
PreferencesWhen the program has limited funds, certain individuals get a preference regarding the loans. In times of limited funding, veterans and people who are buying their first homes go to the head of the line.
What Properties Are Allowed?
Guaranteed Loan Program loans are only allowed for certain types of properties, such as existing homes that meet minimum standards outlined by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Also, you can use one of these mortgages to buy a lot and build your own home. The new homes constructed under the program must meet standard building code requirements. New manufactured homes are eligible for a mortgage, but existing manufactured homes are excluded unless they meet certain conditions.
The money from the loan can also be used to make any necessary repairs to a purchased home or to install energy efficient features, such as solar panels.
What Is the Interest Rate?The interest rate on Guaranteed Loan Program mortgages is subject to negotiation between you and the lender. The lender will take your credit history and your employment history into consideration when deciding what rate to offer.
The program sets an upper limit on the rate, which the lender may not exceed. The interest rate cannot be higher than the current rate offered by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) for their 30-year, 90-day mortgages by more than one percent.
Only fixed rate mortgages are allowed. Adjustable rate and balloon mortgage are prohibited.
USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan mortgages are one of the many types of attractive mortgages for which you might be eligible. Let the experts at Cornerstone Residential Mortgage help you determine which mortgage offering will work best for you.
Contact us
at Cornerstone Residential Mortgage to learn more.