Planning to buy a property you can call home? Know about USDA Home Loan programs

It is an easy as well as accessible approach for the rural and suburban homebuyers. This program makes it easy for people to finally have a house they can call 'Home'. And, majority of people don’t know how the USDA Home Loan Qualifications work and how accessible it is.

USDA Loan which basically stands for United States Department of Agriculture Home Loan is a program initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture for the people of Rural and Suburban areas who are eligible to be homebuyers. The program is a mortgage loan program with zero down payment facility as a part of Rural Development program. The motive behind this is to help families buy homes and upgrade their old properties. Also, the interest rate on this loan program is very low so that people can afford paying it. The purpose of USDA Home Loan is to improve the quality of life and economy of the rural America.

How does USDA Home Loan program work?

The program runs through a process as described below-

• Apply: First of all, you need to find a lender who knows about the home loan program and is a verified lender to access such information. Also, the lender must be offering USDA financing as most lenders of the US approve USDA Home Loans. So, find the one that suits you best and apply for the loan.
  
• Pre-approval: After your lender access your credit, employment and income related information then they check whether you have met the USDA Home Loan Qualifications or not. Once you are eligible for the loan you will get a pre-approval letter.
  
• The property search: Now that you have received your pre-approval letter, then the next step is to find a house that is USDA eligible which is falls within the designated area and fulfils the other criteria. Once you find the appropriate house, you can then make an offer.
  
• Lender’s Approval: Making an offer means adding property information to your loan file, later which your lender needs to make a final check through the file. The final check is called as the lender’s approval.
• USDA approval: After the lender’s approval, the lender submits your loan file to USDA for its approval. And the USDA checks for the necessary information and approves the file by final signoff.
  
• Closure: Last but not the least is when you sign the paperwork and after few days you finally own a home. Now, you can enjoy staying in your home after the mortgage process is complete.
  

USDA Home Loan Qualifications: What are the necessary requirements or eligibility criteria?

While the income limit varies from location to location as well as on the size of the property, but here are general eligibility requirements that one must follow-

• One must hold a U.S. citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S.
• A monthly payment of 29% or less than your monthly income must be made, and it includes principal, interest, insurance and taxes. Also, there must not be any other debts payment exceeding 41% of your income.
• A credit score of 680 and above is preferred if you want higher debt ratios to be considered.
• The property should be purchased in a rural area only.