USDA

A USDA Rural Development loan is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the name, USDA-designated areas often include quiet suburbs and small towns — not only farmland. Eligibility is tied to both the property location and the household income, and both are defined by the program.

• Buyers looking just outside a metro area where designated areas are common.
• Households whose income falls within the program limits for their area.
• Buyers who want to keep more cash available at closing.
• Buyers who are flexible about location and want to compare what that flexibility makes possible.

• Financing with no required down payment may be available for eligible borrowers and properties.
• It can extend buying options into areas that are quieter without being remote.
• It may keep more savings intact for moving, furnishing and reserves.

• Both the property and the household must meet program eligibility.
• Guarantee fees apply and are set by the program.
• Designated-area maps and income limits change over time.

USDA is worth checking before you rule out a neighborhood. It is a location-driven program more than a lifestyle-driven one, and the map often surprises people. If your search area overlaps a designated area, it is a path worth pricing out.

USDA program guidelines, area eligibility maps, household-income limits, and guarantee fees apply and are subject to change.

USDA eligibility depends on both the property location and your household income. The USDA maintains the official eligibility maps and income limits — you can look up any address directly on their site to see whether it falls within a designated area.

This links to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's official eligibility tool. I'm happy to walk through the result with you and confirm how it fits your financing options.

You are leaving equitywithease.com for a U.S. government website. The tool is provided by the USDA and its results are informational only.