Quick answer
- Who it may fit
- Eligible households buying a primary home in an eligible rural area.
- Down payment & cash to close
- Eligible borrowers may qualify with no down payment; closing costs can still require cash.
- Insurance & fees
- Upfront and annual guarantee fees apply and affect total cost. Compare loan offers does not add them automatically; enter the annual guarantee-fee percentage in the Mortgage insurance (annual) field for an illustration. If the upfront fee is financed, include it in the loan amount; otherwise, the tool does not include it or full cash-to-close costs. Confirm both fees in an actual quote.
- Key eligibility
- Household income, property location, occupancy and repayment guidelines must qualify.
- Main tradeoff
- Low entry cash comes with location and income restrictions plus guarantee fees.
Down payment is not total cash to close. Educational guidance pending licensed review.
Sources: USDA: guaranteed loans
The secure application opens outside lndwell.com. This page is not an application or pre-approval.
USDA guaranteed loans support home purchases in areas designated as rural by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eligibility depends on both the property location and total household income, so the first step is always checking whether the address and the household both qualify.
- Buyers looking at homes outside metro cores in eligible areas
- Households whose income falls within the applicable limits
- Buyers with limited funds for a down payment
- Down-payment requirements are typically lower than comparable programs, and may not apply at all
- Guarantee fees are often lower than comparable mortgage insurance structures
- Designed specifically for moderate-income households
- Both the property location and the household income must qualify — eligible maps and limits change
- Upfront and annual guarantee fees apply
- Owner-occupancy is required; investment properties are not eligible
- Property condition standards apply
These are the factors an underwriter typically reviews. They are not a checklist of requirements, and meeting them does not guarantee eligibility or approval.
- A property inside a currently eligible area
- Household income within the published limit for that area
- Credit and repayment-history review
- Owner-occupancy of the subject property
All loans are subject to credit, income, property and underwriting approval. Nothing on this page is a loan offer, an approval, a rate lock or a commitment to lend. Programs, rates and terms are subject to change without notice.