About Government Refinance and Home Purchase Programs

There are two primary ways to buy a home with zero money down in 2014. The first is to be a military veteran and utilize the VA loan program. The second is to utilize the USDA Rural Housing Program.

The USDA loan program is designed to encourage people to spread out and buy a home out of the more densely populated urban areas. With the name “rural” in the title you might assume that this program only applies to homes way out in the country but that is not true. In many cases, suburbs just on the outskirts out of a city are eligible for the rural housing program. Click here to go to the USDA site and see a map of eligible areas.

Advantages of the USDA Rural Housing Home Purchase Program

• Requires no money down
• The monthly mortgage insurance is much smaller than FHA mortgage insurance

Requirements of the USDA Rural Housing Program

• Home must be in an eligible area
• Combined gross annual income of all household members normally must not exceed about $90,000
• Normally requires relatively good credit with few or no collections or similar blemishes on the credit history
• The USDA requires 2% funding fee up front that is rolled into the loan

Conclusion

In cases where the USDA rural housing program is an option, it is usually a more desirable programs than the FHA or Fannie/Freddie programs. It allows for a 30 year fixed loan with no money down and minimal mortgage insurance. Contact us in the form on our home purchase page for more guidance on getting qualified for a USDA rural housing home purchase loan.

Russia’s recent aggression toward its neighbor, Ukraine, sent financial markets reeling in recent weeks. That market instability has affected mortgage interest rates as well. Rates initially dipped as fears of a war sent investors rushing to bonds rather than stocks. But as the situation settled down the stock market surged again and they temporary dip in interest rates passed.

Long term, it is safe to assume that mortgage interest rates will move higher in 2014 and 2015. But for now rates remain relatively low. Contact us today if you are researching a refinance or a home purchase. There is no telling how long mortgage rates will remain at current levels before moving higher.