We often field questions from home buyers regarding where they can search for and purchase a USDA home for sale. It’s important to keep in mind that USDA Rural Housing doesn’t actually sell homes. In fact, nearly most homes that meet the criteria below are eligible for purchase under the USDA Rural Development Guaranteed loan program.
- Most important – the home must be located in an area deemed “Rural” by USDA. How do you find this? Just input any property address into the USDA map here to check if the property address is located in an approved area. Home buyers are often surprised to learn some of the locations are still considered rural.
- The home has to meet the basic HUD approval standards for purchase. We are referring to the overall condition of the house, as it must be in good overall repair. The house is not required to be perfect, very few are. However, the house cannot have any major issues related to electrical, safety or overall livability. This applies to nearly all government mortgage programs like FHA, VA, and USDA.
- Purchasing raw land, lot, acreage, “building on your land” rehab homes, and mobile or manufactured homes are not permitted.
- Any single-family home, townhome, and select condo that meets the requirements above should be eligible to purchase, assuming the homebuyer is qualified. Remember, the home seller is not the concern as the house can be a regular realtor listing, for sale by owner, or family sale. USDA is only concerned about where the home is located.
100% USDA housing loans remain a leading choice for home buyers who want to purchase a home with little to NO down payment. Applicants can learn more about USDA loan eligibility here. Please contact us anytime at the number above to learn more about USDA loan approval.