USDA Mortgage Navigator
USDA loans can offer 100% financing in eligible rural areas, but the real qualification is a three-part test: borrower, household income and property eligibility.
Explore USDA Home Loans
Guaranteed vs. Direct
Two different Section 502 paths with different income, lender and repayment structures.
Is the property eligible?
USDA's rural map—not a ZIP-code myth—determines location eligibility.
Income limits
Guaranteed eligibility generally caps household income at 115% of applicable median household income.
Household vs. qualifying income
Why someone can count for eligibility income even when they are not a borrower.
Credit & GUS
USDA's Guaranteed Underwriting System, lender underwriting and manual files.
Zero-down financing
How 100% purchase financing works and what cash may still be needed.
Guarantee & annual fee
Current 1.00% upfront guarantee fee and 0.35% annual fee.
Occupancy & borrower eligibility
Primary residence, citizenship/eligible status and legal-capacity requirements.
USDA Underwriting Deep Dive
Income, self-employment, ratios, debts, reserves, collections, manual underwriting and property requirements.
USDA Property, Special Transactions & Refinance
Manufactured homes, condos, new construction, repair financing, acreage, private utilities, seller concessions, DPA and USDA refinance.
USDA Final Gap Audit
See the complete USDA coverage map and learn how to separate an actual USDA rule from a GUS result, lender overlay or product limitation.
USDA Eligibility Finder
Enter an address, see USDA's current rural-housing eligibility map, identify the county, load the current FY 2026 Guaranteed income limit, and compare estimated household income.
Official USDA baseline
USDA Guaranteed Loan Program · HB-1-3555 Technical Handbook
USDA rules and income/property eligibility can change. The current USDA eligibility site, handbook, GUS result and approved lender requirements control the actual transaction.