Here are a few reminders about the Kentucky USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS) Section 502 Guaranteed program which provides very-low-, low- and moderate-income rural residents access to affordable housing finance options with little or no down payment or out-of-pocket costs.
• Eligibility Link – Access the USDA Home page, click here.
• Income – To determine eligibility of an applicant/household, click here.
• Property Eligibility – To determine whether the property is located in a designated rural area, click here.
o 1 Unit Properties Only
o No Bankruptcies or foreclosures in last 3 years
30 year fixed rate loan terms only, Purchase or refinance, If refinancing must be existing USDA home loan. No cash out allowed.
• Occupancy – Owner occupied only.
• Credit – Minimum credit score of 640 for all borrowers/
• Maximum Loan Amount – Maximum loan amount is $424,100 (without guarantee fee), can go up to 101% LTV with guarantee fee financed.
o High Balance USDA available for loan amounts $424,100 to $636,150 (without guarantee fee)
• Max DTI – GUS approved, generally 45% (front end sensitive)/ Manual 29/41.
• Guaranty Fee/Annual Fee – there is a 1.00%/ 0.35% (monthly).
• Down Payment – Down payment not required but if any cash to close, must be borrowers own funds. Gifts are not allowed.
• Interested Third Party Contributions – An amount of 6% of the sales price can be contributed towards closing costs.
The lender is responsible for determining which collection accounts
should be paid in full by the applicant prior to, or at, closing.
*Not a condition of mortgage approval.
Whether a collection account represents a greater risk
is the lender’s decision, regardless of the credit score.
The lender will document reasons for approving a loan request when
collection accounts remain unpaid.
*GUS TIP: The preferred method to record the lenders analysis/reasons for approving the loan
is to document their justification on the credit liability line under “notes” on the “Assets and
Liabilities” page beside each individual collection.
Rural Development
1) Determine IF: Total outstanding balance of all collections is
equal to or greater than $2,000.
2) Remove all medical collections & charge off accounts
from the total balance.
3) If the remaining outstanding balance of collections is
equal or greater than $2,000
Any of the Following Actions Will Apply:
a. Payment in full at or prior to closing.
b. Payment arrangements are made with creditors for collections. (A letter from the
creditor or evidence on the credit report is required to validate the payment
arrangements. Monthly payment for each collection included in TD ratio.
c. In the absence of a payment arrangement, utilize in the TD ratio a calculated
monthly payment. For each collection utilize 5% of the outstanding balance to
represent the monthly payment.
If you meet income eligibility requirements and are looking to settle in a rural area, you might qualify for the KY USDA Rural Housing program. The program guarantees qualifying loans, reducing lenders’ risk and encouraging them to offer buyers 100% loans. That means Kentucky home buyers don’t have to put any money down, and even the “upfront fee” (a closing cost for this type of loan) can be rolled into the financing.
Fico scores usually wanted for this program center around 620 range, with most lenders wanting a 640 score so they can obtain an automated approval through GUS. GUS stands for the Guaranteed Underwriting system, and it will dictate your max loan pre-approval based on your income, credit scores, debt to income ratio and assets.
They also allow for a manual underwrite, which states that the max house payment ratios are set at 29% and 41% respectively of your income.
They loan requires no down payment, and the current mortgage insurance is 1% upfront, called a funding fee, and .35% annually for the monthly mi payment. Since they recently reduced their mi requirements, USDA is one of the best options out there for home buyers looking to buy in a rural area.
A rural area typically will be any area outside the major cities of Louisville, Lexington, Paducah, Bowling Green, Richmond, Frankfort, and parts of Northern Kentucky.
There is also a max household income limits with most cutoff starting at $78,000 for a family of four, and up to $99,000 for a family of five or more.
Joel Lobb
Senior Loan Officer
(NMLS#57916)
American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
10602 Timberwood Circle, Suite 3
Louisville, KY 40223
text or call my phone: (502) 905-3708
email me at kentuckyloan@gmail.com
The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only. The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines. This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the view of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people. NMLS ID# 57916, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Mortgage loans only offered in Kentucky.
All loans and lines are subject to credit approval, verification, and collateral evaluation and are originated by lender. Products and interest rates are subject to change without notice.
Joel E Lobb
American Mortgage
5029053708
email us here
Kentucky FHA, VA, USDA & Rural Housing, KHC and Fannie Mae mortgage loans.
