I am a Kentucky based USDA Mortgage Lender that has originated over 200 KY Rural Housing Mortgage Loans in Kentucky, Put my expert advice to use. Kentucky Rural Development RHS loans give KY Rural Homebuyers a zero down mortgage loan with a low 30 year fixed rate loan. A Local Kentucky Rural Housing Mortgage Lender offering same day free approvals and credit report. This website is not affiliated with USDA or any other government agency. NMLS#57916 Equal Housing Lender Text or call today 502-905-3708 with your mortgage questions about USDA Rural Housing Loans in Kentucky. Free Pre-Approvals on most applications within the same day. Kentuckyloan@gmail.com
30 year fixed rate only for Purchases and Existing USDA loans Refinances.
Zero down Mortgage loan with no loan limits!
Upfront funding fee is 1.0% and annual mi fee is .35% (very low compared to FHA)
Typically cannot own other real estate. There are exceptions to this.
You do not have to be a first-time home buyer in Kentucky
Can refinance existing USDA loan as long as lowering rate by 1% and can do without an appraisal. There are overlays to this by lenders.
Closing costs and prepaids can be paid by seller but must be put into contract
Closing costs may be financed into the loan up to the appraised value.
You will need two credit trade lines reporting at least for 12 months on your credit file. They don’t have to be open and active. Just reporting on your credit report.
All Guaranteed Mortgage Loans are ran through GUS. GUS stands for the Guaranteed Underwriting System. USDA and their underwriters use this system to pre-approve you. They review credit score/history, income, debt to income ratio and assets to determine your loan eligibility. If your credit score is below 640 or your debt to income ratio is over 45%, it will get a refer and you will find most lenders will not approve the loan.
Some lenders will do a credit score down to 600, but they will want a lot of documentation to overturn the refer and compensating factors for the lower credit score. They typically will need to verify rent for last 12 months, with no lates, cash payments are not acceptable, and debt to income ratios are set at 29% and 41% respectively. Reserves are typically helpful too on lower credit scores, so keep in that in mind, if you have money in a savings account, for a rainy day fund, this will help sometimes get the loan approved.
If you have access to 20% down payment you cannot use the USDA Program. Money in a retirement account does not account toward the 20% rule.
Properties must be located in an eligible area of Kentucky. Typically the large metro areas of Kentucky including the following: all of Jefferson County, all of Fayette County, Owensboro, Paducah, Hopkinsville, Bowling Green, Richmond, Frankfort and Northern KY cities of Covington, Florence, Erlanger, Beechwood, Richwood are not eligible
USDA Eligible Areas In Northern Kentucky for Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant Counties
Independence
Burlington
Hebron
Highland Heights
Walton
Alexandria
Cold Springs
All Of Grant County, Pendleton County And Owen County
New Income limits for most counties (*) in Kentucky are $90,200 for a 4 unit household and household families of five or more + can make up to $119,200.
The Northern Kentucky Counties (***) of Boon, Kenton, Campbell, Bracken, Gallatin, and Pendleton are $99,500 for a household of four or less and up to $129,400 for a family of five or more.
With the new changes for 2019 USDA Income limits, the Jefferson County Louisville, KY Metro area (**) saw an increase of $90,200 for a family of four and up to $119,100 for a family of five or more. The metro area includes Oldham, Bullitt, Spencer, Hardin, Larue and Meade are including in these higher income limits for USDA loans.Remember, Jefferson County Kentucky, Fayette County Kentucky are not eligible for USDA loans.,Below is the website where you can check and make sure
Some More Facts about a Kentucky USDA loan:
It’s a two step approval process. The chosen USDA lender must first underwrite the file and get it approved based on the income, assets, and credit report submitted. Then, the lenders must submit to USDA for a “conditional commitment”. This conditional commitment is the final loan approval paperwork you are looking for. Even though the lender may have approved the file, it still must go to USDA office in Lexington for an assignment to SFH underwriter for the final approval process. They typically are checking the appraisal and income at this stage. There have been instances where the lender would approve the file but USDA would not due to appraisal issues or income and job history. This is very rare instances, so keep that in mind when it comes to final loan approval.
This two-step approval process usually adds 4-6 days to the final loan approval process, so keep that in mind when you are writing up your contract because it takes a little longer to close these loans vs FHA, VA, and Fannie Mae loans.
Well Test Treatments: Properties with a well as the primary drinking source will require a well water test. There are local labs to perform this test and the water must pass.
Septic Test:Sometimes they will require the septic tank to be inspected if called for in the appraisal report or home inspection. Older Homes: As a general rule, USDA does not like homes older than 100 years old. They will sometimes require a home inspection in addition to the mandatory appraisal on older homes.
USDA Loan After a Short Sale: A short sale is not the end of the world. So it is very possible to obtain a USDA loan if 3 years have passed after the short sale. But a buyer would need re-established good rent and other credit history.
Bankruptcy and Foreclosure:If the mortgage debt that was foreclosed, was included in a Bankruptcy – then the USDA Home Loan waiting periods after foreclosure “waiting period” of 3 years, starts from the date of the discharge of the Bankruptcy. Because it can take 6 months or more for Banks to process the Foreclosure, and transfer title, this is a tremendous plus.
RHS Student Loans
Effective immediately for all RHS loans, student loan calculations will be changed to the following
Fixed Payment Loans: A permanent amortized, fixed payment may be used when it can be documented that the payment is fixed, the interest rate is fixed, and the repayment term is fixed.
Non-Fixed Payment Loans (i.e. deferred, income based, graduated, adjustable, etc.): The payment should be calculated as the greater of 0.5% of the loan balance or the actual payment reflected on the credit report. No additional documentation is required.
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. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible as collateral.
Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) recognizes that down payments, closing costs, and prepaids are stumbling blocks for many potential homebuyers. We offer several loan programs to help you achieve your dream of buying a home. Your KHC-approved lender can help you apply for the program that meets your needs.
The Hardest Hit Fund Down payment Assistance Program (HHF DAP) is available to Christian County only, starting November 15, 2018; first-come, first-served, based on qualifying guidelines.
Zero percent interest rate for first-time homebuyers.
A non-repayable second mortgage for $10,000.
Forgiven after five years.
Home purchase must be located in Christian County.
No other counties are eligible.
New construction properties are not allowed.
Property has to have been previously occupied.
Applicants must meet Secondary Market Income and Purchase Price Limit.
Borrower must be a first-time homebuyer (no ownership interest in the last three years).
Pre-purchase homebuyer counseling is required.
KHC invests in affordable housing solutions by offering programs and services designed to develop, preserve, and sustain affordable housing throughout the state. Since 1972, KHC has made homeownership possible for more than 94,000 Kentucky families. Let us help you make your move to homeownership in Christian County.
No Cost or Obligation
Easy Loan Process
Flexible Underwriting
Expert Advice
What is the one thing that stops most buyers from buying a home today?
They don’t have enough money for down payment and closing costs to buy a home.
You can now get up to $10,000 at closing to help towards your down payment and closing costs. Combined with seller assist, this reduces the amount of money needed substantially.
Minimum 620 Credit Score
Max Purchase Price Limit of $283,000
Max Household Income Limits of $117,250
Must provide 3 years tax returns to prove a first time home buyer in Louisville KY
Must complete an online homebuying course
Max debt to income ratios of 40 and 45% respectively with Approved Eligible Findings
No Bankruptcies last 2 years for FHA
I can answer your questions and usually get you pre-approved the same day. Call or Text me at 502-905-3708 with your mortgage questions. Email 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. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible as collateral.
KHC is used for mostly applicants in urban areas of Kentucky that don’t have access to USDA or other government agencies to buy a home with no down payment.
Down Payment Assistance for Ky First Time Home Buyer, 100% Financing
Kentucky Home Buyers Down Payment Assistance Programs for 2019
Effective with new reservations as of Monday, December 10, 2018, properties located in one of
the counties considered Middle Appalachia or Lower Mississippi Delta will have access to a$1,500 closing cost grant. Borrowers must be under the specific income limits per the Duty to Serve (DTS) program.
KHC recognizes that down payments, closing costs, and prepaids are stumbling blocks for
many potential home buyers. Here are several loan programs to help. Your KHC-approved lender can help you apply for the program that meets your need.
Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) DAP For Kentucky 2019
Available to Christian County only 11/15/2018
Zero percent interest rate for first-time home buyers.
A non-repayalbe second mortgage for $10,000.
Forgiven after five years.
Home purchase must be located in Christian county.
No other counties will be eligible.
New construction properties are not allowed.
Property has to have been previously occupied.
Applicants must meet Secondary Market Income and Purchase Price Limit.
Regular DAP for Kentucky Home Buyers in 2019
Purchase price up to $301,294 with Secondary Market.
Assistance in the form of a loan up to $6,000 in $100 increments.
Repayable over a ten-year term at 5.50 percent.
Available to all KHC first-mortgage loan recipients.
Affordable DAP for Kentucky Home Buyers in 2019
Purchase price up to $301,294 with Secondary Market.
No liquid asset review and no limit on borrower reserves.
Specific credit underwriting standards may apply to down payment programs
Down Payment: There are still housing programs that exist for Kentucky home buyers whereas you
can purchase a home with no down payment. You will need a 620 mid credit score to purchase a
home using the KHC loan programs for their no down payment credit requirements.
How the Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP) Works
A minimum of 3.5% down payment is required with this loan. Down payment assistance loans are available from $4500-$6,000, and are paid back over a period of ten years. They are typically offered to buyers with limited cash reserves and carry an interest rate of 1 to 5.5%. These loans can make a critical difference to buyers for whom the down payment is an obstacle. Buyers whose 3.5% down payment is less than the $6000 limit may choose to use the remainder of a down payment loan to pay closing costs, further reducing the amount needed to bring to closing.
There are 4 basic things that a borrower needs to show a lender in order to get approved for a mortgage.
You need income. You need to be able to afford the home. But what is acceptable income? Let’s just say that there are two ratios mortgage underwriters look at to qualify you for mortgage payment:
First Ratio – The first ratio, top ratio or housing ratio. Basically that means out of all the gross monthly income you make, that no more that X percent of it can go to your housing payment. The housing payment consists of Principle, Interest, Taxes and Insurance. Whether you escrow or not every one of these items are factored into your ratio. There are a lot of exceptions to how high you can go, but let’s just say that if your ratio is 33% or less, generally, across the board, you’re safe.
Second Ratio- The second ratio, bottom ratio or debt ratio includes the housing payment, but also adds all of the monthly debts that the borrower has. So, it includes housing payment as well as every other debt that a borrower may have. This would include, Auto loans, credit cards, student loans, personal loans, child support, alimony….basically any consistent outgoing debt that you’re paying on. Again, if you’re paying less than 45% of your gross monthly income to all of the debts, plus your proposed housing payment, then……generally, you’re safe. You can go a lot higher in this area, but there are a lot of caveats when increasing your back ratio.
What qualifies as income? Basically, it’s income that has at least a proven, two year history of being received and pretty high assurances that the income is likely to continue for at least three years. What’s not acceptable? Unverifiable cash income, short term income and income that’s not likely to continue like unemployment income, student loan aid, VA education benefits,or short term disability are not allowed for a mortgage loan.
What the mortgage underwriter is looking for here is how much can you put down and secondly, how much will you have in reserves after the loan is made to help offset any financial emergencies in the future.
Do you have enough assets to put the money forth to qualify for the down payment that the particular program asks for. The only 100% financing or no money down loans still available in Kentucky for home buyers are available through USDA, VA, and KHC or Kentucky Housing Loans. Most other home buyers that don’t qualify for the no money down home loans mentioned above, will turn to the FHA program. FHA loans currently requires a 3.5% down payment.
Kentucky Home buyers that have access to putting down at least 5% or more, will usually turn to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage programs so they can get better pricing when it comes to mortgage insurance.
These assets need to be validated through bank accounts, 401k or retirements account and sometimes gifts from relatives or employer.. Can you borrower the down payment? Sometimes. Generally if you’re borrowing a secured loan against a secured asset you can use that. But rarely can cash be used as an asset. FHA will allow for gifts from relatives for down payments with little as 3.5% down but Fannie Mae will require a 20% down payment when a gift is being used for the down payment on the home.
The down payment scenarios listed above are for Kentucky Primary Residences only. There are stricter down payment requirements for investment homes made in Kentucky.
620 is the bottom score (again with few exceptions) that lenders will permit. Below a 620, then you’re in a world of hurt with most FHA, VA, Fannie Mae and USDA Lenders that we deal with. I do deal with some lenders that offer a FHA loan down to a 560 credit score, but most FHA and VA lenders will wanta 580 to 620 score. Fannie Mae or Conventional loans will not go below 620.
Even at 620, people consider you a higher risk that other folks and are going to penalize you or your borrower with a more expensive loan. 720 is when you really start to get in the “as a lender we love you” credit score. 740 is even better. Watch your credit scores carefully. You have three credit scores from Experian, Equifax and Transunion, and the lender will take your middle score. For example, Experian comes back with a 598, Transunion a 620 score, and Equifax a 615 score, then your qualifying middle credit score would be 615.
Your scores will have to come from the mortgage company’s credit report bureau they use so please be aware that sites like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame will show different estimates of your scores that could vary once the lender pulls your true fico scores. Getting your fico scores costs money, so you can always pay and get your score first or have the lender pull it for free.
As far as previous Bankruptcies and foreclosures:
Kentucky FHA Mortgage Loans currently requires 3 years removal from a foreclosure or short sale and 2 years on a bankruptcy with good re established credit.
Kentucky Fannie Mae Mortgage Loans currently requires 4 years removal from a bankruptcy, and 7 years on a foreclosure.
Kentucky VA Mortgage Loans currently requires 2 years removal from a bankruptcy or foreclosure with good reestablished credit.
Kentucky USDA loans require 3 years removal from bankruptcy and foreclosure with good reestablished credit.
Generally, there’s nothing you can do to affect this. Bottom line here is…..”is the value of the house at least the value of what you’re paying for it?” If not, then not good things start to happen. Generally you’ll find less issues with values on purchase transactions, because, in theory, the realtor has done an accurate job of valuing the house prior to taking the listing. The big issue comes in refinancing. In purchase transactions, the value is determined as the
lower of the value or the contract price!!!
That means that if you buy a $1,000,000 home for $100,000, the value is established at $100,000. Conversely, if you buy a $200,000 home and the value comes in at $180,000 during the appraisal, then the value is established at $180,000. Big issues….Talk to your loan officer.
For each one of these boxes, there are over 1,000 things that can effect if a borrower has reached the threshold to complete that box. Soooooooooooo…..talk to a great loan officer. There are so many loan officers that don’t know what they’re doing. But, conversely, there’s a lot of great ones as well. Your loan is so important! Get a great lender so that you know, for sure, that the loan you want, can be closed on!
If you have questions about qualifying as first time home buyer in Kentucky, please call, text, email or fill out free prequalification below for your next mortgage loan pre-approval.
∘ What kind of credit score do I need to qualify for different first time home buyer loans in Kentucky?
Answer. Mos lenders will wants a middle credit score of 640 for KY First Time Home Buyers looking to go no money down. The two most used no money down home loans in Kentucky being USDA Rural Housing and KHC with their down payment assistance will want a 640 middle score on their programs.
If you have access to 3.5% down payment, you can go FHA and secure a 30 year fixed rate mortgage with some lenders with a 580 credit score. Even though FHA on paper says they will go down to 500 credit score with at least 10% down payment, you will find it hard to get the loan approved because lenders will create overlays to protect their interest and maintain a good standing with FHA and HUD.
Another popular no money down loan is VA. Most VA lenders will want a 620 middle credit score but like FHA, VA on paper says they will go down to a 500 score, but good luck finding a lender for that scenario.
A lot of times if your scores are in the high 500’s or low 600’s range, we can do a rapid rescore and get your scores improved within 30 days.
∘ Does it costs anything to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan?
Answer: Most lenders will not charge you a fee to get pre-approved, but some lenders may want you to pay for the credit report fee upfront. Typically costs for a tri-merge credit report for a single borrower runs about $50 or less. Maybe higher if more borrowers are included on the loan application.
∘ How long does it take to get approved for a mortgage loan in Kentucky?
Answer: Typically if you have all your income and asset documents together and submit to the lender, they typically can get you a pre-approval through the Automated Underwriting Systems within 24 hours. They will review credit, income and assets and run it through the different AUS (Automated Underwriting Systems) for the template for your loan pre-approval. Fannie Mae uses DU, or Desktop Underwriting, FHA and VA also use DU, and USDA uses a automated system called GUS. GUS stands for the Guaranteed Underwriting System.
If you get an Automated Approval, loan officers will use this for your pre-approval. If you have a bad credit history, high debt to income ratios, or lack of down payment, the AUS will sometimes refer the loan to a manual underwrite, which could result in a longer turn time for your loan pre-approval answer
∘ Are there any special programs in Kentucky that help with down payment or no money down loans for KY First Time Home Buyers?
Answer: There are some programs available to KY First Time Home Buyers that offer zero down financing: KHC, USDA, VA, Fannie Mae Home Possible and HomePath, HUD $100 down and City Grants are all available to Kentucky First Time Home buyers if you qualify for them. Ask your loan officer about these programs
∘ When can I lock in my interest rate to protect it from going up when I buy my first home?
Answer: You typically can lock in your mortgage rate and protect it from going up once you have a home picked-out and under contract. You can usually lock in your mortgage rate for free for 90 days, and if you need more time, you can extend the lock in rate for a fee to the lender in case the home buying process is taking a longer time. The longer the term you lock the rate in the future, the higher the costs because the lender is taking a risk on rates in the future.
Interest rates are kinda like gas prices, they change daily, and the general trend is that they have been going up since the Presidential election in November 2016. ∘ How much money do I need to pay to close the loan?
Answer: Depending on which loan program you choose, the outlay to close the loan can vary. Typically you will need to budget for the following to buy a home: Good faith deposit, usually less than $500 which holds the home for you while you close the loan. You get this back at closing; Appraisal fee is required to be paid to lender before closing. Typical costs run around $400-$450 for an appraisal fee; home inspection fees. Even though the lender’s programs don’t require a home inspection, a lot of buyers do get one done. The costs for a home inspection runs around $300-$400. Lastly, termite report. They are very cheap, usually $50 or less, and VA requires one on their loan programs. FHA, KHC, USDAS, Fannie Mae does not require a termite report, but most borrowers get one done.
There are also lender costs for title insurance, title exam, closing fee, and underwriting fees that will be incurred at closing too. You can negotiated the seller to pay for these fees in the contract, or sometimes the lender can pay for this with a lender credit.
The lender has to issue a breakdown of the fees you will incur on your loan pre-approval. How long is my pre-approval good for on a Kentucky Mortgage Loan?
Answer: Most lenders will honor your loan pre-approval for 60 days. After that, they will have to re-run your credit report and ask for updated pay stubs, bank statements, to make sure your credit quality and income and assets has not changed from the initial loan pre-approval.
How much money do I have to make to qualify for a mortgage loan in Kentucky?
Answer: The general rule for most FHA, VA, KHC, USDA and Fannie MAe loans is that we run your loan application through the Automated Underwriting systems, and it will tell us your max loan qualifying ratios.
There are two ratios that matter when you qualify for a mortgage loan. The front-end ratio, is the new house payment divided by your gross monthly income. The back-end ratio, is the new house payment added to your current monthly bills on the credit report, to include child support obligations and 401k loans.
Car insurance, cell phone bills, utilities bills does not factor into your qualifying rations.
If the loan gets a refer on the initial desktop underwriting findings, then most programs will default to a front end ratio of 31% and a back-end ratio of 43% for most government agency loans that get a refer. You then take the lowest payment to qualify based on the front-end and back-end ratio.
So for example, let’s say you make $3000 a month and you have $400 in monthly bills you pay on the credit report. What would be your maximum qualifying house payment for a new loan?
Take the $3000 x .43%= $1290 maximum back-end ratio house payment. So take the $1290-$400= $890 max house payment you qualify for on the back-end ratio.
Then take the $3000 x .31%=$930 maximum qualifying house payment on front-end ratio.
So now your know! The max house payment you would qualify would be the $890, because it is the lowest payment of the two ratios.
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. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible as collateral
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 views of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people
Kentucky USDA Mortgage Lender for Rural Housing Loans 