Kentucky USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing
Guaranteed Loan Program

APPLICANT BENEFITS

 100 percent financing available with no down payment required. Eligible repairs and
closing costs may be included in the loan up to the appraised value of the property.
 Upfront guarantee fee may be included in the loan amount above the appraised value.
 Existing or new construction homes including all Planned Unit Development’s (PUD’s) are
eligible.
 Condominiums may be eligible.
 30 year loan terms with fixed interest rates.
 No pre-payment penalties.
 Satisfactory credit and qualifying ratios apply. Nontraditional credit histories may be
eligible.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The following information is not all inclusive. For complete information refer to RD
Instruction 1980-D, supplemented by applicable Administrative Notices (AN) available
online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RegulationsAndGuidance.html.  http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RegulationsAndGuidance.html. 
APPLICANT ELIGIBILTY
The applicant must:
 Be a U.S. Citizen, legally admitted as a permanent resident, or be a qualified alien.
 Have the legal capacity to incur the loan obligation.
 Be unable to secure credit with rate and terms reasonable to the applicant without a
guarantee from the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP).
 Not own a home within the local commuting area at the time of loan closing. Applicants that
do own a home that is structurally unsound or functionally inadequate, or is located outside
of the local commuting area may still be eligible for guaranteed loan consideration.
 Occupy the home purchased in an eligible rural area as their permanent primary residence.
 Have stable and dependable income to ensure repayment ability. Households may not
exceed the moderate income limit established for the applicable rural area.
 Have an acceptable credit history that demonstrates the willingness and ability to meet
financial obligations as they become due. If applicants exhibit unacceptable credit per RD
Instruction 1980-D, section 1980.345(d) the approved lender may still consider the
applicant if documented evidence of strong compensating factors as outlined in section
1980.345(d)(3) exists.

ANNUAL INCOME LIMITS

 Annual income includes the total gross income of the applicant, co-applicant, and any other
adult (age 18 and up) household members.
 Adjustments to annual income may be deducted for program eligibility determination.
Deductions may be made for dependants, eligible annual childcare expenses, disability
expenses, and annual medical expenses for elderly families. Please discuss eligible
deductions with your SFHGLP contact.
 Income limits are published for each county as an Exhibit to RD Instruction 1980-D and are
available online at: http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do

REPAYMENT ABILITY: DEBT/INCOME RATIOS

 Repayment ability is determined by calculating the following ratios:
– PITI (Principal, Interest, Real Estate Taxes, and Homeowner Insurance): The total PITI
payment divided by the repayment income must be 29 percent or less.
– Total Debt (TD): The PITI payment plus all other monthly debt obligation payments
divided by the repayment income must be 41 percent or less.
 Repayment ratios that exceed 29 and/or 41 percentmay be approved by Rural
Development when a ratio waiver request is provided by the approved lender. The ratio
waiver must document and provide evidence of strong compensating factors to support the
request. USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Division October 2012
1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington D.C. 20250-0784
202.720.1452
Examples of strong compensating factors include but are not limited to:
– Current rent/housing payment is equal to or less than the proposed PITI.
– Applicant has a history of devoting a similar percentage of income to housing expense
similar to the PITI over the previous 12 months.
– Strong credit score and repayment history.
– Reserves are available post loan closing, which evidence the applicant’s ability to
accumulate savings.

PROPERTY REQUIREMENTS
ELIGIBLE RURAL AREA

The property must be located in an eligible rural area as defined in 7 CFR 3550.10 as:
1. Open country which is not part of or associated with an urban area.
2. Any town, village, city or place, including the immediate adjacent densely settled area,
which is not part of or associated with an urban area and which:
a. Has a population not in excess of 10,000 if it is rural in character, or
b. Has a population in excess of 10,000 but not in excess of 20,000, is not contained within
a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, and has a serious lack of mortgage credit for
very low, low and moderate income households as determined by the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of HUD.
Property eligibility is available online and through GUS.

EXISTING HOMES

 Properties must meet HUD Handbooks 4150.2 and 4905.1. An FHA Roster appraiser or
licensed residential appraiser deemed qualified by the approved lender may certify to this
determination.
 A separate home inspection report prepared by the appraiser or a home inspector deemed
qualified by the approved lender is an acceptable option to ensure properties meet
minimum standards.
 Homes must be structurally sound, functionally adequate and in good repair, or will be
improved to meet good repair.
 There are no thermal performance standards for existing homes.
 Private water systems/wells: The local health authority or state certified laboratory must
perform a water quality analysis, which must meet state and local standards.
 Private septic systems: The septic system must be free of observable evidence of failure. An
FHA Roster appraiser, government health authority, licensed septic professional or
qualified home inspector may perform the septic system evaluation.
 Termite: If required by the lender, appraiser, inspector, or State law, a pest inspection must
be obtained to confirm the property is free of active termite infestation.
 Repairs: Any repairs necessary for the dwelling to be structurally sound, functionally
adequate and in good repair must be completed prior to the request of the loan note
guarantee. Exception: Escrow accounts that meet the requirements of RD Instruction
1980-D, section 1980.315 are allowed for exterior weather delayed repairs. When eligible
escrow accounts are established per section 1980.360(2)(ii) the loan note guarantee will be
issued without the repairs complete.
 Existing homes have been completed for more than 12 months or have been completed for
less than 12 months but have been previously occupied. USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Division October 2012

NEW CONSTRUTION

 Evidence the home was built in accordance with certified plans and specifications (e.g.,
International Residential Building Code, CABO, BOCO, etc.) must be obtained through an
eligible building permit, certificate of occupancy, or certification for a qualified individual or
organization that reviews plans and specifications.
 Evidence of construction inspections performed throughout the project in accordance with
section 1980.341(b)(2) must be retained. Acceptable documentation includes an eligible
certificate of occupancy or copies of three inspections performed: (1) inspections prior to
footing and foundation poured, (2) inspections of plumbing, electrical, and mechanicals
before the shell is enclosed, and (3) a final inspection will meet requirements.
 Evidence of a builder’s warranty. Minimum one year issued by the builder. If the builder
has offered a 10 year insured builder’s warranty acceptable to the Agency, this may be
accepted and evidence of construction inspections will be waived.
 Thermal performance requirements must meet the 2006 IECC code. An eligible building
permit, certificate of occupancy, final inspection, or 10 year insured builder’s warranty is
acceptable evidence this requirement has been met.
 New construction homes have been completed (as evidenced by a certificate of occupancy)
for less than 12 months and have never been occupied.
 New manufactured homes must be purchased from an approved dealer –contractors (your
SFHGLP contact can provide a list of those approved in your state). A unit is considered
new if the purchase agreement is dated within 12 months of the date the unit was
manufactured. The date of manufacture is available on the factory installed plate on the
unit.

LOAN REQUIREMENTS
LOAN PURPOSES

 Loans must be secured by a first lien on real property in an eligible rural area.
Loan funds may be used to:
 Purchase an existing or new construction (stick built, modular, or manufactured) home.
 Purchase or pay off a site as part of a new construction package.
 Purchase and improve an existing home. Improvements must be complete before a loan
note guarantee will be issued. Exception: Escrow accounts are allowed for weather delayed
exterior repairs only.
 Include eligible loan fees, including legal fees, title services, and eligible closing costs.
 Refinance existing Section 502 Direct and Guaranteed loans. If only the principal balance
and the guarantee fee will be financed, no new appraisal is required. If the applicant wishes
to include eligible closing costs into the loan, a new appraisal is required. A new appraisal is
always required for Section 502 Direct loan refinances.
LOAN LIMITS
 The maximum loan amount is 100 percent of the appraised value plus the upfront
guarantee fee.

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