USDA loans
The $0 down loan nobody told you about.
Outside the big metros, USDA finances homes with nothing down and monthly costs typically below FHA. If the address fits, it is often the cheapest path to keys.
Program snapshot
USDA at a glance
- Down payment
- $0
- Monthly fee
- typically below FHA
- Where
- eligible towns and suburbs
- Income
- household limits apply
- Term
- 30-year fixed
Program guidelines, not an offer or approval. Property and household eligibility determined during pre-qualification.
The best-kept secret in home financing.
If the address and income fit, USDA is hard to beat. Most buyers just never get told it exists.
$0
down payment
Zero down, savings intact
Buy with nothing down and keep your savings for moving in, not for getting in.
- No down payment required
- Gift funds and seller credits still allowed
- 30-year fixed terms
less
than FHA monthly
Cheaper to carry
USDA's guarantee fee is typically well below FHA's mortgage insurance, so the same house often carries a lower monthly payment. It is the best-kept secret in the business.
- Monthly fee typically below FHA's MI
- Modest one-time fee, usually financed
- Competitive fixed rates
more map
than you think
Not just farms
Eligibility covers most of the country outside the big metros, including small towns and outer suburbs minutes from where you work. The only way to know is to check the address.
- Small towns and outer suburbs qualify
- Regular homes, no acreage required
- We check any address in minutes
The brokerage difference
USDA rewards teams that know it cold. Most don't.
We actually do USDA
Plenty of banks either do not offer USDA or handle one file a year. Our team runs the program's underwriting system routinely and knows which wholesale lenders price it best, so your file is never someone's science project.
Eligibility answered up front
Address eligibility and household income limits decide USDA in the first conversation, not in week three. We check both in minutes so you shop with certainty.
An honest timeline that holds
USDA adds its own final review after lender underwriting. Teams that do not know that blow contract dates. We build it into the schedule from day one, so yours holds.
Priced against the field
We quote USDA next to FHA and conventional side by side, from lenders competing for the file. If another program beats it for your scenario, you will see that math too.
From address check to front porch.
- 1
Tell us your scenario
Two minutes online. We check address eligibility and household income right away.
- 2
We shop and structure the file
USDA-strong lenders compete on your pricing, quoted side by side against FHA and conventional.
- 3
Close on a timeline that holds
USDA's extra review step is built into the schedule from day one, so your contract date sticks.
The quick eligibility check.
- $0 down
- Eligible small towns and outer suburbs
- Household income limits apply
- Primary residences
- 30-year fixed
- First-time buyers not required
Have a listing in mind? Send us the address and we will confirm USDA eligibility in minutes, free.
Straight answers
Is my area eligible?
More of the map qualifies than most people expect, including outer suburbs a short drive from major job centers. Eligibility is set address by address, and we can check any property in minutes. Send us a listing and we will tell you.
Do I have to buy a farm or land?
No. USDA loans are for regular homes on regular lots in eligible areas. Subdivisions, townhomes, and typical single-family houses are all fine. No farming, no acreage.
How do the income limits work?
USDA caps household income, counting everyone living in the home, not just the borrowers on the loan. The limits are more generous than people assume and adjust for family size. We run your numbers against your county's limit in the first conversation.
How does USDA compare to FHA?
USDA typically wins on both ends: no down payment versus FHA's 3.5%, and a monthly guarantee fee that runs well below FHA's mortgage insurance. The trade is that USDA has address and income limits. When you fit, it is often the cheapest path to keys, and we will show both quotes so you can see it.
Does USDA take longer to close?
It adds one step: after our lender underwrites the file, USDA's office gives a final sign-off. Teams that plan for it close on time. We set the timeline with that step included from the start, so there are no surprises in week three.
Two minutes. No obligation. Real numbers.
Find out if the address you love comes with $0 down attached.
Guthix Lending • NMLS# 2672037 · We are not affiliated with or acting on behalf of USDA, Rural Development, or any government agency. USDA loans require an eligible property location and household income within program limits. A one-time guarantee fee and an annual fee paid monthly apply, and fee comparisons to other programs reflect current fee schedules, which can change. Program terms are subject to change and to credit and property approval. Not all borrowers will qualify. This is not a commitment to lend or an offer of specific terms.