Under the USDA Home Loan Program, it is now a lot easier for virtually anyone to purchase a home. Compared to conventional housing loans including other federal agencies that provide home loan assistance, USDA Home Loans can provide a number of benefits that other programs can only dream of having.

Zero Down
The lowest possible down payment that you can get from other providers of home loans is 3 percent. This means you will still have to prepare this amount before you can have the house that you want to purchase. The Federal Housing Agency requires 3.5%. On the other hand, the USDA Home Loan program can offer eligible homebuyers zero-down payment schemes so you can start saving more for your first monthly mortgage repayments rather than having to come up with the sum to pay for the down. Its the same with VA loans.

Competitive Mortgage Rates
While it is not the USDA that will directly finance your home but rather accredited lenders, the guarantee afforded by the federal agency is enough motivation for lenders to provide you with more competitive interest rates. Of course, the mortgage rates can vary from one financing institution to the next, typically depending on a number of factors. But, given the fact that the USDA guarantees it, then these lenders can offer you lower rates.

Low Mortgage Insurance
Borrowers through the USDA Home Loan program will only pay 0.35% for mortgage insurance every year. By comparison, the FHA charges its borrowers with 0.85% annually. A few conventional lenders can give you an annual mortgage insurance rate of about 0.2%, although majority pegs it at 1.5%. When you take a loan via the USDA program, you may only be paying $58 monthly for the insurance whereas the FHA will amount to a monthly of $139.

Flexible Credit Guidelines
All lending institutions will look at your credit score. And while this is also observed by the USDA Home Loan Program, they are a lot friendlier than most. Other lenders will require you to have a minimum of 660 for your credit score. This often comes with higher interest rates. If you wish to get lower interest rates, then your credit score should be at least 720. On the other hand, the USDA program will not really look at your credit score. However, if you have a credit score of at least 640, then this will qualify you for the programs automated underwriting system. In other words, you get approved a lot faster.

These are just some of the benefits of getting a USDA Home Loan. There are plenty more.

Getting the keys to your own home is an experience like no other because you finally have your own property where you can live with your family and raise your children. Finding the right home and becoming its owner can be a long process but it will all be worth it the second you enter your brand-new home.

Before you do so, you will need to finalize the financing of your new property. Thanks to home loans, you can overcome a huge challenge to becoming a homeowner, which is finding a way to afford the house. You will need to approach lending institutions who will be willing to give you a mortgage.

The most important thing to do first is to check your eligibility. This will prevent you from applying for the wrong loan amount and save you time and effort looking for houses that are beyond your budget. You can, instead, focus your efforts on properties that are within your mortgage amount and help you find your new home quickly.

Finding out your home loan eligibility is not that difficult, with many calculators available online to give you an idea. Of course, the best thing to do is to approach the bank or other lending institutions to get a more definite answer. You may also get yourself pre-approved so that you can proceed looking at and bidding for the houses you are interested in.

Your home loan eligibility is calculated based on the following factors. First is your monthly income, because this will limit or dictate the monthly installments you can make every month. You will also need to input any other fixed monthly obligations, like other loans or monthly payments. Another factor to consider is your current age, as well as when you plan to retire. There are, of course, other factors and you might be asked for other documents to assess your eligibility but in general, these are the most important things to consider when computing your loan eligibility.

In a short amount of time, you can find out how much mortgage you can apply for and you can start looking for different loans, whether you want to take a longer one or one with a lower interest rate. You can also start shopping around for different institutions to find the best offer for you.

The great thing is that you will have some options for financing your dream home. Without it, you will not be able to fulfill your dream of being a homeowner. After you finish this first step, you can finally start your search and begin the buying process until you finally receive your new homes keys.