In an era of the credit crunch a common belief among borrowers is that they can no longer get zero down payment loans. While the free wheeling days of yesterday is certainly past us, there is still one loan program available that has a zero down feature. This zero down mortgage is available with a USDA Guarantee Rural Housing Mortgage.

This loan is not available to everyone and there are restrictions, but there are plenty of borrowers out there for whom this can be a great fit. The USDA Guarantee Rural Housing program is available to homebuyers purchasing a home in a rural area. The area must be defined as rural by USDA Rural Development and eligible properties cannot produce income (so no investment properties allowed). To determine if a property is within an approved area the USDA website has tools to help you identify them. So, if you have a property in mind, go ahead and enter it in and see if the property is located in an eligible area.

There are many advantages to the program. Such as:

1. 100% financing for first-time and repeating homebuyers.
2. No limit on seller contributions of gift funds from acceptable family, friends or non-profit organization.
3. No Maximum loan amount.
4. 30 year Fixed Rate.
5. No monthly mortgage insurance.
6. No reserve requirement (you do not need to show you have sufficient money to cover a mortgage payment for 2-3 months)

Keep in mind that even if you do meet the property requirement there are other requirements specific to your situation. So for borrowers to qualify they must be purchasing a primary residence, not own any other real estate and must meet income limitation requirements. Additionally, income from all household members over the age of 18 must be counted in household income. This household income may not exceed the moderate income levels set by the USDA for the area. Again the USDA website has the details to see if you meet this income limitation.

The USDA Guarantee Rural Housing program has become to mortgage of choice for most borrowers who qualify for the program and want to put a minimal amount down. Arizona homebuyers purchasing a home in the towns of Maricopa, Buckeye, Queen Creek and many other communities will find this mortgage to be a very attractive option.