You think you do not qualify. Check the map.
Most people hear USDA and picture farmland. The truth is a lot of ordinary suburban streets.
Large parts of Fauquier, Culpeper, King George and outer Stafford qualify.
Send an address and an income. We answer within the hour.
- Nothing down at all
- Rates at or below a normal loan
- Monthly cost about a third of FHA
- Closing costs can come from the seller
- Built for buyers with a modest budget
Two checks decide it. The address, and your household income. Both take minutes.
Licensed mortgage broker · NMLS 179997
Office in Vienna, Virginia
We speak 8 languages
The cheapest loan around, and nobody checks.
- A USDA loan is backed by the Department of Agriculture under Section 502.
- Eligibility depends on the property’s location and household income limits.
- When eligible, a USDA loan can offer very competitive rates and lower annual fees than FHA.
- The eligibility map must be checked by exact address—not just county.
- Income limits count everyone living in the household, even if they are not on the loan.
- Both checks take only minutes but can help buyers avoid paying more for FHA financing unnecessarily.
Which one of these is you?
Almost every USDA loan we place starts in one of these six spots.
You are buying past the commuter belt
Fauquier, Culpeper, King George, Caroline, outer Stafford and Spotsylvania. Check the address on the eligibility map, because the boundary can split a street.
You have nothing saved for a deposit
This is the only widely available program giving 100% financing to someone who has not served in the military. No down payment at all.
You were about to take an FHA loan
Compare first. FHA needs 3.5% down and charges insurance that never comes off. A USDA loan needs no down payment and costs a fraction of it monthly.
Your household income is close to the limit
Income limits count every adult in the home, even those not on the loan. Deductions apply for children and childcare, so a household slightly over sometimes still qualifies.
Your credit is thin rather than strong
Most lenders want a credit score of 640, and a lower credit score can work with manual underwriting. Credit is rarely the obstacle here.
You are a first time buyer on a budget
This is the profile the program was built for. A USDA loan also stacks well with other first time buyer help.
Nothing down. A third of the FHA cost.
Here is the whole price of a USDA loan, including the guarantee fee, and the one timing quirk that catches people.
The deposit
100% financing, so no down payment at all. A guarantee fee replaces it, and closing costs can come from a seller credit.
The upfront charge
A guarantee fee of about 1%, added to the loan rather than paid in cash. It funds the Section 502 program.
The monthly charge
An annual fee of roughly 0.35% of the balance, charged monthly. FHA charges about 0.55% for the life of the loan, on top of its own upfront charge.
The house
It must be where you live, and in sound shape. Working systems, a solid roof, safe water. Normal resale homes rarely fail.
The extra step
Files go to USDA for a conditional commitment after the lender approves them. That conditional commitment adds time to closing.
The annual fee is the part that matters over thirty years, and the guarantee fee is paid once. A third of the FHA cost is real money every month.
A bank has one answer. We have several.
Most lenders here rarely run Section 502 files, and the ones that do not will point you at FHA without mentioning the alternative.
We check the address and income first
The eligibility map and your household income. Both quick, both decisive. If either fails we say so straight away.
We price USDA against FHA
Side by side, so you see what the lower annual fee is worth over the years you plan to stay.
We build in the extra step
The conditional commitment is predictable, and it is the most common cause of a missed closing date on these files.
We work the income limits properly
Deductions and household size both matter. A household that looks over the income limits sometimes is not.
SAI Mortgage, Inc.
Is committed to helping you find the right mortgage product for your needs, whether you’re exploring a home mortgage loan, considering a home mortgage loan in Virginia, or comparing other financing options. We understand that every borrower is different, and we offer a variety of products to meet your individual requirements, ensuring you receive guidance that fits your unique financial goals.
Three steps. That is it.
Most people are pre-approved within two days.
Tell us how you get paid
A short call, in your language if you like. No credit check yet.
We shop it for you
We check many lenders and send you what you qualify for, in writing.
You get the keys
We handle the rest and close on the date you need.
Licensed in Virginia, DC and Maryland.
From our office in Vienna, we serve buyers across the Commonwealth — and your file follows you if you move across state lines.
Northern Virginia
I-95 Corridor
Hampton Roads
Central & Western Virginia
What people ask us first.
The questions that come up on almost every call.
Does it have to be rural?
It has to be in an eligible area, which is not the same thing. Plenty of ordinary suburban streets qualify, so check the eligibility map by address.
What are the income limits?
They vary by county and household size, and count everyone in the home. Income limits are the most common reason a USDA loan does not work, ahead of any credit score issue.
Can I buy any house?
A home you live in, in sound shape. No working farms, and generally nothing with large acreage or land that earns money.
How does it compare to FHA?
No down payment against 3.5%, and about a third of the monthly cost. Where you qualify, 100% financing almost always wins.
How long does it take?
Usually 30 to 45 days, allowing for the USDA conditional commitment after the lender approves the file.
Send an address and a household income.
Two pieces of information and we can tell you within the hour whether a USDA loan is open to you.
We lend across the Commonwealth, including the areas the commuter belt has passed by.
If you already hold an FHA pre approval, send that too. Comparing them takes ten minutes and is often worth thousands.