H.R.5745 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010

New funding appropriations  for the USDA Guaranteed Home loan have been put in another bill, H.R.5745, and is referred to as the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010.  This new bill was introduced on July 15th and it has now been Referred to Committee.

The process is something like this;  Introduced, Referred to Committee, Reported by Committee, House Vote, Senate Vote, Signed by President.  This bill is in the first step of the legislative process.  I'm not trying to be a Negative Nellie here but most bills don't make it out of committee.  The following is a short quote from the bill:

GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER

Sec. 101. None of the funds appropriated or made available by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel to carry out a biomass crop assistance program as authorized by section 9011 of Public Law 107-171 in excess of $552,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 or $432,000,000 in fiscal year 2011: Provided, That section 3002 shall not apply to the amount under this section.

Sec. 102. (a) Section 502(h)(8) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)(8)) is amended to read as follows:

`(8) FEES- Notwithstanding paragraph (14)(D), with respect to a guaranteed loan issued or modified under this subsection, the Secretary may collect from the lender--

`(A) at the time of issuance of the guarantee or modification, a fee not to exceed 3.5 percent of the principal obligation of the loan; and

`(B) an annual fee not to exceed 0.5 percent of the outstanding principal balance of the loan for the life of the loan.'.

(b) Section 739 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2001 (H.R. 5426 as enacted by Public Law 106-387, 115 Stat. 1549A-34) is repealed.

(c) For gross obligations for the principal amount of guaranteed loans as authorized by title V of the Housing Act of 1949, to be available from funds in the rural housing insurance fund, an additional amount shall be for section 502 unsubsidized guaranteed loans sufficient to meet the remaining fiscal year 2010 demand, provided that existing program underwriting standards are maintained, and provided further that the Secretary may waive fees described herein for very low- and low-income borrowers, not to exceed $697,000,000 in loan guarantees.

The above quote is from chapter one which is for the Department of Agriculture.  The rest of the bill, pages and pages and pages, 11 chapters in all, covers additional funding for just about every branch of our government that you can imagine, ...  some of which I have never heard of.  This bill will never emerge from Committee.  What a total waste.  You can read the bill here: http://www.govtrack.us/

So what ever happened to H.R.4899?  That was one of the first bills put together for supplemental appropriations.  I read on a web site that the Senate had passed it on July 22nd.  But I think this is deceiving.  I think what they voted on was to proceed with debate or Not to proceed with debate.  The Not to proceed with debate actually won.  To proceed with debate needed 60 votes and it only got 46.

This is all kind of confusing isn't it.  To debate or not to debate.  What does that mean?  On the web site I linked to above it said: 

"Last Action:  July 22, 2010:  Senate disagreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent."

That is an exact quote.  I found the exact same words on another site's status so I have to believe it is not a Typo!!     What does that mean???  Someone, ... please enlighten me!!!   These words are not congruent!

Let's look on the bright side.  Only two more months till the end of FY 2010.  Then the Guaranteed program will receive it's FY 2011 funding and all will be well until the next time.

USDA Direct Home Loan Funding - Recovery Act

This is a news release just put out by USDA Rural Development about Direct Loan Funding availability from the Recovery Act. This release is from the State of Georgia but it is available in all states.


News Release

Georgia receives additional $30 million for home loans through Recovery Act

Georgia will be receiving an additional $30 million in Recovery Act funds for direct home loans through USDA Rural Development on July 19, 2010, when pooled funds from all states are redistributed from Washington, D.C. These loans are for qualifying families considered to have low and very low incomes to purchase or build a home in a rural area.

“These amounts are greater than the funds we had remaining,” said Ed Peace, director of single family housing for USDA Rural Development in Georgia. “This is a wonderful opportunity for rural families who want to become homeowners. These funds will disappear after September 30, 2010, so we encourage those interested to call us immediately.”

So far, Georgia has helped 288 rural families through the direct home loan program, obligating over $31.7 million to help families achieve the dream of homeownership. The Recovery Act has funded 220 home loans for almost $25.8 million.

“The time has never been better for rural Georgia families to consider buying a home,” said Shirley Sherrod, state director. “These funds can be used to purchase an existing home or to build a new one.”

USDA Rural Development’s direct loan program has many positive features including 100% financing and low-interest rates. House payments are based on household income. The program also has built in provisions, for example, so that down the line, if someone loses their job, mortgage payments can be deferred and rolled into the end of the loan.

This provision is only available to Rural Development borrowers after the loan has closed and isn’t available to families that have homes from other lenders.

To qualify, Georgians must have low or very low dependable income, have good credit and debt level to show repayment of the loan. The houses must be in eligible rural areas, generally with population less than 20,000.

The low and very low designation is based on Median Household Income for each county, as well as how many people are living in the house. To check income levels for a specific county or the house address, visit: http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do. Use the panel on the left to navigate.

For more information, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ga. Rural Development has offices around the state to assist with the application process.

End of Release

This Direct home loan is a great oppertunity for low to very low income people through out the United States. It even works for people on fixed income like social security, SSI, or a pension. It is true.

If you wuld like to know more about the qualification requirements visit:

USDA Rural Development Direct Mortgage Guidelines

Don't be afraid. Request a Pre-Qualification Premiliary Application from your nearest USDA office. It is free and they will counsel you if there are issues so that you can qualify in the future. Who knows, you may qualify now. Call them and get a Pre-qual application.

Good Luck.

USDA Direct Home Loan Program Funds

The following News Release is from the Georgia USDA Rural Development State Office. It is about the Direct loan program and it's funding availability.  It is a great program.  Even though this is from Georgia, all states have this program and abundant funding.

News Release

Funds for direct home loan programs available through Sept. 30

Time is running out for Georgia families who want to take advantage of over $21 million in Recovery Act and regular funding to become homeowners in rural Georgia through USDA Rural Development’s direct loan program. Recovery act funds will no longer be available after September 30, 2010.

USDA Rural Development has two home loan programs, the direct and the guaranteed. Direct loans, are made directly by the agency to qualified home buyers. The guaranteed program – which allows the government to partner with local lenders - is so popular that all funds have been exhausted for FY2010. Funds for the guaranteed program should be available on or after Oct. 1 as part of FY2011 funding, but may be available sooner.

The good news about the direct program is not only that funding remains, but that the interest rates will drop to 4.625 percent on July 1, 2010 for a 33 year mortgage.

“This program has very good terms for low and very low families ready to become homeowners,” said Shirley Sherrod, state director of USDA Rural Development. “We want these funds spent in Georgia, so we need people to apply now.”

To qualify, Georgians must have low or very low dependable income; have good credit and debt level to show repayment of the loan. And the houses must be in eligible rural areas.

The low and very low designation is based on Median Household Income for each county, as well as how many people are living in the house. Loans are also for rural areas only, so urban areas are not eligible. To check your income or the house address, visit: http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do. Use the panel on the left to navigate.

“We would like to see more applications,” Sherrod said. “We know a lot of people are hurting and there is a lot of fear because of the economy. But this program is designed to protect the families and the mortgage payment is often less than rent. It doesn’t take long to find out if it’s a possibility.”

“We can run a pre-qualification and know pretty quickly whether or not the person will qualify,” said Ed Peace, director of single family housing programs. “We would like to use this money to help Georgia families. But all of these funds will go away on September 30, 2010.”

For Prequalification forms, visit this website http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ga/SFH-prequal.htm and follow the instructions for faxing the information to our state office for processing.

Once a family becomes a Rural Development homeowner through this program, there are many built in features that can help them become successful, despite life’s ups and downs.

"This program can help with a payment subsidy," Peace said. “If someone loses their job, some payments may be deferred and rolled into the end of the loan. This program is structured to help low income families, who may experience more financial instability.”

Rural Development has offices around the state. To locate the one closest to you, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ga and go to the Other Information tab and select Office Locator. Offices are open weekdays between 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

"Many people think it isn’t possible. They think they can’t afford it,” Peace said. “But our terms are very reasonable. We will do everything we can to help someone become a successful homeowner if they are really motivated. We can help people that otherwise couldn't get a loan and who would be trapped renting or living with relatives."

Families who have benefited from USDA Rural Development's housing programs include young couples, single parents, older citizens, people on disability, and minority families, among others. In some cases, families who didn’t qualify the first time can often come back and qualify the second or third time. Funds can be used to purchase an existing home or a new one.

“Sometimes people have a credit problem and we can tell them what they need to do to fix the problem,” said Peace. “We try very hard to work with people and if they’re determined and willing to do what it takes, we very often happily present the keys to their new home in the end.”

"The entire community benefits from increased numbers of homeowners," Sherrod said. "When people buy a home, they are making a commitment to the community, settling down, and paying property taxes. They live and work in the area and are paying for local goods and services. It's a win-win situation."

Although regular funding will be available, the Stimulus Funds are unprecedented, providing an opportunity for more families to become homeowners.

End News Release

If you want more information about the qualification requirements please visit: USDA Direct Home Loan Guidelines