Section 502 May Return with Zero Down Payment Mortgages, 3.5% Guarantee Fee

by CHRISTINE RICCIARDI

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced Wednesday that legislation for the Section 502 single-family rural housing program under the Department of Agriculture is headed to President Obama's desk to be signed back into law.

The program allows 30-year originations primarily for low-income families to purchase households or renovate the ones they already own with no down payment at the time of application. Loans are guaranteed by the federal government.

The legislation for Section 502 will have a few changes, NAR reported. It increases the guarantee fee for borrowers to 3.5%, however the fee can also be financed.

Section 502 Rural Housing Services Single Family housing Guaranteed Loan Program, as it's formally called, was originally discontinued because in May because it had exhausted its existing funds of $13.1bn.

Zero downpayment policies are becoming more common. West Virginia just started a statewide program that allows residents to take out home purchasing originations for no money down at a 3.5% mortgage rate.

URL to Original Article:
http://www.housingwire.com/2010/07/29/section-502-may-return-with-zero-down-payment-mortgages-3-5-guarantee-fee