No,unfortunately it’s not, the USDA mortgage loan program, is only eligible in certain parts of Sonoma County. Santa Rosa, California is not considered to be a less densely populated area according to US Department of Agriculture. Additionally, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Penngrove are also not USDA eligible. If you are looking for a Santa Rosa mortgage, you would be better served looking at a conventional mortgage or another loan program, that would require a down payment. For any loan other than USDA and the VA, you’ll need a down payment 3.5% the purchase price for FHA and in some cases for a conventional loan 5% down.

A nice lending perk is that all of the down payment even the closing costs can all be gift funds. That’s right mom, dad, aunt, uncle, relative, cousin are all eligible sources for providing gift monies. Do remember that all monies used for gift funds need to be documented with bank statements as well as a gift letter which can be provided by the lender.

Should you be looking at the USDA loan, look outside of Santa Rosa. All of West County is eligible as is Healdsburg, Windsor,  Sonoma are areas that are considered to be less densely populated. There are some limitations to the program, but otherwise can be a very beneficial loan program for the right type of borrower.

Looking for a home loan? Not sure where to start, contact Scott.Sheldon@nafinc.com, to see what homebuying choices are available to you.