These programs are widely available. What differs is how they're priced and who approves them. We work through wholesale channels, qualify to agency guidelines where the approval supports it, and when one lender's extra rules get in the way, we can place the file with a lender whose guidelines fit better.
*Available on qualifying programs; eligibility, loan amounts, and terms vary by program, property, and borrower profile.
Reviewed by Taylor Cabaniss, Founder & Mortgage Broker, NMLS #910852Updated
The most common path, and the most flexible once you have some equity or a solid credit profile.
Built for accessibility, the most forgiving option on credit and down payment.
For eligible service members, veterans, and surviving spouses, one of the strongest benefits in lending.
For eligible borrowers and properties in USDA-eligible areas, which include many established suburbs, not just farmland.
These programs share baseline rules set by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the federal agency behind them. Individual lenders often add stricter requirements on top, called overlays. That's why a borrower can be declined at one lender and approved at another on the same program.
As an independent broker, we work with many wholesale lenders, and their overlays aren't identical. We're not eliminating overlays, they exist across the industry, we're just not limited to any single set of them. Because we compare across lenders, pricing differences can show up in the rate, lender credits, or closing costs on a particular file.
You likely need less down than you think, gift funds from family are permitted on most programs, and getting pre-qualified early changes how your offers are received. Ask whatever you want to ask, we'll walk you through it in plain language.
A couple shopping outside Columbia assumes USDA means farmland. The neighborhood they're already looking in sits inside a USDA-eligible area, which changes what they can afford.
Less than most people assume, and it depends on the program, the property, and your profile. Tell us what you're working with and we'll show you the options that fit.
An extra requirement a lender adds on top of the program's own guidelines. It's why the same borrower can be declined at one place and approved at another on the identical program.
Possibly. A decline often reflects that lender's overlays rather than the program's guidelines. Tell us what they said and what they asked for, sometimes the file works elsewhere without any change to your situation.
No. All four programs are available to repeat buyers. FHA and USDA are limited to primary residences, and USDA has location and income requirements.
No. USDA-eligible areas include many established suburban neighborhoods across South Carolina. Household income limits apply. It's worth checking the address before ruling it out.
Let's TalkFirst house or fifth, straightforward or already turned down, tell us the situation and we'll give you a straight read.
Loan programs, terms, eligibility, loan amounts, down-payment requirements, credit requirements, and closing timelines are subject to lender guidelines and may change. Not all borrowers or properties will qualify.
Lowcountry Home Loans | NMLS #1717832 | 802 Coleman Blvd, Suite 209, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 | 843.800.0178