Megan Estrada and her children enjoy a swing on the porch of their new home financed by a USDA Rural Development home loan guarantee.
2014 will soon be in our collective rear view mirrors, and USDA Rural Development has had an incredibly productive year. This week we are looking back on stories from the year that illustrate the impact our programs have on rural communities. Here’s a story out of our Kansas State Office from June.
Megan Estrada and her three children are excited to spend time on their new home’s porch – a home they just moved into this summer. Prior to purchasing their own home, Estrada and her children had spent the last nine years in an apartment in Dodge City, Kansas.
Estrada tried to buy a home four years ago, but with no solid credit history was unable to secure a loan through conventional home financing. For the next four years Estrada built up her credit, then in May of this year she heard that USDA would be offering home loans in Dodge City and called her banker to see how to apply.
With the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, Dodge City became eligible for USDA Housing Programs. The Farm Bill contained language that changed the definition of a rural area for USDA’s Housing Program; the new definition allowed areas with populations of up to 35,000 that are rural in character to be eligible for USDA Housing Programs – which made Dodge City eligible.
In June, Estrada was the first Dodge City resident to purchase a home by utilizing USDA’s Guaranteed Rural Housing Program. Landmark National Bank provided the loan on Estrada’s three-bedroom home, which is guaranteed by USDA Rural Development.
“I am prepared to accept the responsibility of homeownership, and am looking forward to it,” said Estrada. “The kids enjoy having a backyard to play in, and I like allowing them to play outside where I know they are safe.”
Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has helped more than 11,000 Kansas residents purchase a home.
As the new year begins, we in Rural Development look forward to a productive 2015 and the continued opportunity to promote, develop, and support the way of life in the rural communities that support agriculture across our nation.
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