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Home · Loan Programs
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Six routes into a home, what each one usually asks for, and who it tends to fit. Antonio is a real estate agent, not a lender. This is the map, and a licensed lender confirms which road is actually open to you.
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Seven questions, about two minutes, no email. It sorts these programs into what commonly fits, what is worth asking about, and what is not yet.
Zero down for those who qualify
VA loans allow zero down for eligible veterans, active-duty service members and qualifying surviving spouses. If you have this entitlement it is usually the strongest option on the table, and it changes the math on everything else here.
Beale Air Force Base is nearby, and VA loans come up often in this market. Antonio works with VA buyers regularly and knows what those appraisals look for.
Lower credit thresholds
FHA generally requires 3.5 percent down with a credit score of 580 or higher, or 10 percent down for scores between 500 and 579. It is often available at lower scores than conventional lending, which makes it the first program worth looking at when credit is the obstacle.
FHA also allows gift funds from family for the down payment, which a lot of first-time buyers here use.
Zero down in eligible areas
USDA rural loans allow zero down for qualifying buyers in eligible areas, and a good part of the Yuba-Sutter region is eligible. This surprises people who assume "rural" means remote. It does not.
Eligibility is set by address, so it has to be checked parcel by parcel. A house on one side of a line can qualify while the one opposite does not.
The standard route
Conventional loans often start near 3 to 5 percent down. They usually ask for a higher credit score than FHA, so they tend to suit buyers whose credit is already in good shape.
At 20 percent down or more you generally avoid private mortgage insurance, which is why that number gets talked about so much, not because 20 percent is required.
California assistance
Many programs define a first-time buyer as someone who has not owned a home in the last three years, so plenty of previous owners requalify without realising it.
California programs such as CalHFA MyHome and GSFA Platinum can help with the down payment or closing costs. Funds and rules change, so current availability has to be checked rather than assumed.
No Social Security number required
Some lenders offer home loans to buyers who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security number. Which lenders, which loan types and what they ask for varies, so this is a "go ask" rather than a "here's the program," the same way this page treats every other option.
Antonio works with lenders in the area who take ITIN applications and can point you toward one who fits your situation.
Different rules entirely
Raw land typically requires a land loan rather than a mortgage, which usually means a larger down payment and a shorter term. The analysis also shifts to wells, septic, zoning, easements, soil and access.
If the parcel already carries a habitable home, standard financing, including USDA rural programs, may apply instead.
The honest part
Next step
A free consultation is a conversation, not a commitment. Antonio will tell you the next honest step, including if the timing is not right yet.
Checked against these sources on . Rules, limits and funding change, so a lender confirms what applies to you.
