The Playbook · 54-page PDF · Fillable worksheets included
The USDA Home Buyer Playbook
How to actually buy a home with USDA financing — without wasting weekends on homes that can't work.
Written and reviewed by Dylan Vigliotti, founder of USDA.properties. Program claims are checked against USDA Rural Development sources. Updated editions are emailed to purchasers when USDA maps, income limits, or material program rules change.
What's inside
Nine chapters, three fillable worksheets, one honest goal: get you from "USDA sounds interesting" to "keys in hand" while catching boundary-line, income-cap, and lender-selection problems earlier.
- What USDA financing actually is (Guaranteed vs Direct, the honest math)
- The location filter: how to read the eligibility layer, and why one side of a road qualifies
- The income filter: household vs qualifying income, and the trap that kills the most deals
- The property filter: what USDA won't finance and how appraisers actually score it
- The borrower filter: credit, DTI, employment, reserves — the numbers that matter
- Building your offer-ready package (finding a USDA-fluent lender + agent, the documents you need)
- Writing an offer that can work with USDA (contingencies, seller-paid costs, and lender review)
- From accepted offer to keys in hand (the Conditional Commitment step, timing, the 4 deal-killers)
- After you close (occupancy, refinancing, life changes)
See the actual guide
These are pages from the delivered PDF—not mockups. The guide combines plain-language explanations with decision tools buyers can use while searching and making an offer.
- Chapter 1
- How the guide distinguishes Guaranteed and Direct financing and identifies decision-relevant caveats.
- Location lesson
- The exact-address workflow and why a city, ZIP code, or marketing map is not enough.
- Worksheet
- A reusable decision record designed to carry unresolved questions into lender and agent conversations.
Use the free property-screen worksheet → Print it, save it as a PDF, or download the spreadsheet version. No email required.
Who this is for
Why trust this guide
This is written by the team behind USDA.properties — the independent tool that runs address-level checks against USDA Rural Development's public geospatial layer. Program claims are reviewed against the dated primary sources identified in the guide and our source methodology. We are not USDA-affiliated, not a lender, and take no referral fees for lender or agent recommendations.
The guide is educational and independent. It is designed to help buyers ask better questions; eligibility and loan approval are ultimately determined by USDA Rural Development and an approved lender.
Send me the first chapter (What USDA financing actually is) plus updates when the map changes for my county.
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Guarantee
If the Playbook doesn't save you at least one wasted weekend, request a full refund within 30 calendar days of purchase. Email [email protected] from the checkout address and include the purchase date or Stripe order reference if available. No explanation is required, and you may keep the PDF. Approved refunds return to the original payment method; the bank or card network controls posting time. Read the complete refund policy.
FAQ
What exactly is delivered?
One 54-page PDF with nine chapters and three fillable worksheets. The checkout receipt includes the download; material revisions are sent to the checkout email.
Can I see it before paying?
Yes. The free Chapter 1 preview shows the writing and source style, the page images below are taken from the delivered PDF, and the free property-screen worksheet can be printed or downloaded as a spreadsheet.
Will this tell me whether I am approved?
No. It helps you screen location, household income, property, and borrower-readiness questions. USDA Rural Development and an approved lender make final determinations.
Is this useful if I already have a lender?
Yes. Use the checklists and interview questions to organize the file, compare advice with primary sources, and identify property questions before an offer. It does not replace your lender's underwriting.
Is this an official USDA product?
No. USDA.properties is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by USDA.
Do you take affiliate fees from lenders or agents?
No. The guide teaches you how to evaluate USDA experience without selling a placement or referral.
What if my address is ineligible?
The location chapter explains how to verify the exact parcel and widen a search intelligently. The guide cannot make an ineligible address eligible.
How does the refund work?
Email [email protected] from the checkout address within 30 calendar days. No explanation is required; include the purchase date or Stripe order reference if available. Approved refunds return to the original payment method, and you may keep the PDF.