Snohomish County · $0-down corridor
USDA $0-Down Home Loans in Sultan, Washington
Sultan is where I have done the most work in this corridor, and it is the town I know best. Highway 2, the Skykomish river, a real grocery store and a high school — and a map that says eligible almost everywhere.
What's covered in this video
Verifying a Sultan listing for $0-down eligibility
- The USDA map is checked at the parcel, not the town — the pin location is what decides it.
- Sultan sits almost entirely inside the eligible area, which is why it produces the most workable $0-down listings in the corridor.
- Property sub-type is checked before anything else: a condominium needs project approval that a small self-managed association will not have.
Summarized by Brad Haines, mortgage loan originator, NMLS #154083, Cascade Premier Mortgage, LLC NMLS #46283 — Renton, Washington.
Why Sultan works for $0 down
Sultan is the corridor's most reliable $0-down town. Wide inventory in a payment band that clears the income limit comfortably, and enough of it that there is usually something worth looking at.
What to watch for here
Two things trip Sultan listings: condominium sub-type on properties marketed as townhomes, and lower levels advertised for rental income. Both are fixable to spot and neither is obvious from the listing photos.
Send me a Sultan address.
I'll tell you the same day whether it's inside the eligible map — free, no credit pull, no application. If it doesn't qualify, I'll tell you that too and we'll look at what does.
How the program works
$0 down with no military service required, an upfront guarantee fee of 1.00% financed into the loan, and an annual fee of 0.35% spread across your monthly payments. Primary residences only. There's no official minimum credit score, though 640 is the threshold for the smoothest underwriting path.
The full picture — income limits, costs, credit, and how USDA compares to FHA — is on the Washington USDA guide.
Common questions about buying in Sultan
Does Sultan qualify for a USDA $0-down loan?
Much of Sultan sits inside the USDA eligible map, but eligibility is set parcel by parcel — one side of a street can qualify while the other doesn't. Send me a specific address and I'll check it at no cost, with no application required.
What is the USDA income limit in Snohomish County?
The limit counts total household income, including adults who aren't on the loan, and varies by household size. USDA also allows deductions for dependents and childcare that bring some households under the line. I verify the current figure for your county and household size on every file rather than working from a published number.
Do I need to be a first-time buyer to buy in Sultan with no money down?
No. USDA has no first-time-buyer requirement. You generally can't keep another adequate home you'd live in, but a previous purchase doesn't rule you out.
Nearby in the corridor
Monroe · Gold Bar · all towns from Sedro-Woolley to Enumclaw
The conversation is always free.
No application required to start. Send me an address and I'll tell you the same day whether it's in an eligible area — and if it isn't, I'll tell you that too, and we'll look at what is.