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New HomeownerInformation GuideTogether, America Prospers1

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Table of ContentsIntroduction . 4Role of the Servicing and Asset Management Office (Servicing Office) . 5Contact Information . 5Interactive Voice Response . 6Payment Options . 6Payments and Fees . 7Special Servicing Options . 9Maintaining Escrow for Taxes and Insurance . 10Payment Assistance . 11Service Members Civil Relief Act of 2003 (SCRA) . 12Refinancing with Private Credit . 13Final Loan Payment . 13Where Do I Submit My Final Payoff?. 14Other Information . 143

IntroductionYour USDA Rural Housing Service home loan originated — and was closed — in one of our locally-basedRural Development (RD) field offices. Your loan is now serviced at the Servicing and Asset Management Office(Servicing Office) headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The Servicing Office’s mission is to provide you withaccurate, friendly customer service to assist you in becoming a successful homeowner.4

Role of the Servicing andAsset Management Office(Servicing Office)Contact InformationThe Servicing Office offers a variety of servicesdesigned to help Rural Housing Service customerssucceed as homeowners. Here are some of the morecommon ways in which we can assist you:Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.Central Standard Time (CST)Phone: (English and Spanish) 800-414-1226Customer Service Representativesavailable:Payment Counselors available: Processing payments: The Servicing Officeensures you understand how much - andwhen - to pay each month. Billing statementsgenerally are mailed 15 days prior to eachpayment due date. Your billing statement alsoincludes such information as your accountnumber, the principal balance remaining onyour loan, your next payment due date, and abreakdown of your payment amount. Managing escrow, taxes, and insurance: AllUSDA-financed homeowners are required topay real estate taxes and maintain acceptablehazard - and in some instances - floodinsurance. The Servicing Office manages theserequirements via escrow accounts, payingtaxes and insurance bills on the customer’sbehalf. See page 10 for details. Assessing eligibility for payment subsidy:If you receive payment assistance orinterest credit subsidies, your income mustbe periodically reviewed to ensure you arereceiving the correct subsidy amount. Keepin mind that customers who do not currentlyreceive payment subsidy may request thisassistance if their financial situation changes. Final Payment: The Servicing Office willexplain how final loan payoff amounts arecalculated, and what documentation is neededto determine the final payoff on your account.Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. CSTFriday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. CSTPhone (English and Spanish): 800-793-8861Help for customers with hearing loss:Monday - Friday 24 hoursTDD-CST800-438-1832TTY-RELAY 800-735-2466Payment mailing address:USDA - RDP. O. Box 790170St. Louis, MO 63179-0170NOTE: Always write your account number on yourcheck. Please do not send cash, coins, or stamps.Addresses for written inquiriesWritten notices or requests for information mustinclude the name of the borrower, account number, adescription of the error believed to have occurred, orof the information requested.General loan servicing inquiries:USDA, RD, SERVICING OFFICEP. O. Box 66889St. Louis, MO 63166Fax: 314-457-44315

Payment OptionsTo submit written notice of a possible loanservicing error, or for general information:USDA, RD, SERVICING OFFICEP.O. Box 66755St. Louis, MO 63166Web access:You can access your mortgage loan online athttp://rdhomeloans.usda.gov. Once you reach thewebpage, click “Login” to register.For regular and overnight mail payoff fundsremittance, see page 14.eAuthentication ID:An eAuthentication ID (eAuth ID) is required to accessyour loan information. You may obtain an eAuth ID byfollowing these steps:Interactive VoiceResponse1. Go to on2. Follow the prompts under “AccountRegistration.”3. Activate your account via email instructions.Interactive Voice Response allows youto access your account information andmake payments 24/7 without havingto speak directly to a customer servicerepresentative. The system offers aselection of self-serve options fromwhich to choose.The first time you access your account, you will berequired to enter your mortgage account number andthe last four digits of your social security number.Once your access is authenticated, you will no longerbe asked for account and social security numbers.To ensure account security, you’ll berequired to enter your USDA mortgageloan number and the last four digits ofyour social security number.Preauthorized debit (PAD):A preauthorized debit (PAD) is a free service thatallows your payment to be automatically withdrawnfrom your checking or savings account on the same dayeach month. See page 8 for additional information.To access your account, call 800-4141226 and follow the prompts.6

Customer Initiated Payment (CIP): City: St. Louis State: MO Your USDA account numberCustomer Initiated Payment (CIP) is a free servicethat allows homeowners to use a telephone to makepayments from their checking or savings accounts.Payments and FeesCall 800-414-1226 and press Option 1 at the mainmenu, or hold for a representative to assist you.What does my payment include?NOTE: The CIP service cannot accept debitcard payments.Your scheduled payment consists of principaland interest. Once the required escrow accountis established, payment also will include amountsfor taxes and hazard insurance. This is oftenreferred to as “PITI” - Principal, Interest, Taxes,and Insurance.The following is information is required to make a CIP:1. A valid bank account number from which thefunds will be withdrawn2. The nine-digit bank routing number found onthe bottom left-hand corner of your check.(For savings account debits, please contactyour bank to obtain a valid routing number.)NOTE: Payments are not credited to your accountuntil the total scheduled payment is received.When is my payment due?NOTE: Customers who prefer monthly automaticwithdrawals should visit the Servicing OfficeMortgage Account Information (MAI) page or applyfor a PAD as detailed on page 8.Payment is due each month on the anniversary datedetermined by your original loan closing, unless yourclosing occurred on the 29th, 30th, or 31st days ofthe month. If your loan closed after the 28th of themonth, you must choose a payment date betweenthe 1st and 15th day of the following month 30 daysafter closing. Your billing date will always show yourpayment due date.Western Union Quick Collect:To make payments via Western Union Quick Collect,you will need the following information: Account NumberCompany Name: USDA/RHSCode City: USDARURALState: MOExample 1: If your loan closed on July 15, 2020, yourmonthly payment is due on the 15th of each month.Example 2: If your loan closed on July 30, 2020, yourmonthly payment is due on the 28th of each month.NOTE: Western Union charges a fee for this service.To locate a Western Union service center, call800-325-6000. If you experience problems with yourmoney transfer, call the Western Union Quick CollectCustomer Service Department at 800-238-5772.When do I get my billing statement?Billing statements are generally sent at least 15 daysbefore each payment is due. When mailing yourpayment, always include your account number(s)on your check or money order. If you have morethan one account, you will receive only one billingstatement including the total amount due for all loans.To ensure prompt processing, be sure to include thebilling statement along with your payment.MoneyGramCall 800-926-9400 to find a MoneyGram locationnear you. Note: Monet Gram charges a fee for thisservice. You will need the following information tomake a MoneyGram Express payment: Receive Code: 2265 Company Name: USDA/RHS7

What if I don’t receive a billing statement?What happens if I only send a partialmonthly payment?Call SAMO at 800-414-1226. We will ensure youraccount is properly noted and advise how you canmake your payment.If less than a full scheduled payment is received,the partial payment will appear on your accountstatement. However, the funds cannot be postedto your account until the total amount of yourpayment has been received.NOTE: You can use any of the other methods ofpayments described on page 6. To mail payments,see page 5-6 of this booklet.Example: A full payment amount is 300,but a partial payment of 250 is made. Untilthe remaining 50 is paid to equal the fullpayment amount, the 250 will be held in“unapplied” status and the payment will beconsidered late until the total amount due 300 - is received.Can I receive billing statements in Braille?Yes. Please contact a customer service representativeat 800-414-1226 to initiate this service.Can I make my payment with cash?No. Acceptable forms of payment includepreauthorized debit (PAD), checks, money orders,bank drafts or electronic funds such as CustomerInitiated Payments (CIP) / check by phone as detailedon pages 6-7, Western Union, or MoneyGram.If the full amount due is not received by thedue date, you may be contacted by a ServicingOffice counselor regarding remittance. Further, ifpayment in full is not received within 15 days ofthe due date, a late fee may be charged.What is a preauthorized debit (PAD)?Under a preauthorized debit payment (PAD), themonthly amount due is automatically withdrawn fromyour checking or savings account on the same dateeach month. You will receive confirmation that yourpayment was withdrawn from your bank account. Theconfirmation of payment looks like a billing statement.However, because your account is on PAD, thestatement is for informational purposes only.Can I round off my payment?Yes. If you want to round off your payments, youmust round up to the nearest whole dollar. Ifyou round your payment down, the payment willbe less than the full scheduled payment, andwill not post to your account. This could result inyour payment being considered past due.Example: If rounding, 431.03 should berounded up to 432.00. The additional .97cents will be applied to principal as long aspayments on the account are up-to-date.A preauthorized debit is the most reliable andconvenient method of making your mortgagepayment. Since payments are automaticallywithdrawn from your checking or savings account,payments are always made on time. PAD also saveson postage or third-party usage fees.If an amount over my regular paymentis applied to principal, how can I pay mymonthly payment ahead of schedule?How do I establish a PAD account?To establish a PAD account, contact a customerservice representative at 800-414-1226.If you wish to pay in advance on a scheduledinstallment payment, the extra amount mustbe for the exact amount of the next scheduledpayment. The Servicing Office must be informedthat this payment amount is intended to pay yourloan ahead of schedule, and not to reduce theprincipal. Call 800-414-1226 to discuss.What happens if I pay more than theamount due?When more than a full scheduled payment isreceived, any remaining funds in excess of yourpayment typically are applied to the principal balanceof your loan.When is an account considered past due?An account is past due if the full scheduledpayment amount is not received by the due date.8