USDA LINC Training & Resource Library

LINC Training and Resources

• Contact Us

  When preparing file specific questions, be sure to include the following information in your email:

  • Identify the state the application is located; if applicable;
  • Provide applicant’s name and USDA borrower ID, if applicable;
  • GUS loan number, if applicable
  • Include contact information; and
  • Indicate if you would like a call back (otherwise you will receive an email reply)

  Send your questions to the appropriate production team. Each state is assigned a production team. The production team email addresses and the assigned states are listed below. 
  
  Download the Full GRH Contact Sheet

  Production Teams	States
  Production Team One SFHGLPONE@usda.gov	AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, IA, ID, KS, MT, NM, NV, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WP, WV, WY
  Production Team Two SFHGLPTWO@usda.gov	AR, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OK
  Production Team Three SFHGLPTHREE@usda.gov	CT, DE, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, RI, SC, VT, WV
  Production Team Four SFHGLPFOUR@usda.gov	FL, IN, OH, PA, PR, TN, VA, VI

• SFH Guaranteed Loan Basic Training and Resources

  New:

  • COVID-19 FAQs
  • Single Close Job Aid
  • HB 10 Revision Aid
  • HB 11 Revision Aid

  Training

  Hot Tips for Successful Loan Submissions (Webcast) 11 minutes

  • Hot Tips for Successful Loan Submissions: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Become an Approved Lender (Webcast) 13 minutes

  • Become an Approved Lender: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Program Overview Training (Webcast) 16 minutes

  • Program Overview: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Applicant Eligibility (Webcast) 13 minutes 

  • Applicant Eligibility: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Property Eligibility (Webcast) 9 minutes

  • Property Eligibility: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Annual Income (Webcast) 12 minutes

  • Annual Income: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Assets (Webcast) 14 minutes

  • Assets: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Adjusted Annual Income (Webcast) 12 minutes

  • Adjusted Annual Income: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Repayment Income (Webcast) 13 minutes 

  • Repayment Income: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Loan Terms (Webcast) 8 minutes

  • Loan Terms: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Upfront Guarantee Fee and Annual Fee (Webcast) 18 minutes

  • Upfront Guarantee Fee and Annual Fee: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Loan Purposes and Restrictions (Webcast) 11 minutes

  • Loan Purposes and Restrictions: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Refinance (Webcast) 9 minutes

  • Refinance: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  • Refinance: Section 502 Direct & Guaranteed Loan Refinance Comparison & Complete Application (PDF)

  Credit Analysis (Webcast) 24 minutes 

  • Credit Analysis: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Ratio Analysis (Webcast) 12 minutes

  • Ratio Analysis: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Appraisals (Webcast) 13 minutes

  • Appraisals: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Existing Dwelling Requirements and Escrow Repair Accounts (Webcast) 16 minutes

  • Existing Dwellings and Escrow Repairs: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  New Construction (Webcast) 10 minutes

  • New Construction: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Combination Construction to Permanent Loans "Single Close" (Webcast) 12 minutes

  • Single Close: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Rehabilitation and Repair Loans (Webcast) 15 minutes

  • Rehabilitation and Repair: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Special Properties: Condominiums and PUD's (Webcast) 7 minutes

  • Special Properties: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Manufactured Homes (Webcast) 10 minutes

  • Manufactured Homes: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Site Requirements (Webcast) 13 minutes

  • Site Requirements: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Ownership Requirements (Webcast) 9 minutes

  • Ownership Requirements: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Environmental Requirements and Flood Insurance (Webcast) 6 minutes

  • Environmental and Flood Insurance: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Submit a Complete Loan Application (Webcast) 21 minutes

  • Submit a Complete Loan Application: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Conditional Commitment (Webcast) 16 minutes

  • Conditional Commitment: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Loan Note Guarantee and Indemnification (Webcast) 20 minutes

  • Loan Note Guarantee and Indemnification: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Mediation and Appeals (Webcast) 13 minutes

  • Mediation and Appeals: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Documentation and Resources

  1. 3555 Handbook (PDF)
  2. 7 CFR 3555 (PDF)
  3. Form RD 3555-16: Agreement for Participation (PDF)
  4. HB-1-3555 Chapter 16 Revision Overview PDF
• Loan Origination

  Documentation & Resources

  1. Guaranteed Annual Fee Calculation Methodology (PDF)
  2. Guarantee Fee & Annual Fee Calculator(EXCEL)
  3. Sample Worksheet for Calculating Maximum Loan (PDF)
• Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS)

  Training

  1. Become an Approved GUS Lender (Webcast) 12 minutes

     • Become an Approved GUS Lender: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  2. GUS Overview (Webcast) 14 minutes
     • GUS Overview: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  3. Begin a Loan Application (Webcast) 11 minutes
     • Begin a Loan Application: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  4. Eligibility Application Page (Webcast) 11 minutes
     • Eligibility: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  5. Loan Terms Application Page (Webcast) 10 minutes
     • Loan Terms: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  6. Borrower Application Page (Webcast) 5 minutes
     • Borrower: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  7. Employment Application Page (Webcast) 4 minutes
     • Employment: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  8. Income and Expenses Application Page (Webcast) 7 minutes
     • Income and Expenses: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  9. Assets and Liabilities Application Page (Webcast) 13 minutes
     • Assets and Liabilities: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  10. REO Property Information Application Page (Webcast) 17 minutes
      • REO Property: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  11. Transaction Details Application Page (Webcast) 12 minutes
      • Transaction Details: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  12. Additional Data Application Page (Webcast) 19 minutes
      • Additional Data: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  13. Credit/Underwriting Application Page (Webcast) 11 minutes
      • Credit/Underwriting: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  14. Underwriting Findings Report (Webcast) 10 minutes
      • Underwriting Findings Report: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  15. Request Forms Application Page (Webcast) 5 minutes
      • Request Forms: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  16. Final Underwriting Submission (Webcast) 8 minutes
      • Final Underwriting Submission: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  17. Upload and Display Documents (Webcast) 7 minutes
      • Upload/Display Documents: Slide with notes (Training Handout)
  18. Withdraw Application (Webcast) 2 minutes
      • Withdraw Application: Slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Documentation & Resources

  1. GUS User Guide (PDF)
  2. Streamlined Issuance of the Conditional Commitment: Technical Bulletin(PDF)
  3. Gaining Access To GUS Fillable Forms (PDF)
  4. Gaining Access To GUS Guide (PDF)
  5. Adding a Lender Agent Role (PDF)
  6. Pop-Up Information (PDF)
  7. Printing Forms in GUS (PDF)

   

• New URLA Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS)

  Information coming soon...

• NEW URLA Guaranteed Underwriting System – Lender Test Environment (GUS LTE)

  We are excited to share that the USDA Section 502 Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) is building a new Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS) to support:

  • the new Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA);
  • the Uniform Loan Application Dataset (ULAD); and
  • to modernize GUS.

  New GUS is scheduled to Go-Live March 1, 2021.

  To support our valued lending partners, we encourage you to participate in our Open Readiness Testing Period.  Testing will run from November 9, 2020 into February 2021.

  Testing participation will allow approved lenders to:

  • access the new GUS Lender Test Environment (GUS LTE)
  • test your loan originations system new URLA FNMA DU 3.4 v 1.8.1 export file using new GUS LTE import functionality
  • compare new GUS to your current GUS experience though hands on loan creation from initiate to final submission.

  Get started now! Complete, execute, and return the required GUS LTE Addendum to the GUS User Agreement (see below for link to the Addendum). 

  Once your executed addendum is received by USDA’s GUS Systems Integration team, we will

  • review and provide confirmation you have been approved to begin testing, and
  • set up your approved LTE SA (lender test environment security administrator) with the privileges to provide your testers access to GUS LTE, manage their GUS LTE roles, and start testing. 

  Please review the below documents designed to answer most of your questions and outline content required to get started. If you need additional assistance please email SFHGSystemIntegration@usda.gov.

  URLA GUS Open Lender Testing Overview

  1. URLA USDA Implementation Timeline  (PDF)

  2. URLA Open Lender Testing & Support Overview (PDF)

  3. USDA URLA Testing Readiness Checklist (PDF)

  4. USDA URLA FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

  Gaining Access to USDA GUS Lender Test Environment (GUS LTE)

  1. USDA GUS LTE Addendum to the GUS User Agreement (REQUIRED) (PDF)
  2. Creating USDA TEST eAuthentication Accounts (REQUIRED) (PDF)**
     **Note: production accounts cannot be used in the test environment.
       Each tester and SA must create a registered TEST eAuthentication account.
  3. LTE SA Quick Reference Guide to Setting Up & Managing Test Accounts (REQUIRED) (PDF)
  4. TEST eAuthentication Account - User ID and Password Recovery (PDF) 

  USDA GUS LTE Testing Tools

  1. GUS LTE Quick Reference Guide (PDF)
  2. USDA Recommended Test Cases (PDF)
     • Lenders (PDF)
     • Vendors (PDF)
  3.  Supplying Your Testing Feedback to USDA (PDF)
  4. Importing Your Lender OS File into GUS LTE - Business Rule and Validation Error Handling (Excel) 

   

• Lender Loan Closing/Administration

  Documentation & Resources

  1. Lender Loan Closing (LLC) Agreement Fillable (PDF)
  2. Lender Loan Closing (LLC) Administrative Guide (PDF)
  3. Quick Steps to Access Lender Loan Closing (LLC) (PDF)
  4. Lender Loan Closing (LLC) User Guide (PDF)
  5. Quick Steps to Complete a Lender Loan Closing (LLC) (PDF)
• Guaranteed Annual Fee Billing and Payment

  Documentation & Resources

  1. Guaranteed Annual Fee Calculation Methodology (PDF)
  2. Guarantee Fee & Annual Fee Calculator(EXCEL)
  3. Guaranteed Annual Fee Lender User Agreement (PDF)
  4. Guaranteed Annual Fee Service Bureau User Agreement (PDF)
  5. Guaranteed Annual Fee Implementation Guide (PDF)
  6. Guaranteed Annual Fee Getting Started User Guide (PDF)
  7. Guaranteed Annual Fee User Guide (PDF)
• Electronic Status Reporting (ESR)

  Training

  Introduction to Electronic Status Reporting (ESR) (Webcast)  10 Minutes

  • Introduction to ESR slide with notes (Training Handout)

  ESR Web Reporting (Webcast)  11 Minutes

  • ESR Web Reporting slide with notes (Training Handout)

  ESR Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Reporting (Webcast)  11 Minutes

  • ESR EDI Reporting slide with notes (Training Handout) 

  ESR Rejection and Correction Reporting (Webcast) 12 Minutes

  • ESR Rejections and Corrections slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Documentation & Resources

  1. ESR User Guide (PDF) - revised June, 2018
  2. ESR Implementation Guide for the July 1, 2018 Effective Date (PDF) - revised April, 2018
  3. ESR Implementation Guide Release Notes for the July 1, 2018 Effective Date (PDF) - revised May, 2018
  4. Trading Partner Agreement
• Loss Claim Administration and Servicing

  New:

  CARES Act: Important Servicing Notice for Current USDA Guaranteed Loan Holders

  CARES Act: Important Notice for Lenders Servicing USDA Guaranteed Loans

  Documentation & Resources

  1. Guaranteed Servicing Contact Information (PDF)
  2. Trading Partner Agreement - Addendum E (PDF)
  3. Quick Reference Upload Loss Claim Documents (PDF)
  4. Loss Claim Administration User Guide (PDF)
• Loss Mitigation

  Loss Mitigation

  Training

  Avoid Foreclosure (Webcast) 19 minutes

  • Avoid Foreclosure: slide with notes (Training Handout)

  Documentation & Resources

  1. Loss Mitigation Servicer User Guide (PDF)
  2. RD Special Loan Servicing Final Rule (PDF)
  3. RD Special Loan Servicing Job Aid (PDF)
  4. Quick Reference Upload Loss Mitigation Documents(PDF)
  5. Loss Mitigation User Agreement(PDF)
• Property Disposition

  Documentation & Resources

  1.  Property Disposition and Document Upload Servicer User Guide (PDF)
• Security

  Lender Security Administrator

  1. Additional Lender Security Administrator - Fillable (PDF)