An independent guide to one important rule

Who we are

We're an independent publisher focused on one topic: the USDA rule that lets the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program finance homes with income-producing accessory dwelling units. When the rule was finalized in late October 2026, most of what people could find online was either a dense government document or a sales pitch. We built this guide to sit in between: a plain-English explanation that links every claim back to an official source.

The guide is written for homebuyers, homeowners, sellers, real estate agents and loan officers across the United States. It covers the rule itself, the ADU and living unit requirements, how to check eligibility with USDA's own tools, and a dated record of every step in the rulemaking.

What we are not

• We are not USDA or any part of the federal government, and we don't use government seals or logos.
• We are not a lender or mortgage broker. We don't make loans, take applications or quote rates.
• We don't give advice. Nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice. A USDA-approved lender and, where needed, an attorney or tax professional can look at your situation.

Editorial policy

Accuracy matters more than speed on a topic like this. These are the rules we write by:

1. Official sources first. Facts about the rule come from USDA, the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, or reporting that cites them directly. Every source is linked.
2. No invented numbers. We don't publish income limits, rates, fees or rental-income formulas unless USDA has published them. Where limits vary, we link to USDA's official tool.
3. Unknowns are labeled. When something hasn't been decided or published, such as how ADU rent counts toward qualifying, we say "not yet known" in plain words.
4. Every page is dated. Each page shows when it was last updated, and the updates page logs every material change with its date.
5. No paid placement in the guide. If we ever work with lenders or agents, that relationship will be disclosed and kept separate from the guide's content.

Corrections

If you see something that's wrong or out of date, tell us through the contact page. We check reported errors against the official source, correct the page, and note significant corrections on the updates page.

How the site is funded

Today the guide has no advertisers and no lending partners. We collect only a first name and email address from readers who ask to be notified when lenders start offering USDA ADU loans.

In the future, we may connect interested readers with licensed lenders or agents. We won't do that until a licensed lending partner and a compliance review are in place, and we'll update our privacy policy and this page before collecting any new information.

Official sources we rely on

• RHIhub: USDA final rule on accessory dwelling units (Oct 29, 2026)
• Federal Register: proposed rule, FR Doc. 2026-06173 (Mar 31, 2026)
• USDA Rural Development: Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program
• eCFR: 7 CFR Part 3555 (program regulations)
• NAR: comments supporting USDA's proposed ADU changes
• Federal Register public inspection copy of the proposed rule (2026-06173)
• USDA Rural Development: active Guaranteed Loan lender list
• USDA Rural Development: program handbooks, including HB-1-3555
• USDA property and income eligibility site (official)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Owning a Home