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If you thought USDA loans were just for rural farmers, you wouldn’t be the first person to make that mistake.

After all, the program is available through the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Rural Development (RD) office tasked with administering the program was originally called the Farmer’s Home Administration.

About half of people looking for a mortgage with Planet Home Lending aren’t aware of USDA loans, said Russell Hood, an originator for the Meriden, Connecticut-based company.

It’s worth spending some time to see if you’re eligible because you might be surprised by who qualifies, he said. If you are eligible, there can be a lot of advantages to USDA loans over other types of programs.