Section 184 Loans 2024: Supporting Native American Homeownership

The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program is a powerful tool to make homeownership easier for Native Americans.

Because of this program, members of federally-recognized Tribes can purchase a home with very little down payment and no credit score minimum.

But perhaps even more important is the loan’s ability to lend on Tribal trust land, which is not possible with most loan programs.

Here’s your guide to learn more about these fantastic loans.

Connect with a lender to see if you’re eligible for Section 184.

Table of contents

• Section 184 loan calculator
• Flowchart: How Section 184 works
• Who is eligible for Section 184?
• Types of homes and loan purposes
• Credit score
• Down payment
• Income and employment
• Loan limits and eligible areas
• Loans on trust lands
• Section 184 vs FHA
• Construction and rehab loans
• Section 184 lender list
• Section 184 approved Tribes list

Section 184 Loan Calculator

This Section 184 Loan Calculator will estimate your costs for this loan.

For informational purposes only. Not a quote or commitment to lend. Speak with a Section 184 lender for a written quote.

Find a Section 184 lender.

Flowchart: Section 184 Loan Process

[↓Click the chart to download a high resolution PDF↓]

Who is eligible for Section 184?

This special loan program is not available to just anyone. Because Native Americans have been traditionally underserved when it comes to housing, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ensures that only registered Tribal members are eligible.

Here are basic Section 184 Loan eligibility requirements. You must be:

• An enrolled member of a federally-recognized Indian Tribe that has been approved for Section 184 loans, or;
• A member of an Alaska Native village
• A Tribally-designated housing entity
• An Indian Housing Authority

In addition, you must:

• Be financing a primary residence (no second homes or rental properties)
• Have adequate income and employment
• Show creditworthiness; no minimum credit score is required, but collections, judgments, and other derogatory credit may not be acceptable
• Be a first-time or repeat buyer or refinancing homeowner
• Have adequate funds or assistance to make a down payment of 2.25% for a loan over $50,000 and 1.25% down on a loan under $50,000

This is just a brief overview, so here’s a deeper look at each requirement.

Request a call from a Section 184 lender.

Tribal membership is required

The most important requirement is that you are a member of a federally-registered Tribe. 

Lenders will require proof of membership. You’ll need a clear copy of your enrollment identification card. CDIB cards may be accepted in some cases, if it includes an enrollment number. Blood quantum letters are not accepted.

Only one applicant on the loan needs to be a member.

A lender can’t help you enroll; you must go to your Tribe directly to learn about their requirements for membership. If you are not an official member yet, it’s a good idea to approach your Tribe right away to start the process.

Keep in mind, though, that the Tribe must be approved with HUD to participate in the program. See the bottom of this page for a list of approved Tribes.

What if my Tribe is not approved for Section 184 loans?

Your Tribe can apply for Section 184 approval with HUD. The Tribe must:

• Create a foreclosure and eviction process
• Create a system to enforce these processes
• Permit HUD and private lenders to access Tribal lands
• Certify that lack of enforcement of processes will result in HUD revoking Section 184 approval for the Tribe
• And complete other requirements

For a complete overview of how a Tribe can participate, see HUD’s website.

Types of homes and loan purposes

The Section 184 loan is one of the most flexible lending types available today. It allows you to complete just about any kind of financing for your primary residence.

Types of homes

• Single-family residence (1-unit standard homes)
• Duplex, Triplex, or Four-plex
• Manufactured homes on a permanent foundation

How you can use the loan

• Finance a home on or off the reservation
• Buy a newly constructed home
• Buy an existing home from someone else
• Purchase land and place a manufactured home on it with one loan
• Purchase land and build a home with the same loan
• Renovate your current home
• Refinance or get cash out of your current home

Start your Section 184 mortgage by speaking with a lender.

Credit score requirements

One of the biggest benefits of Section 184 is that it has no minimum credit score. So a lender likely won’t deny your application based on score alone.

That being said, you must prove creditworthiness. The lender needs to make a case that you will faithfully make your payments. That’s simply because all mortgages allow the lender to foreclose if payments aren’t made. It’s the last resort for lenders and they don’t want to do it. And it’s bad for the homeowner, too. However, it’s just the reality of owning a home and getting a mortgage.

So, low scores that were the result of a one-time event like a job loss or medical issue may be approved. But credit profiles that show ongoing late payments and disregard for debt obligations will likely be denied. Other things a lender doesn’t want to see are:

• Open collection accounts
• Tax liens
• Judgments
• Payments made more than 30 days late
• Default on a federal debt (can’t be approved – no exceptions)

Alternative credit is okay if you don’t have enough credit history to generate a traditional score or report. The lender may be able to use items like rent history, utility payments, car insurance, and other recurring bills to prove creditworthiness.

Even if you think you don’t have adequate credit to qualify, you should apply with a lender anyway. Many lenders can offer helpful plans to restore your credit and get you on the path to homeownership.

Down payment requirements

The down payment for a Section 184 loan is very affordable.

• 2.25% on loans over $50k, 
• 1.25% on loans under $50k

Compare Section 184 with FHA, which requires 3.5% down payment. 

Keep in mind that you’ll also be responsible for Section 184 Loan closing costs, which are typically around 2-5% of the loan amount. Closing costs cover things like the lender’s fees, appraisal, escrow, flood zone search, credit report, and more.

The good news is, though, that you can cover the entire down payment and closing costs from a variety of sources.

• Personal savings
• A gift from family
• Tribal assistance
• Non-tribal down payment assistance program
• Other eligible sources

A user of the popular site Reddit, in a Section 184 loan reviews forum, stated that their Tribe helped them with the down payment if they purchased on reservation land.

The seller, lender, or real estate agent can’t pay your down payment, but they can help pay for closing costs.

With some searching and a little creativity, you could buy a home with little or no money out of your own pocket.

Get a lender quote for your down payment and closing cost total.

Income and employment 

You’ll need steady employment history to qualify for any mortgage, including Section 184. That means you’ve been employed in the same line of work for the previous two years. 

It’s okay if you’ve changed jobs for a better position or higher pay. But changing jobs for no apparent benefit could indicate you have a hard time holding a job.

If you’re self-employed, you’ll need two years of filed tax returns showing your income.

Debt-to-income ratio

The lender will look at how your income compares with total monthly debt payments.

This means adding up your future mortgage payment, property taxes (if any), and homeowner’s insurance. Then they will add other debt obligations like monthly payments for credit cards, auto loans, and any other debt. Utilities and other non-debt payments are not included.

The lender will verify that all payments are no more than 41% of your pre-tax income. This is called your debt-to-income or DTI ratio. You can have a maximum 43% DTI with two compensating factors such as no increase in your housing payment, good credit, additional income not used to qualify, a large down payment, or savings after closing.

Example DTI

The less you pay for other debts like auto loans, the more house you’ll be able to qualify for while staying under the 41% or 43% maximum DTI. 

Mortgage insurance (MI)

Section 184 loans require upfront mortgage insurance (MI). Monthly mortgage insurance was removed on July 1, 2023.

• Upfront: 1.0% of the loan amount (can be rolled into the loan)
• Monthly: 0% (removed July 1, 2023)

Example upfront mortgage insurance amounts

Section 184 loan limits

How much home can you buy with a Section 184? This loan comes with limits, but they are not very restrictive.

Most areas offer a loan limit of $498,257 for a 1-unit home in 2024.

But this amount increases in many high-cost areas of the country, all the way up to $1,149,825.

Limits also increase for 2-, 3-, and 4-unit homes. In fact, you can get a loan of over $2.2 million on a 4-unit home in some areas of California.

Here are standard limits for standard areas and the highest-cost areas. Most areas will use the base limits, and others will be between the base and high-cost limits. A few areas will be at the max high-cost limit. Check your county’s local loan limits here.

Mortgage rates

Section 184 loan rates are comparable to FHA, VA, and USDA rates. Rates change daily with the broader mortgage market. Plus, personal factors like credit score can affect your rate.

Contact an approved Section 184 lender to get a personalized rate quote.

Eligible Areas for Section 184

Eligible Tribe members may purchase a regular home outside of reservation lands, even if it is not in the same state as the Tribe. But, the home still has to be in an approved state or county.

While the Section 184 loan is widely available, it’s not available everywhere.

States where every county is approved

States with partial approval

Ineligible States

What if the home is on trust lands (leased land)?

Are you buying a house on or off of a reservation? It makes a big difference in the process. If you plan to buy outside of Tribal trust land, you can skip this section.

With Section 184 loans, you have the option to buy off-reservation. But many would like to buy on-reservation, meaning it would be leased land.

Before you get a loan on-reservation, you need a lease from the Tribe for that parcel. 

Additionally, the Tribe needs HUD approval to use the loan on their lands. A list of approved Tribes can be found here.

Assuming it has this approval, the Tribe assigns a lease to you so that you can get the loan. 

Each Tribe has its own process to issue leases. It’s important to talk to your Tribe about their requirements. Until the lease is in your hand, the lender can’t move forward with the loan process. So it’s a good idea to begin the process right away.

Start your Section 184 loan with a reputable lender.

How do mortgages on trust land work?

As mentioned, lending on Tribal land has historically been difficult for lenders.

Section 184 loans provided a way for private lenders to lend on trust land. Without the program, lenders wouldn’t lend on the reservation because they could not foreclose on the property if they had to. But because HUD will pay back the lender 100% of the loan amount in the case of default, lenders are now willing to make loans on Tribal land.

If the land is held in a trust for a Tribe, it can’t be included in the mortgage. Instead, the lease itself is what is mortgaged. 

The buyer creates a leasehold estate with the help of BIA and HUD. Then, the lender can open a mortgage securing the leasehold. The lease must last the length of the mortgage plus an additional 10 years. The lease can be foreclosed on and resold in the case of loan default, though the land itself stays in the Tribal trust.

Land in an individual trust (rather than a trust held by the Tribe) does not need the extra step of setting up a leasehold. Yet, it still must receive approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In the case of an unpaid loan, the lender must offer to transfer the loan back to the Tribe or Tribe member. If that’s not possible and the home is foreclosed on, the lender must sell the lease or land, plus the home, back to a member of the Tribe, the Tribe itself, or the Indian Housing Authority. 

In this way, the Tribe is protected against losing land to someone outside the Tribe.

There are two ways Tribal land can be held:

Allotment: The Tribe doesn’t own the land and the owner has control over the property, subject to BIA approval.

Assignment: The Tribe has control over the land. The Tribe can assign a lease to an individual member. If the lease is at least 10 years longer than the mortgage, the member can get a Section 184 Loan for the property. 

How to apply with BIA for a mortgage on leased land

The BIA requires you to get approval for a mortgage on trust land, whether you own it or someone else does.

Leasehold mortgage approval

To get approval to buy land owned by the Tribe or another Indian Landowner, submit the following items by mail.

1. BIA lease number or copy of approved lease
2. Deed of trust (produced by the lender)
3. Mortgage note (produced by the lender)
4. Landowner consent to lease. The lease must last at least 10 years longer than the mortgage term (for instance, a 40-year lease for a 30-year mortgage. Most leases are 50 years.)
5. Survey map and legal description and/or lot number

See full requirements at BIA.gov.

Trust land mortgage approval

You’ll also need BIA approval to get a mortgage on Tribal land owned by you. Send by mail:

1. Commitment letter detailing loan terms
2. Loan purpose (new purchase, construction, refinance)
3. Form 1003 loan application (the lender can print a copy after applying)
4. Legal description or survey
5. BIA disclosure statement explaining the process if the trust or land will be transferred if foreclosed
6. Deed of trust (produced by the lender)
7. Mortgage note (produced by the lender)
8. Proof of employment

Other items may be required as applicable

1. If a refinance, proof the previous mortgage has been paid off and closed
2. Authorization to share information with the BIA
3. Proof of right-of-way to cross non-owned land for parcels with no direct access from a public street or driveway
4. Statement that you are not delinquent on a federal debt
5. Certified Title Status Report (TSR)

See mailing address and more details at BIA.gov.

This sounds like a complex list of items, and it is. However, your lender will assist (or completely take care of) gathering the necessary information and getting BIA approval for you. The above is just so you know what to expect your lender to ask for.

What is a Title Status Report (TSR)?

The lender will require a Title Status Report, or TSR, for parcels within trust land. This report shows ownership history. It is created by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The TSR shows that the seller has the right to sell the home or land to you. If you’re refinancing, it shows that you have the right to get a new loan on the home.

A TSR may take some time for the BIA to put together, from a few weeks to a few months. Prepare by starting your application earlier than you think you need to.

You can request a TSR at your local BIA office. A list of regional offices can be found here. From the Regional Office page, you can find and select your local office.

Section 184 vs FHA

What are advantages of the Section 184 Loan vs FHA? For some, FHA may be the better choice. A checkmark means it may be the better program for each feature.

If you’re just getting a regular loan outside the reservation, and you qualify, FHA could be faster and easier. But, if you need any of the special features offered by Section 184, that’s your better option.

Section 184 construction or rehab

You can use a Section 184 loan to construct or rehabilitate a home on your land or leased land. Check with your lender to make sure they offer the construction option.

This loan lets you:

• Build a new home
• Buy and place a manufactured home on land
• Buy and rehab a home with one loan
• Rehab or make improvements to your current home
• Add accessibility features to your home

Building a home with this loan could be a good option. It allows you to buy the land and pay for construction costs with a single loan. You can build a home that perfectly suits your needs instead of finding an existing home. You must be ready to build when you buy the land.

You can also use a single loan to buy and fix up a property. There are often great values when shopping for fixer-uppers. With this loan, you can finance repair costs. The loan is based on the future estimated value after repairs are complete.

No matter which type of construction loan you choose, you’ll have to find an experienced and reputable builder. Ask your lender for referrals. Also, ask the builder for references from past customers. You want a builder that will complete the project on time and on budget, since delays will end up costing you more and add to your loan amount. 

Request a call to check your Section 184 eligibility.

Optional homeownership counseling 

While homeownership counseling is not required for the program, lenders strongly advise it. 

These resources can help you plan for life as a homeowner. They prepare you to budget, save for unexpected expenses, and more.

Check for HUD-approved housing counseling agencies here. 

Section 184 FAQs

Contact a Section 184 lender to get started.

Resources

Section 184 Lender List

There are around 140 Section 184 Loan lenders nationwide that offer Section 184 loans.

This means you shouldn’t have any problem finding a lender and shopping around for the best rate and terms.

Each lender must be approved by HUD to offer these loans. And, they must complete at least one Section 184 loan every six months to keep their approval. 

Below is a list of approved Section 184 lenders as of January 2023. Be sure to check for more recent lists on HUD’s website. 

Section 184 approved Tribes list

This is a list of Tribes that are approved for Section 184 loans. This list is as of 12/19/22, the most recent list available from HUD. Be sure to check on HUD’s website directly for the most current list. 

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town
Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians aka Barona Band of Mission Indians
Bay Mills Indian Community
Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California
Big Lagoon Rancheria
Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California
Bishop Paiute Tribe
Blackfeet Tribe
Blue Lake Rancheria
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Burns Paiute Tribe
Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
Cahuilla Band of Indians
Catawba Indian Nation aka Catawba Tribe of South Carolina
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
Cherokee Nation
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Chickasaw Nation
Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation
Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Cocopah Tribe of Arizona
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Coharie Tribe
Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians of California
Colorado River Indian Tribes
Comanche Nation
Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis
Confederated Tribes of the Colville
Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Coquille Indian Tribe
Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
Crow Tribe of Montana
Delaware Nation
Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation
Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa aka Fond du Lac Band of Minnesota Chippewa
Forest County Potawatomi Community
Fort Belknap Indian Commuity aka Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of Fort Belknap
Fort McDowell Yavapai Tribe
Fort Mojave Indian Tribe of Arizona, California and Nevada
Gila River Indian Community
Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa
Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Guidiville Rancheria of California
Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe
Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin
Hoh Indian Tribe
Hoopa Valley Tribe
Hopi Tribe of Arizona
Hopland Band of Pomo Indians
Hualapai Indian Tribe
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Isleta del Sur Pueblo aka Tigua Pueblo
Jicarilla Apache Nation
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians
Kalispel Indian Community
Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria
Kaw Nation
Kewa Pueblo formerly known as Pueblo of Santa Domingo
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Kialegee Tribal Town
Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas
Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
Klamath Tribes
Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
Lac du Flambeaux Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe aka Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa
Little River Band of Ottowa Indians
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odowa Indians
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Lower Elwha Tribal Community
Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Lummi Tribe
Makah Tribe
Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria
Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians aka Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Nation
Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe
Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
Mescalero Apache Tribe
Metlakatla Indian Community
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Mississippee Band of Choctaw Indians
Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California
Morongo Band of Mission Indians
MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Narragansett Indian Tribe
Navajo Nation
Nez Perce Tribe
Nisqually Indian Tribe
Nooksack Indian Tribe
Northern Arapaho aka Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation
Northern Cheyenne Tribe
Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Indians
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Ohkay Owingeh formerly known as Pueblo of San Juan
Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
Oneida Nation
Osage Nation
Oteo-Missouria Tribe of Indians
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
Pala Band of Mission Indians
Pauma Bank of Luiseno Mission Indians
Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indian Township
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Pleasant Point
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
Penobscot Nation
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
Poarch Band of Creeks aka Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Pokagaon Band of Pottawatomi Indians
Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska aka Northern Ponca
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
Pueblo of Acoma
Pueblo of Cochiti
Pueblo of Isleta
Pueblo of Jemez
Pueblo of Laguna
Pueblo of Nambe
Pueblo of Pojoaque
Pueblo of San Felipe
Pueblo of San Ildefonso
Pueblo of Sandia
Pueblo of Santa Ana
Pueblo of Santa Clara
Pueblo of Taos*
Pueblo of Zia
Pueblo of Tesuque
Puyallup Tribe
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Quapaw Nation
Quinault Indian Nation
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
Redwood Valley or Little River Band of Pomo Indians of the Redwood Valley Rancheria
Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians
Robinson Rancheria
Rosebud Sioux
Saboba Band of Luiseno Indians
Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma
Sac & Fox Nation Tribe of Mississippi in Iowa
Sac and Fox Nation
Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
Salish and Kootenai Tribe
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Samish Indian Nation
San Carlos Apache Tribe
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians
Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Mission Indians
Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Seneca-Cayuga Nation
Seneca Nation of Indians
Sherwood Valley Rancheria
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe
Shoshone Bannock
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate formerly Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe
Skokomish Indian Tribe
Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
Sokaogan Chippewa Community
Southern Ute Indian Tribe
Spirit Lake Tribe
Spokane Tribe
Squaxin Island Tribe
St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Stillaguamish Tribe
Stockbridge-Munsee Community aka Mohican Nation Stockbridge-Munsee Band
Suquamish Indian Tribe
Susanville Indian Rancheria
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan
Three Afiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation aka Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation
Tohono O’odham Nation
Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation formerly Smith River Rancheria
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
Tulalip Tribes of Washington
Tule River Indian Tribe of California
Tunica Buloxi Indian Tribe
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wak Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota
United Auburn Indian Community
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Res
Waccamaw Siouan Tribe
Walker River Paiute Tribe
Wampanoag Tribe of Gayhead (Aquinnah)
Washoe Tribes of Nevada and California
White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
White Mountain Apache Tribe
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Witchita and Affiliated Tribes
Yakama Nation
Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
Yarrington Paiute Tribe
Yavapai -Prescott Indian Tribe
Yavapai-Apache Nation
Yurok Tribe
Zuni Tribe aka Zuni Pueblo

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