Home financing in Big Horn County.

Home financing simply means borrowing money to purchase, build, or improve a home, then repaying that loan over time — usually 15 to 30 years. In most cases, the home itself serves as collateral for the loan.

Big Horn County is a large, rural county in southeastern Montana.

It includes the City of Hardin, the town of Crow Agency, and several smaller communities.

A significant portion of the population is enrolled members of the Crow Tribe or the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. This geographic and cultural context matters a great deal when it comes to financing, because standard mortgage products often do not work on trust land, and lenders without rural or tribal experience may not know how to structure deals here.

The most common financing types in the county include:

• **Conventional mortgages** — standard loans from banks or credit unions, typically requiring good credit and a down payment of at least 3–5%.

• **FHA loans** — federally insured loans with lower down payment requirements (as low as 3.5%), often used by first-time buyers.

• **USDA Rural Development loans** — zero-down-payment loans for eligible rural properties; much of Big Horn County qualifies.

• **HUD Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee** — a federal program specifically designed for Native American borrowers purchasing or building on tribal or fee land. This is one of the most important tools for tribal members in this county.

• **VA loans** — for eligible veterans and active-duty service members.

• **Tribal lease mortgages** — specialized financing for homes on trust land, which requires lenders experienced with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) leasing process.

The Section 184 program and USDA loans are particularly relevant here and will appear throughout this guide.

Lenders look at four main things: your credit history, your income, your debts, and the property itself. Here is how those factors play out in Big Horn County.

**Credit history:** You do not need perfect credit.

FHA loans are available with scores as low as 580 (or even 500 with a larger down payment).

The Section 184 program does not have a minimum credit score requirement — lenders evaluate the full picture of your financial history. If you have little or no credit history, a local CDFI or credit union can often help you build a credit profile before you apply.

**Income:** Big Horn County's economy is tied to agriculture, ranching, tribal government, healthcare, education, and energy development.

Many residents have seasonal or self-employment income.

Lenders who understand rural and agricultural income — including income from grazing leases or per-capita payments — are better equipped to work with you. Bring two years of tax returns if you are self-employed.

**Debt-to-income ratio:** Most programs want your total monthly debt payments (including the new mortgage) to be no more than 41–45% of your gross monthly income. If you are close to that limit, a housing counselor can help you find the right fit.

**The property:** This is where Big Horn County gets complex. If the land is held in trust by the federal government — as much of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservation land is — a standard mortgage cannot be placed directly on it.

The Section 184 program is specifically built to work around this.

A BIA lease is used instead of a traditional deed, and approved Section 184 lenders know how to navigate that process.

**ITIN borrowers:** If you do not have a Social Security number but have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), you can still access financing through ITIN-friendly lenders. Origen Capital's directory can help you identify those lenders serving Montana.

Getting your paperwork together early makes the process smoother. Here is what most lenders in Big Horn County will ask for:

**For all borrowers:**

• Government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, or tribal ID)

• Social Security number or ITIN

• Two most recent pay stubs (if employed by an employer)

• Two years of federal tax returns (W-2s or 1099s)

• Two to three months of bank statements

• Proof of any other income (Social Security, disability, tribal per-capita payments, rental income)

• Landlord contact information or rental history if you currently rent

**For self-employed or agricultural workers:**

• Two years of personal and business tax returns

• A current profit-and-loss statement

• Records of any grazing leases, livestock sales, or farm income

**For Section 184 / tribal land loans:**

• Tribal enrollment card or Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)

• Documentation of land status (trust land, fee land, or allotment)

• Contact information for the BIA agency that manages the land

• Existing lease documents if applicable

**For ITIN borrowers:**

• ITIN letter from the IRS

• Two years of ITIN tax returns

• Additional bank statements (typically 12–24 months)

Do not be discouraged if a document is hard to obtain. A housing counselor can help you figure out what alternatives are acceptable.