As used in this subpart, the following definitions apply:

Closing agent. An attorney or title insurance company which is approved as a loan closing agent in accordance with subpart B of part 1927 of this chapter.

CONACT or CONACT property. Property acquired or sold pursuant to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Within this subpart, it shall also be construed to cover property which secured loans made pursuant to the Agriculture Credit Act of 1978; the Emergency Agricultural Credit Adjustment Act of 1978; the Emergency Agricultural Credit Act of 1984; the Food Security Act of 1985; and other statutes giving agricultural lending authority to the government.

Farmer Programs loans. The term “Farmer Program loans” (FP) refers to the following types of loans: Farm Ownership (FO), Soil and Water (SW), Recreation (RL), Economic Opportunity (EO), Operating (OL), Emergency (EM), Economic Emergency (EE), Softwood Timber (ST), and Rural Housing Loans for farm service buildings (RHF).

Government. The United States of America acting through the RBS, RHS, and RUS of the U.S. Department of Agriculture;

Homestead protection. The Farmer Programs borrower-owner's right to lease with an option to purchase the principal residence located on or off the farm and up to 10 acres of adjoining land possessed and occupied by the borrower-owner, including a reasonable number of farm outbuildings located on the adjoining land that are useful to the occupants of the homestead.

Interest credit. The terms “interest credit” and “interest credit assistance,” as they relate to Single Family Housing (SFH) loans, are interchangeable with the term “payment assistance.” Payment assistance is the generic term for the subsidy provided to eligible SFH borrowers to reduce mortgage payments.

Loans to individuals. Farm Ownership (FO), Soil and Water (SW), Recreation (RL), Special Livestock (SL), Economic Opportunity (EO), Operating (OL), Emergency (EM), Economic Emergency (EE), Softwood Timber (ST), and Rural Housing loans for farm service buildings (RHF), whether to individuals or entities, referred to in this subpart as Farmer Programs (FP) loans; and Land Conservation and Development (LCD); and Single-Family Housing (SFH), including both Section 502 and 504 loans.

Loans to Native Americans. Farmer Program loans secured by real estate located within the boundaries of a federally recognized Indian reservation. The Native American borrower-owner is defined as the party who pledged real estate as collateral for an FP loan and is the tribe or a member of the tribe with control over the reservation.

Loans to organizations. Community Facility (CF); Water and Waste Disposal (WWD); Association Recreation; Watershed (WS); Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D); insured Business and Industrial (B&I) both to individuals and groups; Rural Development Loan Fund (RDLF); Intermediary Relending Program (IRP); Nonprofit National Corporations (NNC); loans to associations for Irrigation and Drainage (I&D) and other Soil and Water conservation measures; loans to Indian Tribes and Tribal Corporations; Shift-In-Land Use (Grazing Association); Economic Opportunity Cooperative (EOC); Rural Housing Site (RHS); Rural Cooperative Housing (RCH); Rural Rental Housing (RRH) and Labor Housing (LH) to both individuals and groups. The housing-type organization loans identified here are referred to in this subpart collectively as Multiple-family Housing (MFH) loans.

Market value. The most probable price which property should bring, as of a specific date, in a competitive and open market, assuming the buyer and seller are prudent and knowledgeable, and the price is not affected by undue stimulus such as forced sale or loan interest subsidy.

Nonrecoverable cost is a contractual or noncontractual program loan cost expense not chargeable to a borrower, property account, or part of the loan subsidy.

OGC. The Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Agriculture; refers to the Regional Attorney or Attorney-in-Charge in an OGC field office unless otherwise indicated.

Prior lien. A security instrument (such as a mortgage or deed of trust) or a judgment which was of public record before the Rural Development security instrument(s) as well as real estate taxes or assessments which are or will become a lien against the property which is superior to Rural Development's security instrument(s).

Recoverable cost is a contractual or noncontractual program loan cost expense chargeable to a borrower, property account, or part of the loan subsidy.

Servicing official. For loans to individuals as defined in paragraph (d) of this section, the servicing official is the County Supervisor. For insured B&I loans, the servicing official is the State Director. For RDLF and IRP, the servicing official is the Director, Business and Industry Division. For NNC, the servicing official is the Director, Community Facility Division. For all other types of loans, the servicing official is the District Director.