Fife Lake Michigan Mortgage Lender.
In the heart of the forest, on the shore of its own lake. Fife Lake buyers want a year-round home in the woods, a cabin, or a place on the water, and each one is financed a little differently. We sort that out every week from our Traverse City and Manton offices, and we answer the phone on Saturdays.
Kirby and Angie are Union Home Mortgage loan officers with offices in Traverse City and Manton who serve Fife Lake and southeastern Grand Traverse County. For Fife Lake buyers they typically handle primary residence and second home loans, lake and cabin properties, USDA zero-down loans on eligible addresses, and manufactured homes on owned land, with no origination fee on standard transactions.
A lake town with year-round and weekend buyers.
Fife Lake is a village of about 450 people on the north and west shores of Fife Lake, just east of US-131 in Grand Traverse County. Its motto is In the Heart of the Forest, and it backs that up with woods, water, and an ice fishing derby every January.
That mix means two kinds of buyers: people moving here for good, and people buying a cabin or lake place for weekends. The financing is different for each, so it pays to know which one you are before you write an offer.
Primary home or second home
If you will live here full time, you have the most options, including USDA, FHA, and VA. If it is a weekend place, second home financing applies, which generally means conventional with a larger down payment. Renting it out most of the year can make it an investment property, which has its own rules.
Lake and cabin properties
Waterfront, seasonal cabins, and homes on private roads come up constantly around Fife Lake. Seasonal-only access, older cabins, and wells or septic systems near the water can affect which programs fit and what the appraisal needs. We look at the listing first so you are not surprised later.
USDA zero down on rural addresses
Many addresses around Fife Lake qualify for USDA Rural Development financing, which means no down payment for households under the income limits. Eligibility is set by address and the map changes, so we check every property. Starting December 1, 2026, Union Home Mortgage is also one of six lenders in USDA's Delegated Authority pilot, designed to remove a separate USDA review step before closing on eligible loans.
Manufactured homes on your own land
When the home sits on land you own, FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional financing may all be options, single-wide or double-wide, for purchase or refinance. The home needs to be built on or after June 15, 1976, and foundation and title status matter. We do not finance homes in parks or on leased land. More on our manufactured home loans page.
Buying land and building
A construction-to-permanent loan can cover the land, the build, and your long-term mortgage with one closing. FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional versions exist. Your builder has to be approved, so bring them in early.
What works for Fife Lake buyers.
All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting. Here is the short version, and where to read more.
Second Home Loans
Financing for a cabin or lake place you will use yourself.
Second Home LoansUSDA Rural Development
No down payment for eligible rural addresses and households under the income limits.
USDA LoansManufactured Homes
Single-wide and double-wide on land you own, built on or after June 15, 1976.
Manufactured Home LoansFife Lake mortgage questions.
Yes. Kirby and Angie are Union Home Mortgage loan officers with offices in Traverse City and Manton. They serve Fife Lake, Kingsley, Traverse City, Manton, and the rest of Grand Traverse and Kalkaska counties.
Yes. A weekend or vacation home you use yourself is typically financed as a second home, which generally means a conventional loan with a larger down payment than a primary residence. Seasonal access and older cabins can affect eligibility, so we review the property early.
If it will be your primary residence and the property meets program rules, possibly. USDA also depends on the address and household income. We check the specific property before you count on it.
Many addresses around Fife Lake qualify for USDA Rural Development financing. Eligibility depends on the property address and your household income, so we check every address against the current USDA map before you count on it.
Typically yes, when the home sits on land you own. FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional options may be available for single-wide and double-wide homes built on or after June 15, 1976, depending on foundation and title. We do not finance homes in parks or on leased land.
Not on standard transactions. You still have normal third-party closing costs like appraisal, title, and recording, plus prepaids for taxes and insurance. We break those out on your Loan Estimate so you can see exactly what is what.
Buying around Fife Lake?
Year-round home or lake place, tell us what you are buying. We will tell you which loan actually fits, seven days a week.
