Gainesville-based direct mortgage lender Homestar Financial Corporation received a “Lender of Excellence” award in late June as part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s observance of National Homeownership Month.

USDA Rural Development’s Georgia State Director Jill Stuckey presented the award to Homestar President Wes Hunt at Homestar’s corporate headquarters in the Old Gym of ’36. Homestar employees and division managers were in attendance at the ceremony, in addition to several members from the USDA.

“Homestar is named appropriately,” said Stuckey, upon presenting the award to Hunt. “They are truly a USDA shining star, and a wonderful partner with us. We are so honored to recognize Homestar with this award, and we can’t thank them enough for the work they do to help families find housing.”

The USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing program began in 1991 to help expand access to mortgage financing in rural areas, giving rural residents the chance to qualify for a no-down-payment loan through the lender of their choice.

Homestar has closed over 6,000 loans through the USDA Rural Development program, and it accounts for approximately 20 percent of the program’s loans.