A seller cannot dictate your financing terms. Whether you put money down is between you, your lender, and the loan program. USDA's guaranteed program is true zero-down. The loan can finance up to 100% of appraised value, the upfront guarantee fee can be financed on top, and USDA does not require cash reserves to qualify. A seller insisting on a down payment is asking for something they have no standing to require. Pushback like this shows up more often when there are competing offers than when yours is the only one on the table. Spite is possible if an agent is steering the seller, but you rarely can prove motive, and chasing it rarely helps you get to closing. On switching agents: if you never signed a buyer-broker agreement with the seller's agent, you were free to get your own representation and step out of a dual-agency situation. That was a reasonable move, no breach involved. The practical next step is to ask for a call or short meeting between the two sides so your lender can explain directly how USDA financing works and address any real concern the seller has, such as appraisal risk. The demand often evaporates once the seller understands the loan is fully underwritten and requires no down payment. Keep the focus on the facts of the financing rather than the personalities, and let your agent and lender carry that conversation for you.