Many people dream of owning their own homes but only very few are able to pay cash for them. This is why FHA mortgages are one of
popular methods to find a source for consumer credit. People who could not otherwise afford to own a house become homeowners with
help of FHA mortgage insurance programs.
FHA is
Federal Housing Administration. As part of
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), one of
chief purposes of
FHA is to help people obtain financing for their homes.
How FHA Mortgage Insurance Works
As stated earlier, FHA mortgage is a way for homebuyers to obtain financing for their homes. All home purchases require buyers to make a certain set percentage of
total purchase price, called
down payment. What
FHA mortgage insurance does therefore is to allow a homebuyer to make a modest down payment and obtain a mortgage for
balance of
purchase price.
The mortgage loan itself is made by a bank, a savings and loan association, a mortgage company, a credit union, or any other lender. For it to become an FHA mortgage loan,
lender would have to be approved by
Federal Housing Administration. FHA (HUD0 insures then insures
loan and pays
lender if
borrower defaults on
mortgage. The protection offered by FHA mortgages to lenders allows them to be more liberal with their terms than
prospective homeowner might otherwise obtain.
Who can get an FHA Mortgage?