A mortgageA loan using your home as collateral. In some states, the term mortgage is also used to describe the document you sign (to grant the lender a lien on your home). It also may be used to indicate the amount of money you borrow, with interest, to purchase your house. The amount of your mortgage often is the purchase price... loan that is not insured or guaranteed by the federal government or one of its agencies, such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)An agency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that insures mortgages and loans made by private lenders. FHA-Insured Loan: A loan that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...., the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the Rural Housing Service (RHS)An agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which operates a range of programs to help rural communities and individuals by providing loan and grants for housing and community facilities. The agency also works with private lenders to guarantee loans for the purchase or construction of single-family housing..... Contrast with “Government MortgageA mortgage loan that is insured or guaranteed by a federal government entity such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the Rural Housing Service (RHS).....”