An FHA loan is a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Created in 1934 during the Great Depression to stimulate the housing market, FHA loans are designed to help Americans—particularly first-time homebuyers, those with limited savings, or borrowers with less-than-perfect credit—achieve homeownership. While FHA insures these loans, they're actually issued by FHA-approved private lenders such as banks and mortgage companies.

FHA loans offer several advantages: down payments as low as 3.5% of the purchase price for borrowers with credit scores of 580 or higher, more lenient credit requirements compared to conventional loans (scores as low as 500 may qualify with 10% down), higher debt-to-income ratio allowances (up to 43% or sometimes 50%), and easier qualification for borrowers who have experienced past financial difficulties like bankruptcy or foreclosure. However, FHA loans come with additional costs: an upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) of 1.75% of the loan amount (which can be rolled into the mortgage), and ongoing monthly mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) that typically last for the life of the loan if you put down less than 10%. These insurance premiums protect lenders if borrowers default, but they make FHA loans more expensive over time than conventional mortgages. Many homebuyers use FHA loans as a stepping stone, planning to refinance to a conventional loan once they've built sufficient equity and improved their credit.