The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) does not directly make loans to borrowers but rather provides insurance on loans made by approved lenders. FHA-insured mortgages can be obtained for single-family, multi-family, manufactured and mobile homes, and hospitals.
The FHA was created in 1934 by congress to help Americans to obtain a mortgage and purchase a home. Until the FHA came into being around 60% of Americans rented their homes, and most mortgages had high monthly payments, short loan terms, and stringent approval requirements. In 1965, it became part of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
FHA loans differ from conventional loans in a number of ways. The down payment required for a conventional loan is typically much higher than for an FHA-insured loan. FHA loans also have lower credit requirements than conventional loans, making them more available to a wider range of potential homebuyers.
FHA loans offer borrowers several other valuable benefits, not least of which is those aforementioned smaller down payments. Unlike a conventional loan, which ordinarily requires 10-20% down, FHA-insured loans only require down payments as low as 3-5%. The FHA is also more flexible in calculating factors to determine whether or not to approve the loan, factors such as household income and repayment ratios.