Baltimore Sun - Even in a rising market, there are times when shelling out monthly rent can make more sense than a mortgage payment. "When you live in a house whose value goes down over the short term ... Add the anxiety generated by a down market, and all bets are off. Does the lender make privately or federally insured or guaranteed loans? Some mortgage loans may be backed by a federal agency, such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA loans) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA loans).
