Shopping for the best home loan or mortgage will help ensure the best financial deal A mortgage – whether a home purchase, a refinancing, or home equity loan – is a product, just like a vehicle, so the price and terms may be negotiable. FHA (HUD0 insures then insures the loan and pays the lender if the borrower defaults on the mortgage. The protection offered by FHA mortgages to lenders allows them to be more liberal with their terms than the prospective homeowner might otherwise obtain.