What is a key feature of a mortgage?

A key feature of a mortgage is that it utilizes the purchased property as collateral. This means that when you take out a mortgage to buy a home, the lender has a legal claim on the property until the loan is fully repaid. This arrangement provides security to the lender because if the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender can take possession of the property through a process called foreclosure. This collateralization is a crucial aspect of mortgages, making them secured loans rather than unsecured loans.

In contrast, options mentioning no collateral or categorizing a mortgage as a government grant do not reflect the nature of mortgages, which are loans that require collateral. Additionally, the characterization of mortgages as being applicable to any personal loan is misleading, as mortgages specifically pertain to real estate transactions, not personal loans in general.