FHA has specialized mortgage insurance for land systems where ordinary fee-simple lending can be difficult.
Sections 247 and 248 are genuine FHA mortgage-insurance programs. They should not be confused with HUD's separate Section 184 and 184A loan-guarantee programs.
Section 247 — Hawaiian Home Lands
Section 247 provides FHA mortgage insurance for eligible borrowers financing homes on Hawaiian Home Lands under the applicable leasehold and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands framework.
Section 248 — Indian Reservations and restricted lands
HUD describes Section 248 as FHA mortgage insurance for loans made to Native Americans to buy, build or rehabilitate homes on Indian trust or otherwise restricted land. The transaction requires the applicable tribal/leasehold and FHA documentation.
Why these programs exist
Trust and restricted-land ownership can prevent the ordinary mortgage/foreclosure structure used on fee-simple property. These programs create specialized federal insurance frameworks that accommodate the land status.
Official program sources
Primary sources are HUD/FHA program pages and Handbook 4000.1. Program availability and lender participation can be narrower than statutory eligibility, so a program's existence does not mean every FHA lender offers it.