A $7 billion corner of the mortgage world ground to a halt when the government shut down last week, leaving homebuyers and sellers in limbo just before they were set to close. Most types of mortgage lending, including government-guaranteed mortgages such as FHA and VA loans, are continuing as normal throughout the shutdown, with one exception: US Department of Agriculture loans, which tens of thousands of low- and middle-income homebuyers use each year to purchase homes. With most of the USDA's staff fur ...