Answer:
The deed in lieu is pretty straightforward. In short, it means that the mortgage creditor will accept the deed of the house in lieu of payment when the debt owner is no longer able to pay upon the debt. When this happens, the home owner surrenders the property and moves out saving the mortgage creditor the lengthy time and legal trouble of taking an legal action upon the home owner to remove the home owner from the premises, enabling the creditor to recover the debt owed. Usually this is to the benefit of the home owner in situations where the housing market is depressed, there are many foreclosures on the market preventing the usual sale of the home, and the amount of equity in the house is not worth keeping the house, and/or selling the house under normal market circumstances.
If you have a second mortgage, you should also consider that that debt is yours because the mortgage creditor is only concerned about the first mortgage, and not any subsequent mortgages taken against the home.