Handle With Care Appraisals can help you remove your Private Mortgage Insurance

It's generally known that a 20% down payment is the standard when buying a house. The lender's liability is generally only the remainder between the home value and the amount outstanding on the loan, so the 20% supplies a nice buffer against the charges of foreclosure, selling the home again, and regular value variations in the event a borrower defaults.

A lender is able to insure the risk of a minimal down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This additional policy covers the lender in case a borrower is unable to pay on the loan and the market price of the house is less than the balance of the loan.

Because the $40-$80 a month per $100,000 borrowed is bundled into the mortgage payment and generally isn't even tax deductible, PMI is costly to a borrower. It's money-making for the lender because they collect the money, and they get the money if the borrower defaults.

Does your monthly mortgage payment include PMI? Contact me, you may be able to save money by removing your PMI.

How can home owners refrain from paying PMI?

The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 requires the lenders on nearly all loans to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan reaches 78 percent of the initial loan amount. The law stipulates that, at the request of the home owner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount reaches only 80 percent.

It can take many years to get to the point where the principal is just 20% of the initial amount borrowed, so it's important to know how your home has appreciated in value.  Why should you pay it after your loan balance has dropped below the 80% threshold? 

I will research market trends for your area and consider things such as inventory trends, sale price trends and any repairs or improvements you have made to your home. If this supports your home value being at 80% of the value of the loan or more, the lender will generally remove the PMI with little trouble.

Want to learn more about PMI and the Homeowners Protection Act? Click this link:
Cancellation of Private Mortgage Insurance: Federal Law May Save You Hundreds of Dollars Each Year