What
is PMI? Can I get rid of the PMI on my loan?
PMI
or Private Mortgage Insurance is normally required when you buy a house
with less than 20% down. Mortgage insurance is a type of guarantee that
helps protect lenders against the costs of foreclosure. This insurance
protection is provided by private mortgage-insurance companies. It
enables lenders to accept lower down payments than they would normally
accept. In effect, mortgage insurance provides what the equity of a
higher down payment would provide to cover a lender's losses in the
unfortunate event of foreclosure. Therefore, without mortgage insurance,
you might not be able to buy a home without a 20% down payment.
The
cost of PMI increases as your down payment decreases. Example: The cost
of PMI on a 10% down payment is less than the cost of PMI on a 5% down
payment. Your PMI premium is normally added to your monthly mortgage
payment.
The
decision on when to cancel the private insurance coverage does not
depend solely on the degree of your equity in the home. The final say on
terminating a private mortgage-insurance policy is reserved jointly for
the lender and any investor who may have purchased an interest in the
mortgage. However, in most cases, the lender will allow cancellation of
mortgage insurance when the loan is paid down to 80% of the original
property value. Some lenders may require that you pay PMI for one or two
years before you may apply to remove it.
In
order to cancel the PMI on your loan, contact your lender. In most
cases, an appraisal will be required to determine the value of your
property. You will probably also be required to pay for the cost of this
appraisal. Another way of cancelling the PMI on your loan is to
refinance and to get a new loan without the PMI.
