We can help you remove your Private Mortgage Insurance

It's generally inferred that a 20% down payment is accepted when purchasing a home. Since the liability for the lender is often only the remainder between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, the 20% supplies a nice cushion against the charges of foreclosure, reselling the home, and typical value variations in the event a purchaser is unable to pay.

During the recent mortgage upturn of the last decade, it was customary to see lenders taking down payments of 10, 5 or even 0 percent. A lender is able to endure the increased risk of the minimal down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This supplementary policy covers the lender in case a borrower defaults on the loan and the value of the property is lower than what is owed on the loan.

Because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is bundled into the mortgage payment and many times isn't even tax deductible, PMI is costly to a borrower. It's advantageous for the lender because they collect the money, and they receive payment if the borrower doesn't pay, separate from a piggyback loan where the lender absorbs all the damages.

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

How can home owners prevent bearing the expense of PMI?

The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 forces the lenders on nearly all loans to automatically stop the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the beginning loan amount. Keen homeowners can get off the hook a little early. The law guarantees that, upon request of the homeowner, the PMI must be abandoned when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent.

It can take many years to arrive at the point where the principal is only 20% of the initial amount of the loan, so it's important to know how your home has increased in value. After all, any appreciation you've acquired over time counts towards abolishing PMI. So what's the reason for paying it after the balance of your loan has fallen below the 80% threshold? Even when nationwide trends indicate declining home values, be aware that real estate is local. Your neighborhood might not be adopting the national trends and/or your home may have acquired equity before things settled down.

A certified, licensed real estate appraiser can help homeowners understand just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point, as it's a tough thing to know. It's an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At , we're masters at determining value trends in , Montgomery County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. Faced with figures from an appraiser, the mortgage company will often eliminate the PMI with little effort. At which time, the homeowner can enjoy the savings from that point on.

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