Daily Appraisal can help you remove your Private Mortgage Insurance

When purchasing a home, a 20% down payment is typically the standard. The lender's risk is usually only the remainder between the home value and the amount remaining on the loan, so the 20% provides a nice buffer against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and typical value changes on the chance that a purchaser doesn't pay.

Lenders were taking down payments down to 10, 5 and even 0 percent during the mortgage boom of the mid 2000s. How does a lender handle the additional risk of the small down payment? The solution is Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This supplementary plan takes care of the lender in case a borrower is unable to pay on the loan and the value of the house is less than the balance of the loan.

PMI can be costly to a borrower because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is compiled into the mortgage payment and generally isn't even tax deductible. Contradictory to a piggyback loan where the lender absorbs all the deficits, PMI is advantageous for the lender because they collect the money, and they get the money if the borrower is unable to pay.

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

How home owners can avoid bearing the expense of PMI

The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 requires the lenders on nearly all loans to automatically terminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. The law states that, at the request of the home owner, the PMI must be dropped when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent. So, savvy home owners can get off the hook a little early.

It can take many years to arrive at the point where the principal is just 20% of the original amount borrowed, so it's necessary to know how your home has appreciated in value. After all, every bit of appreciation you've accomplished over the years counts towards dismissing PMI. So why pay it after the balance of your loan has fallen below the 80% mark? Your neighborhood may not be following the national trends and/or your home might have secured equity before things cooled off, so even when nationwide trends predict plunging home values, you should understand that real estate is local.

A certified, licensed real estate appraiser can help home owners understand just when their home's equity goes over the 20% point, as it's a difficult thing to know. It's an appraiser's job to keep up with the market dynamics of their area. At Daily Appraisal, we're masters at pinpointing value trends in Laurel, Prince Georges County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. Faced with information from an appraiser, the mortgage company will often do away with the PMI with little anxiety. At which time, the homeowner can retain 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