Have equity in your home? Want a lower payment? An appraisal from Astute Appraisals, Inc. can help you get rid of your PMI.When purchasing a home, a 20% down payment is typically the standard. Considering the risk for the lender is generally only the difference between the home value and the sum due on the loan, the 20% provides a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, reselling the home, and typical value changeson the chance that a purchaser defaults. During the recent mortgage boom of the mid 2000s, it was common to see lenders commanding down payments of 10, 5 or often 0 percent. How does a lender handle the additional risk of the small down payment? The answer is Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This additional plan guards the lender in case a borrower is unable to pay on the loan and the worth of the property is less than what is owed on the loan. PMI can be costly to a borrower because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is lumped into the mortgage monthly payment and many times isn't even tax deductible. Opposite from a piggyback loan where the lender takes in all the losses, PMI is profitable for the lender because they acquire the money, and they receive payment 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 can a homebuyer refrain from bearing the cost of PMI?With the employment of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, on nearly all loans lenders are required to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the original loan amount. Savvy home owners can get off the hook sooner than expected. The law guarantees that, upon request of the home owner, the PMI must be abandoned when the principal amount reaches only 80 percent. It can take countless years to get to the point where the principal is just 20% of the initial amount borrowed, so it's essential to know how your home has increased in value. After all, every bit of appreciation you've acquired over the years counts towards dismissing PMI. So why should you pay it after the balance of your loan has fallen below the 80% threshold? Even when nationwide trends indicate decreasing home values, understand that real estate is local. Your neighborhood might not be minding the national trends and/or your home might have gained equity before things cooled off. 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 hard thing to know. As appraisers, it's our job to understand the market dynamics of our area. At Astute Appraisals, Inc., we're masters at recognizing value trends in Columbia, Howard County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. When faced with information from an appraiser, the mortgage company will generally drop the PMI with little anxiety. At that time, the home owner can relish the savings from that point on.
Want to learn more about PMI and the Homeowners Protection Act? Click this link: |