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Let Columbus Appraisal Company, LLC help you decide if you can get rid of your PMI

It's generally inferred that a 20% down payment is accepted when getting a mortgage. The lender's risk is oftentimes only the remainder between the home value and the sum due on the loan, so the 20% adds a nice buffer against the charges of foreclosure, selling the home again, and regular value fluctuations on the chance that a borrower defaults.

The market was working with down payments down to 10, 5 and even 0 percent in the peak of last decade's mortgage boom. How does a lender endure the added risk of the small down payment? The solution is Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. PMI takes care of the lender if a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the worth of the property is lower than what the borrower still owes on the loan.

Since the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is lumped into the mortgage payment and frequently isn't even tax deductible, PMI can be pricey to a borrower. It's beneficial for the lender because they collect the money, and they get paid if the borrower defaults, contradictory to a piggyback loan where the lender consumes all the costs.

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

How can homeowners refrain from paying PMI?

With the employment of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, on nearly all loans lenders are forced to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. Smart home owners can get off the hook beforehand. The law pledges that, upon request of the home owner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount equals only 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 essential to know how your home has increased in value. After all, every bit of appreciation you've gained over the years counts towards removing PMI. So why pay it after your loan balance has dropped below the 80% threshold? Your neighborhood might not be reflecting the national trends and/or your home might have secured equity before things cooled off, so even when nationwide trends forecast falling home values, you should realize that real estate is local.

An accredited, licensed real estate appraiser can help home owners understand just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point, as it's a difficult thing to know. It is an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At Columbus Appraisal Company, LLC, we know when property values have risen or declined. We're experts at identifying value trends in Columbus, Franklin County and surrounding areas. When faced with figures from an appraiser, the mortgage company will most often drop the PMI with little effort. At that 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