Let Tampa Bay Valuations, LLC. help you decide if you can cancel your PMIIt's generally inferred that a 20% down payment is accepted when buying a house. The lender's risk is often only the remainder between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, so the 20% provides a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and typical value changes in the event a purchaser doesn't pay. The market was taking down payments down to 10, 5 and even 0 percent in the peak of last decade's mortgage boom. A lender is able to endure the increased risk of the small down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This added plan takes care of the lender in case a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the market price of the house is less than what is owed on the loan. PMI can be pricey to a borrower in that the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is lumped into the mortgage monthly payment and many times isn't even tax deductible. Unlike a piggyback loan where the lender consumes all the costs, PMI is profitable for the lender because they secure 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 buyers can refrain from paying PMIThe Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 forces the lenders on nearly all loans to automatically cancel the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. The law pledges that, at the request of the homeowner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount reaches only 80 percent. So, wise home owners can get off the hook ahead of time. It can take countless years to reach the point where the principal is only 20% of the original loan amount, so it's important to know how your home has appreciated in value. After all, all of the appreciation you've acquired over time counts towards abolishing PMI. So why should you pay it after the balance of your loan has dropped below the 80% mark? Your neighborhood may not be reflecting the national trends and/or your home may have acquired equity before things simmered down, so even when nationwide trends predict falling home values, you should realize that real estate is local. The toughest thing for many homeowners to know is just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point. An accredited, licensed real estate appraiser can surely help. It is an appraiser's job to recognize the market dynamics of their area. At Tampa Bay Valuations, LLC., we're masters at pinpointing value trends in Tampa, Hillsborough County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. When faced with data from an appraiser, the mortgage company will usually eliminate the PMI with little effort. At which time, the homeowner can enjoy the savings from that point on.
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