Let me help you determine if you can get rid of your PMIWhen purchasing a home, a 20% down payment is usually the standard. Since the liability for the lender is oftentimes only the difference between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, the 20% supplies a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and natural value variations on the chance that a purchaser is unable to pay.During the recent mortgage boom that our country recently experienced, it was widespread to see lenders only asking for down payments of 10, 5, 3 or often 0 percent. How does a lender manage the added risk of the low down payment? The answer is Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This additional policy takes care of the lender in the event a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the value of the home is lower than what is owed on the loan. Because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is compiled into the mortgage payment and oftentimes isn't even tax deductible, PMI is costly to a borrower. It's beneficial for the lender because they collect the money, and they get paid if the borrower is unable to pay, separate from a piggyback loan where the lender takes in all the costs.
How can a buyer keep from paying PMI?As a result of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, lenders are obligated to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the beginning loan amount on most loans. The law stipulates that, upon request of the homeowner, the PMI must be dropped when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent. So, wise home owners can get off the hook a little earlier.It can take a significant number of years to reach the point where the principal is just 80% of the initial loan amount, so it's crucial to know how your New York home has increased in value. After all, every bit of appreciation you've acquired over the years counts towards removing PMI. So what's the reason for paying it after the balance of your loan has dropped below the 80% threshold? Your neighborhood may not conform to national trends and/or your home could have acquired equity before the economy cooled off. So even when nationwide trends forecast falling home values, you should know most importantly that real estate is local. A certified, New York licensed real estate appraiser can help home owners figure out just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point, as it's a hard thing to know. It's an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At Key Appraisals, we know when property values have risen or declined. We're masters at recognizing value trends in Yonkers, Westchester County, and surrounding areas. When faced with figures from an appraiser, the mortgage company will usually cancel the PMI with little effort. At which time, the homeowner can relish 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
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