Let Hart Appraisal Services help you figure out if you can get rid of your PMI

A 20% down payment is typically the standard when getting a mortgage. The lender's risk is usually only the remainder between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, so the 20% provides a nice buffer against the charges of foreclosure, selling the home again, and typical value changes in the event a purchaser is unable to pay.

The market was accepting down payments down to 10, 5 and often 0 percent during the mortgage boom of the last decade. A lender is able to handle the additional risk of the low down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This additional policy covers the lender in case a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the value of the house is less than the loan balance.

Since the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is lumped into the mortgage payment and often isn't even tax deductible, PMI can be pricey to a borrower. Contradictory to a piggyback loan where the lender takes in all the losses, PMI is profitable for the lender because they obtain the money, and they receive payment if the borrower doesn't pay.

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

How buyers can prevent bearing the expense of PMI

The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 makes the lenders on nearly all loans to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. The law guarantees that, at the request of the homeowner, the PMI must be dropped when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent. So, acute homeowners can get off the hook sooner than expected.

Since it can take many years to reach the point where the principal is just 20% of the initial amount of the loan, it's necessary to know how your home has grown in value. After all, all of the appreciation you've obtained 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 adopting the national trends and/or your home might have secured equity before things simmered down, so even when nationwide trends forecast plunging home values, you should realize that real estate is local.

A certified, licensed real estate appraiser can help homeowners understand just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point, as it's a hard thing to know. It is an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At Hart Appraisal Services, we're masters at recognizing value trends in Highlands Ranch, Douglas County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. Faced with data from an appraiser, the mortgage company will generally drop the PMI with little anxiety. At which time, the home owner can delight in 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