Let Hutchinson Appraisal Services, LLC help you figure out if you can cancel your PMI

It's widely inferred that a 20% down payment is accepted when purchasing a home. Since the risk for the lender is often only the remainder between the home value and the amount remaining on the loan, the 20% provides a nice buffer against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and regular value changesin the event a borrower doesn't pay.

Banks were taking down payments as low as 10, 5 and often 0 percent during the mortgage boom of the last decade. A lender is able to manage the added risk of the low down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. PMI takes care of the lender in the event a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the worth of the property is less than what is owed on the loan.

Since the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is bundled into the mortgage monthly payment and generally isn't even tax deductible, PMI can be expensive to a borrower. It's advantageous for the lender because they obtain the money, and they get the money if the borrower defaults, opposite from a piggyback loan where the lender absorbs all the losses.

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

How can homebuyers avoid paying PMI?

The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 makes the lenders on most loans to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. Savvy home owners can get off the hook ahead of time. The law pledges that, upon request of the home owner, the PMI must be dropped when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent.

Considering it can take countless years to arrive at the point where the principal is only 20% of the initial loan amount, it's necessary to know how your home has increased in value. After all, any appreciation you've gained over the years counts towards dismissing PMI. So why should you pay it after your loan balance has dropped below the 80% threshold? Despite the fact that nationwide trends predict decreasing home values, be aware that real estate is local. Your neighborhood might not be adopting the national trends and/or your home may have acquired equity before things calmed down.

The toughest thing for almost all home owners to understand is just when their home's equity goes over the 20% point. A certified, licensed real estate appraiser can certainly help. It is an appraiser's job to recognize the market dynamics of their area. At Hutchinson Appraisal Services, LLC, we know when property values have risen or declined. We're experts at determining value trends in Plant City, Hillsborough County and surrounding areas. When faced with information from an appraiser, the mortgage company will usually eliminate the PMI with little anxiety. At that 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