Certified Valuation Group LLC can help you remove your Private Mortgage Insurance

When buying a house, a 20% down payment is typically the standard. The lender's liability is usually only the remainder between the home value and the sum remaining on the loan, so the 20% supplies a nice cushion against the charges of foreclosure, selling the home again, and natural value variations on the chance that a purchaser defaults.

The market was working with down payments as low as 10, 5 and often 0 percent in the peak of last decade's mortgage boom. A lender is able to manage the increased risk of the low down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This additional plan covers the lender if a borrower defaults on the loan and the worth of the house is lower than the loan balance.

PMI can be pricey to a borrower on the grounds that the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is lumped into the mortgage payment and often isn't even tax deductible. Separate from a piggyback loan where the lender takes in all the losses, PMI is favorable for the lender because they obtain 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 can homeowners avoid bearing the expense of PMI?

The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 forces the lenders on nearly all loans to automatically cancel the PMI when the principal balance of the loan reaches 78 percent of the original loan amount. The law states that, upon request of the homeowner, the PMI must be dropped when the principal amount reaches only 80 percent. So, savvy homeowners can get off the hook a little earlier.

It can take countless years to get to the point where the principal is only 20% of the original amount borrowed, so it's crucial to know how your home has appreciated in value. After all, all of the appreciation you've accomplished over time counts towards dismissing PMI. So what's the reason for paying it after the balance of your loan has fallen below the 80% threshold? Even when nationwide trends forecast decreasing home values, realize that real estate is local. Your neighborhood might not be reflecting the national trends and/or your home may have gained equity before things calmed down.

The toughest thing for many home owners to know is just when their home's equity goes over the 20% point. A certified, licensed real estate appraiser can certainly help. As appraisers, it's our job to understand the market dynamics of our area. At Certified Valuation Group LLC, we're masters at identifying value trends in Birmingham, Jefferson County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. Faced with information from an appraiser, the mortgage company will usually do away with the PMI with little effort. At which time, the home owner 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