When you are buying a home, you may run into a number of hurdles to complete the purchase. One of the items that you may be asked to purchase is called private mortgage insurance, often shortened to PMI. This is a unique insurance policy that your lender, such as the credit union or bank, may ask you to buy in order to protect themselves. In this insurance policy, the bank protects themselves against losing money if you end up defaulting on your loan. Unfortunately, if you are asked to purchase PMI, this will increase your monthly mortgage payment. Therefore, most people try to avoid it. … [Read more...]
How Do I Get Rid of PMI?
What is PMI? PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) is a type of insurance that lenders may require borrowers to pay if they have a down payment of less than 20% of the home's purchase price. The purpose of PMI is to protect the lender in case the borrower defaults on the loan. However, once you have paid off enough of your mortgage or your home has appreciated in value, you may be able to get rid of PMI. Here are some ways to do so: Pay down your mortgage: If you make extra payments on your mortgage or pay more than the required monthly payment, you can build equity in your home faster and reduce … [Read more...]
How Much Of A Down Payment Should I Make On My Home?
There are a lot of steps that people need to take when buying a home. One of the most common issues that people discuss is the down payment. Most banks will require a down payment so that they aren't the only ones taking on the risk of buying a home. The common question people have is how much of a down payment they should apply. The Rule Of Thumb Most people have heard about placing 20 percent down on a house as a solid rule of thumb. This number has been passed down from prior generations who purchased houses with similar down payments. On the other hand, the price of housing has risen over … [Read more...]
3 Ways To Avoid Mortgage Insurance
When you are buying a home, you may run into a number of hurdles to complete the purchase. One of the items that you may be asked to purchase is called private mortgage insurance, often shortened to PMI. This is a unique insurance policy that your lender, such as the credit union or bank, may ask you to buy in order to protect themselves. In this insurance policy, the bank protects themselves against losing money if you end up defaulting on your loan. Unfortunately, if you are asked to purchase PMI, this will increase your monthly mortgage payment. Therefore, most people try to avoid it. … [Read more...]
How To Know If You Will Need Private Mortgage Insurance on Your Mortgage Loan
Have you heard the term Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) when looking to finance real estate? You may be wondering what PMI is and how you know when you need to purchase it. These answers can be hard to find among all the real estate jargon you might be hearing lately. Below is the short version of what you need to know. What is Private Mortgage Insurance? Private Mortgage Insurance is an insurance premium required by some lenders to offset the risk of a borrower defaulting on their home loan. When you put down less than 20 percent of the real estate's purchase price, the lender will … [Read more...]