Question:

What is the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI)?

Answer:

The cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI) will be usually half a percent of the loan, and is not tax deductible. You will need to bear the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI) if you are contributing less than 20% towards the value of your desired home.

Is the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI) the same for everybody?

In fact, there are certain factors and ways to affect the PMI payment. For example, sometimes taking an 80-10-10 loan will get your monthly PMI payments reduced. Use a calculator to see if taking a first and a second mortgage will prove cheaper than using a PMI.

Also, a law enacted in 1999 obligates lenders to inform borrowers when 20% of equity will be reached so that PMI can be dropped. With borrowers with little or no late payments, lenders are demanded to automatically cancel the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI) from the monthly payments.

High risk borrowers, though, do not get this benefit. Under the same law, lenders are required to drop PMI payments when 50% of equity is reached. High risk borrowers (those taking alternative documentation loans, or those with bad credit) need to keep carrying the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI) until principal is paid in half.

Recommended helpful present and future homeowners links:
Why: Refinance to a fixed rate loan while mortgage rates are still low.
Link:
Why: Because FHA loans are insured by the US Federal Government they have very competitive interest rates and are easier to qualify.
Link:
Why: Know and protect your credit report and score.
Link: See All 3 National Credit Scores & 3 Reports Instantly, Online & Free
Link this QnA Print del.icio.us Digg
Was this Mortgage QnA helpful?
Not at all
  • Currently 3/5 Stars
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 Definitely
Add to this Answer

Mortgage QnA is not a common forum. We have special rules:

  • Post no questions here. To ask a question, click the Ask a Question link
  • We will not publish answers that include any form of advertising
  • Add your answer only if it will contrubute to the quality of this Mortgage QnA and help future readers
If you have trouble reading the code, click on the code itself to generate a new random code. Verification Code Above:
Bookmark and share this QnA:

Common misspellings: mortage and morgage