Have equity in your home? Want a lower payment? An appraisal from Timeline Appraisal Services, LLC can help you get rid of your PMI.A 20% down payment is typically accepted when buying a house. Since the liability for the lender is generally only the difference between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, the 20% supplies a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, reselling the home, and typical value fluctuationson the chance that a borrower doesn't pay. During the recent mortgage upturn of the last decade, it was widespread to see lenders taking down payments of 10, 5 or even 0 percent. How does a lender handle the additional risk of the low down payment? The solution is Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This supplementary policy covers the lender in the event a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the market price of the property is lower than what is owed on the loan. PMI can be pricey to a borrower because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is compiled into the mortgage payment and many times isn't even tax deductible. Different from a piggyback loan where the lender consumes all the deficits, PMI is money-making for the lender because they secure 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 refrain from bearing the expense of PMIWith the implementation of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, on nearly all loans lenders are obligated to automatically stop the PMI when the principal balance of the loan reaches 78 percent of the original loan amount. Keen home owners can get off the hook sooner than expected. The law designates that, at the request of the homeowner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount reaches only 80 percent. It can take many years to arrive at the point where the principal is just 20% of the original amount of the loan, so it's necessary to know how your home has increased in value. After all, all of the appreciation you've gained over time counts towards dismissing PMI. So why should you pay it after your loan balance has dropped below the 80% mark? Your neighborhood may not be reflecting the national trends and/or your home might have gained equity before things simmered down, so even when nationwide trends indicate falling home values, you should understand that real estate is local. The toughest thing for many home owners to know is just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point. An accredited, licensed real estate appraiser can surely help. As appraisers, it's our job to recognize the market dynamics of our area. At Timeline Appraisal Services, LLC, we know when property values have risen or declined. We're experts at recognizing value trends in Scottsdale, Maricopa County and surrounding areas. When faced with data from an appraiser, the mortgage company will usually drop the PMI with little trouble. At that time, the home owner can relish the savings from that point on.
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