Have equity in your home? Want a lower payment? An appraisal from Deer Creek Appraisals can help you get rid of your PMI.

When buying a house, a 20% down payment is typically the standard. The lender's risk is usually only the remainder between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, so the 20% provides a nice cushion against the charges of foreclosure, selling the home again, and typical value fluctuations in the event a purchaser doesn't pay.

During the recent mortgage upturn of the mid 2000s, it became customary to see lenders requiring down payments of 10, 5 or often 0 percent. A lender is able to endure the increased risk of the minimal down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. PMI covers the lender in case a borrower is unable to pay on the loan and the worth of the house is lower than the balance of the loan.

Because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is rolled into the mortgage monthly payment and generally isn't even tax deductible, PMI is pricey to a borrower. It's beneficial for the lender because they acquire the money, and they receive payment if the borrower doesn't pay, contradictory to a piggyback loan where the lender consumes all the deficits.

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

How home buyers can prevent paying PMI

With the implementation of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, on most loans lenders are required to automatically cease the PMI when the principal balance of the loan reaches 78 percent of the original loan amount. The law promises that, at the request of the home owner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount equals only 80 percent. So, smart homeowners can get off the hook ahead of time.

Because it can take many years to arrive at the point where the principal is just 20% of the original loan amount, it's important to know how your home has appreciated in value. After all, all of the appreciation you've accomplished over the years counts towards removing PMI. So why should you pay it after your loan balance has fallen below the 80% mark? Despite the fact that nationwide trends forecast plunging home values, be aware that real estate is local. Your neighborhood may not be minding the national trends and/or your home might have gained equity before things settled down.

A certified, licensed real estate appraiser can help homeowners understand just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point, as it's a hard thing to know. It is an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At Deer Creek Appraisals, we're experts at determining value trends in Denver, Jefferson County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. Faced with data from an appraiser, the mortgage company will most often drop the PMI with little trouble. At which time, the homeowner can delight in 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