Have equity in your home? Want a lower payment? An appraisal from Catron Appraisal Company can help you get rid of your PMI.

A 20% down payment is usually accepted when getting a mortgage. Because the risk for the lender is generally only the difference between the home value and the sum due on the loan, the 20% provides a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and natural value changeson the chance that a purchaser doesn't pay.

During the recent mortgage boom of the last decade, it was widespread to see lenders requiring down payments of 10, 5 or sometimes 0 percent. A lender is able to endure the added risk of the small down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This added policy takes care of the lender if a borrower defaults on the loan and the worth of the property is lower than what the borrower still owes on the loan.

PMI is pricey to a borrower on the grounds that the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is compiled into the mortgage payment and generally isn't even tax deductible. Different from a piggyback loan where the lender takes in all the deficits, PMI is money-making for the lender because they obtain the money, and they get the money 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 homeowners can prevent bearing the cost of PMI

With the employment of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, on nearly all loans lenders are forced to automatically terminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. The law promises that, upon request of the homeowner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount equals just 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 just 20% of the initial loan amount, so it's crucial to know how your home has increased in value. After all, all of the appreciation you've achieved over the years counts towards abolishing PMI. So why pay it after the balance of your loan has dropped below the 80% threshold? Even when nationwide trends signify decreasing home values, realize that real estate is local. Your neighborhood may not be minding the national trends and/or your home could have acquired equity before things cooled off.

An accredited, licensed real estate appraiser can help home owners understand just when their home's equity rises above the 20% point, as it's a tough thing to know. It is an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At Catron Appraisal Company , we're experts at analyzing value trends in Wytheville, Wythe County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. When faced with data from an appraiser, the mortgage company will often do away with the PMI with little trouble. At which time, the homeowner can relish 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