Have equity in your home? Want a lower payment? An appraisal from Coastal A Real Estate & Appraisal Company, LLC. can help you get rid of your PMI.

It's largely understood that a 20% down payment is common when buying a house. The lender's liability is usually only the remainder between the home value and the sum remaining on the loan, so the 20% supplies a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and typical value variations on the chance that a purchaser defaults.

The market was taking down payments down to 10, 5 and even 0 percent during the mortgage boom of the last decade. A lender is able to endure the added risk of the low down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This additional policy takes care of the lender in case a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the value of the home is less than the balance of the loan.

Since the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is compiled into the mortgage monthly payment and often isn't even tax deductible, PMI can be costly to a borrower. Contradictory to a piggyback loan where the lender takes in all the costs, PMI is beneficial for the lender because they secure the money, and they receive payment if the borrower defaults.

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

How can a home owner prevent bearing the cost of PMI?

With the employment 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 equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. Acute home owners can get off the hook beforehand. The law stipulates that, at the request of the homeowner, the PMI must be abandoned when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent.

Considering it can take many years to reach the point where the principal is only 20% of the initial amount borrowed, it's crucial to know how your home has appreciated in value. After all, any appreciation you've gained over the years counts towards removing PMI. So why pay it after the balance of your loan has dropped below the 80% mark? Despite the fact that nationwide trends forecast decreasing home values, be aware that real estate is local. Your neighborhood may not be minding the national trends and/or your home could have gained equity before things simmered 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 tough thing to know. As appraisers, it's our job to keep up with the market dynamics of our area. At Coastal A Real Estate & Appraisal Company, LLC., we're experts at identifying value trends in Belle Chasse, Plaquemines County and surrounding areas, and we know when property values have risen or declined. When faced with information from an appraiser, the mortgage company will most often cancel the PMI with little anxiety. At which time, the homeowner can enjoy 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