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Sharon L White Appraisal Services, LLC can help you remove your Private Mortgage Insurance

It's widely inferred that a 20% down payment is accepted when buying a house. The lender's liability is generally only the difference between the home value and the balance due on the loan, so the 20% provides a nice cushion against the expenses of foreclosure, selling the home again, and natural value variations on the chance that a purchaser is unable to pay.

The market was working with down payments as low as 10, 5 and often 0 percent in the peak of last decade's mortgage boom. A lender is able to handle the added risk of the small 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 value of the house is lower than what is owed on the loan.

PMI is costly to a borrower because the $40-$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed is rolled into the mortgage payment and frequently isn't even tax deductible. It's beneficial for the lender because they acquire the money, and they get the money if the borrower doesn't pay, in contrast to a piggyback loan where the lender absorbs all the costs.


Is PMI a lineitem in your monthly house payment? Call Sharon L White Appraisal Services, LLC today at (402) 681-5503 or send us an e-mail. Documentation of your home's present value could save you thousands.

How homeowners can avoid bearing the cost of PMI

With the implementation of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, lenders are obligated to automatically cease the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount on nearly all loans. Smart homeowners can get off the hook sooner than expected. The law pledges that, at the request of the homeowner, the PMI must be abandoned when the principal amount equals only 80 percent.

It can take several years to get to the point where the principal is only 80% of the initial loan amount, so it's essential to know how your Iowa home has grown in value. After all, any appreciation you've accomplished over time counts towards abolishing PMI. So why should you pay it after your loan balance has fallen below the 80% threshold? Your neighborhood might not conform to national trends and/or your home might have gained equity before things declined. So even when nationwide trends indicate falling home values, you should know most importantly that real estate is local.

An accredited, Iowa licensed real estate appraiser can help home owners figure out if their equity has made it to the 20% point, as it's a difficult thing to know. Market dynamics and neighborhood-specific pricing trends are an appraiser's primary job! At Sharon L White Appraisal Services, LLC, we know when property values have risen or declined. We're masters at pinpointing value trends in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, and surrounding areas. When faced with figures from an appraiser, the mortgage company will usually cancel the PMI with little anxiety. At that time, the home owner can retain the savings from that point on.


Is PMI a part of your monthly house payment? Call Sharon L White Appraisal Services, LLC today at (402) 681-5503 or send us an e-mail. Documentation of your home's current value could save you thousands.

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