Private mortgage insurance or PMI as is known is a form of insurance new homeowners are required to purchase. This is particularly so if their down payment is 20 percent or less of the property’s valued price or sale price. The main reason for private mortgage insurance is to protect lenders in the case the new homeowner defaults on their home loan.
Although private mortgage insurance has a bad reputation since it only protects lenders, it is actually a good thing. Reason is it has allowed millions of people to be able to buy homes with smaller down payments. Previously, these people would not have been able to afford a home had the down payment remain the same. Another important reason is private mortgage insurance can help you qualify for home loans.
Cost of Private Mortgage Insurance
The cost actually varies depending on the mortgage loan and the monthly down payment. Usually, it is half a percent. To calculate your private mortgage insurance, you can use this estimated formula:
Annual private mortgage insurance = 100 – (percentage of down payment paid) * (sale price of house) * 0.05
Let’s take an example. Suppose you...