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Have equity in your home? Want a lower payment? An appraisal from DANIEL I KANDEL can help you get rid of your PMI.

It's widely known that a 20% down payment is the standard when buying a house. The lender's risk is generally only the remainder between the home value and the sum outstanding on the loan, so the 20% supplies a nice cushion against the charges of foreclosure, selling the home again, and regular value variations in the event a purchaser is unable to pay.

During the recent mortgage upturn of the mid 2000s, it was common to see lenders commanding down payments of 10, 5 or often 0 percent. A lender is able to manage the additional risk of the minimal down payment with Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This added plan guards the lender if a borrower is unable to pay on the loan and the worth of the property is less 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 bundled into the mortgage monthly payment and often isn't even tax deductible. It's beneficial for the lender because they collect the money, and they receive payment if the borrower doesn't pay, unlike a piggyback loan where the lender absorbs all the deficits.

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 avoid bearing the expense of PMI?

With the implementation of The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, on nearly all loans lenders are required to automatically eliminate the PMI when the principal balance of the loan equals 78 percent of the initial loan amount. The law guarantees that, at the request of the homeowner, the PMI must be released when the principal amount reaches just 80 percent. So, savvy homeowners can get off the hook a little earlier.

It can take countless years to arrive at the point where the principal is just 20% of the initial amount of the loan, so it's crucial to know how your home has appreciated in value. After all, any appreciation you've achieved over the years counts towards abolishing PMI. So why should you pay it after the balance of your loan has fallen below the 80% threshold? Your neighborhood might not be following the national trends and/or your home could have secured equity before things simmered down, so even when nationwide trends predict plummeting home values, you should understand that real estate is local.

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. It is an appraiser's job to understand the market dynamics of their area. At DANIEL I KANDEL, we're experts at pinpointing value trends in Weston/Ft. Lauderdale, Broward 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 generally eliminate the PMI with little anxiety. At which time, the home owner 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