In decades past, most people who were interested in obtaining a home loan were required to put down at least 20% of the purchase price. Those days are gone, and as home prices have risen faster than incomes, the average down payment required by lenders has dropped. In fact, it is often possible to buy a home with no down payment at all. Nationally, the average down payment is a 3%. It's nice to be able to buy a home with such a small amount of ready cash, but there is a downside ? if the down payment is less than 20%, the lender requires that private mortgage insurance (PMI) be added to the house note.
No one likes to pay PMI; the payment doesn't go towards paying off the house and the payments aren't tax deductible. And the PMI payments aren't trivial; the monthly PMI payment on a home priced at the U.S. median price of $206,000 with a 3% down payment is $129. Lenders require that borrowers pay PMI until the borrowed amount becomes less than 80% of the value of the home. In years past, this has meant that homeowners had to pay PMI until they had paid enough of the loan balance to reduce the debt to less than 80%. Times have changed, however, and many homeowners may be eligible for a faster way to avoid the monthly PMI payments.
The exploding real estate market has driven home prices higher than ever. Not only are the prices high, but the rate at which they are increasing is astonishing. In some parts of the country, home prices have doubled or even tripled in the last five years alone. The savvy homeowner should keep an eye on the price of housing in their local market, as the equity in his or her home may rise above 20% through market appreciation alone. In most markets, this is often happening quickly enough that homeowners may be able to eliminate PMI less than two years after purchase, even if they put a minimum amount of money down on the home.
A home appraisal is required to establish the equity to debt ratio of the loan, and this typically costs several hundred dollars. As that figure represents only a few months' PMI payments, most everyone would be glad to pay for an appraisal. Before doing so, contact your lender, as some lenders require PMI for a specific length of time before it can be dropped. No one likes to pay for private mortgage insurance, and thanks to an unusually aggressive real estate market, few homebuyers today should have to pay it for very long.
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.
Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on mortgages and home equity loans.
![]() Google News Updated : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:51:55 GMT Stocks Soar on Wall Street as Markets Bounce Back from Worst Rout ... - Voice of America
Voice of America - By Barry Wood The Dow Jones Industrial Average Monday registered its biggest daily point gain ever, gaining 936 points or 11 percent. Wall Street explodes, marks biggest 1-day gain Dow Surges On Global Bailout Plans Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:09:50 GMT Britain withdraws terror detention law after defeat - AFP
AFP - LONDON (AFP) - The British government on Monday withdrew a plan to extend the time suspected violent extremists can be held without charge after the House of Lords voted against it. House of Lords deals fatal blow to 42-day terror detention plans Ministers drop 42-day detention Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:01:32 GMT Rangers Prospect Cherepanov Dies After Collapsing During Game - New York Times
New York Times - By Stu Hackel Nineteen-year-old Russian forward Alexei Cherepanov, who was a Rangers first-round draft choice in 2007 and considered one of the organization’s top prospects, died on Monday after collapsing near the end of a game between his KHL team ... Cherepanov collapses on bench during game, dies at 19 Rangers prospect dies during game in Russia Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:37:16 GMT Romo Out For a Month - Washington Post
Washington Post - The Dallas Cowboys will be without quarterback Tony Romo for as long as a month because of a broken finger on his throwing hand. Romo suffered a broken right pinkie on the first play of overtime of the Cowboys' loss Sunday at Arizona, according to a ... Romo sidelined with broken finger Cowboys' Romo has broken finger, may miss 4 weeks Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:10:26 GMT North Korea Reopens Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor to UN Inspectors - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Bill Varner Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency was given access today to North Korea's plutonium- producing plant at Yongbyon, a reaction to the US decision to remove the nation from its list of states sponsoring ... NKorea grants UN nuclear watchdog access to Yongbyon: IAEA North Korea allows back nuclear inspectors Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:38:19 GMT Caffeine Consumption Doesn't Raise Overall Breast Cancer Risk - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Alan Mozes MONDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking coffee or consuming other caffeine-laden foods does not appear to boost breast cancer risk, new research indicates. Caffeine, Breast Cancer Link Minimal Caffeine 'can increase breast cancer risk' Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:00:13 GMT Palin: We can't let 'leftist groups…steal this election' - CNN Political Ticker
CNN Political Ticker - “The truth is that far-left groups in this country will do anything to help the Obama-Biden Democrats win the White House and maintain their majorities in Congress,” Alaska Gov. Voter registration boom favors Obama NC elections broad probes ACORN forms Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:39:24 GMT Increase Web Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Sub prime lenders handle high risk mortgage loans that traditional... Read More You're considering refinancing your home mortgage loan to save money.... Read More As loan officers, the word "lead" is by far one... Read More In days gone by, the family typically spent their evenings... Read More Refinancing can be a very simple process. You fill out... Read More Using a home equity loan to get out of debt... Read More Well, we did it. We are buying a beautiful, brand... Read More A home equity loan is simply borrowing on the difference... Read More Looking for the best homeowner loans can be stressful, especially... Read More Commercial mortgages are similar to residential mortgages. Usually taken by... Read More So you have a mortgage on your home or planning... Read More Current economic scene has hinted towards a fall in the... Read More Refinancing your home or property is a big decision that... Read More Interest rates on home mortgages are often quoted with and... Read More Mortgage would have never happened, had mortgages been a no... Read More A Bridging Loan is a short-term loan used as a... Read More In previous decades, when a borrower missed a payment on... Read More Private lenders, banks, and mortgage companies are all setting up... Read More Obtaining a home loan is arguably the most expensive transaction... Read More What is a "Reverse Mortgage?"Also known as a Home Equity... Read More Buying your first home will likely be the biggest and... Read More Refinance home loan lenders are eager to lend money to... Read More If you have bad credit and are looking to get... Read More "We will help every Council Tenant to become Home Owners"... Read More Home mortgage interest rates hit record lows in 2004 and... Read More
Adsense
websites
High Risk Mortgage Lenders - Using a Sub Prime Lender Online
Refinancing Your Home Mortgage Loan
Desperately Seeking Good Leads, The Adventure Driven Loan Officer
Home Equity Loan ? Home Theater Adds Fun and Value
Refinancing Mortgage Loan - Get The Lowest Interest Rate You Can When Refinancing
Home Equity Loan Information - How to Use One Wisely
I Have A Slice of the American Dream and It is a 30 Year Nightmare
What Are Home Equity Loans?
Finding the Best Homeowner Loans for Your Money
Commercially Viable Commercial Mortgages
How To Save Thousands in Interest on Your Home Mortgage!
Remortgage ? When Monthly Mortgage Payments are Touching New Heights
Thinking About Refinancing Your Loan?
Home Mortgages: Does It Ever Make Sense to Pay Points?
Gearing Up for Bad Credit Mortgages
Bridging Loan Basics
Key an Eye on Your Mortgage Payments
Obtaining a Home Equity Loan Online
How To Save Money On Your Mortgage
Who Could Benefit From A Reverse Mortgage?
Tips For First Home Buyers On Getting Home Loans
Refinance Home Loan and Refinance Home Loans
Sub-Prime Mortgage Company - 4 Signs of a Predatory Sub-Prime Lender
Council Right to Buy Mortgage ? Helping Everyone Have a Home of
Get the Best Rate on Your Home Mortgage Loan
Buy-to-let took off during the 1990s with the increasing availability... Read More
There's more Regulation Z compliance on the way, courtesy of... Read More
A problem that often arises when people try to refinance... Read More
The biweekly mortgage has been around for years but with... Read More
If you as an investor understand the process, you will... Read More
"Instant Approval For Home Loans" is a common refrain for... Read More
Although any loan used for buying real estate is strictly... Read More
Finding home mortgage loans are a reality for people with... Read More
Let's start by taking a look at 7 key elements... Read More
What does it mean to refinance? Why would anyone want... Read More
The search for quick homeowner loans can seem futile at... Read More
Sometimes so much is talked about how to solve the... Read More
The most basic distinction between types of mortgages that are... Read More
When it comes to firsttime home buyer loans, a little... Read More
Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that in... Read More
Do you need cash? Here's a mortgage for you. If... Read More
Many people choose to take out home improvement loans so... Read More
Home mortgage interest rates hit record lows in 2004 and... Read More
Having a pre-approved mortgage will give you the confidence of... Read More
If your mortgage company is threatening foreclosure, there are things... Read More
The home equity loan has become quite popular in the... Read More
Whether you need some extra cash to pay off some... Read More
A capped mortgage is a variable rate mortgage with a... Read More
For the first time since May 1996 reports have indicated... Read More
Add the term 'online' and it will open for you... Read More
Mortgage Refinance |