You cannot get rid of the PMI on an FHA mortgage. The only choice you're going to have is to refinance out of it completely. When you get an FHA mortgage, it's going to retain the PMI for the life of the loan.
You are required to pay mortgage insurance on FHA loans, but the mortgage insurance on these loans is called a mortgage insurance premium (MIP), not PMI. The rules for when you need to pay this type of mortgage insurance are different than PMI and how much you pay can be different than PMI, too.
The only way to eliminate the MIP is to pay off your FHA mortgage by selling the home or refinancing it with a conventional loan. On the other hand, you may cancel FHA MIP after 11 years if your initial down payment when you bought the home was 10% or more and you made all your payments on time.
Yes, you can refinance out of an FHA loan as long as you qualify for a conventional loan with a credit score of 620 or higher and have 5% – 25% equity in your home. If you have 20% equity, you may also be able to remove your mortgage insurance and lower your monthly payment in the process.
FHA First Mortgage
Borrower must have owned property for 12 months AND if encumbered by a mortgage made payments for the last 12 months within the month due. Otherwise limited to 85% LTV. Standard 31/43 ratios, may be exceeded with compensating factor(s).
You can request to have PMI removed from your loan when you reach 80% LTV in your home. You can achieve an 80% LTV ahead of schedule if your home's value increases or if you make extra loan payments.
FHA-specifics
If you can show proof that you have now been employed for at least a six-month period before requesting a FHA loan, AND that before any employment gap you worked for two-years straight or longer, you have the potential to get approved.
The amount of time FHA borrowers will need to pay MIP depends on the down payment. If you have at least 10% down at the time of your home purchase, you'll pay MIP for the first 11 years. If you have less than 10% down at the closing table, you'll pay MIP for the entire life of the loan.
If you have an FHA-insured mortgage, these options may be available to you. Informal or Formal Forbearance Plan: A Forbearance plan allows a borrower to work with their mortgage servicer to temporarily pause or reduce their monthly mortgage payments and may provide specific terms for repayment.
Look for an 80-10-10 loan
One strategy to avoid PMI involves getting an 80/10/10 loan where you put 10% down and take out a 10% home equity line of credit and use that to satisfy the 20% down payment requirement, says Eric Simonson, founder of Abundo Wealth.
An FHA loan may be a better option if you have a lower credit score, a higher DTI ratio, or less money saved for a down payment. On the other hand, a conventional loan may work better if your finances are sound and you can qualify for favorable loan terms.
Yes. You can pay off your FHA mortgage early. Unlike many traditional mortgages, FHA loans do not charge prepayment penalties.
FHA mortgage loans don't require PMI, but they do require an Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium and a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) to be paid instead. Depending on the terms and conditions of your home loan, most FHA loans today will require MIP for either 11 years or the lifetime of the mortgage.
Many lenders (like Fannie Mae) also require a two-year “seasoning requirement,” meaning you can't have PMI removed until you've made two years' worth of on-time payments—even if your equity has grown above 20%. If it's been less than five years, you might even be required to have 25% worth of equity.
Remember: You might be able to eliminate PMI when your home value rises or when you refinance the mortgage with at least 20 percent equity. But the onus is on you to request it.
One way you can do this is to refinance your FHA loan to a Conventional mortgage. As discussed above, you'll need to have at least 20% in home equity when you refinance with a Conventional loan, or you will need to pay for PMI. Be sure to check the value of your home equity before considering this refinance option.
Current Up-Front Mortgage Insurance Premium
The UPMIP is currently at 1.75% of the base loan amount. This applies regardless of the amortization term or LTV ratio.
FHA Loan: Cons
Here are some FHA home loan disadvantages: An extra cost – an upfront mortgage insurance premium (MIP) of 2.25% of the loan's value. The MIP must either be paid in cash when you get the loan or rolled into the life of the loan. Home price qualifying maximums are set by FHA.
If you're currently in the market looking to buy a triplex or fourplex with FHA financing, you need to see if the property's rents pass the Self-Sufficiency Test. To be “self-sufficient” means that 75% of the property's rents need to cover the monthly payments.
The FHA requires borrowers to live in the home as their primary residence for at least one year. Can I rent out my FHA home after the first year? Yes, after fulfilling the initial one-year occupancy requirement, you can rent out your FHA home.
Yes, a lender can refuse to remove PMI. For instance, if your property does not appraise as expected or you do not satisfy a requirement, a lender can reject your request. However, if you meet the requirements, you can request the removal of PMI.
If you meet the eligibility requirements to remove MIP from an FHA loan, your mortgage servicer should automatically cancel the premiums once you meet the criteria (a 78 percent LTV ratio or 11 years, depending on the loan). That's assuming you're in good standing with a record of on-time mortgage payments.
The Act, also known as the “PMI Cancellation Act,” addresses homeowners' difficulties in canceling private mortgage insurance (PMI)1 coverage. It establishes provisions for canceling and terminat- ing PMI, establishes disclosure and notification requirements, and requires the return of unearned premiums.