For example, if you have a 30-year mortgage, the midpoint would be after 15 years. If you have a 15-year loan, the halfway point is 7.5 years. The PMI payments must stop even if your mortgage balance hasn't yet reached 78 percent of the home's original value. This is known as final termination.
How long do you pay for PMI? You'll pay PMI until you've reached 20 percent equity in your home, or an 80 percent loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on your mortgage.
Like principal and interest, private mortgage insurance premiums generally don't change after your loan closes. So you can eliminate that as well. That leaves home insurance premiums. Providers do increase them from time to time, however there are steps you can take to reduce this cost.
When PMI is canceled, the lender has 45 days to refund applicable premiums. That said, do you get PMI back when you sell your house? It's a reasonable question considering the new borrower is on the hook for mortgage insurance moving forward. Unfortunately for you, the seller, the premiums you paid won't be refunded.
Since annual mortgage insurance is re-calculated each year, your PMI cost will go down every year as you pay off the loan.
If you buy a $300,000 home, you could be paying somewhere between $600 – $6,000 per year in mortgage insurance. This cost is broken into monthly installments to make it more affordable. In this example, you're likely looking at paying $50 – $500 per month.
The loan has not been more than 60+ days past due in mortgage payments within the last two years or 30+ days past due within the last year. There has not been a property value decline based on the actual sales price or original appraised value.
If you've owned the home for at least five years, and your loan balance is no more than 80 percent of the new valuation, you can ask for PMI cancellation. If you've owned the home for at least two years, your remaining mortgage balance must be no greater than 75 percent.
You can remove PMI from your monthly payment after your home reaches 20% in equity, either by requesting its cancellation or refinancing the loan.
You should pay PMI upfront if: You have the extra savings to cover the premium cost. If you have the cash to cover your down payment, closing costs and the extra premium expense, you'll end up with a lower monthly payment. Your closing costs are being paid by the seller.
If you pay $200 extra a month towards principal, you can cut your loan term by more than 8 years and reduce the interest paid by more than $44,000. Another way to pay down your mortgage in less time is to make half-monthly payments every 2 weeks, instead of 1 full monthly payment.
A $400+/month mortgage increase sounds more like you have a variable rate mortgage loan and the mortgage company increased your interest rate. Property values would have to increase by tens-of-thousands to increase property taxes $400/month. Verify this with the mortgage company and the property tax department.
It's common to see monthly mortgage payments fluctuate throughout the life of your loan due to changes in your home value, taxes or insurance.
While PMI is an initial added cost, it enables you to buy now and begin building equity versus waiting five to 10 years to build enough savings for a 20% down payment. While the amount you pay for PMI can vary, you can expect to pay approximately between $30 and $70 per month for every $100,000 borrowed.
For a little more than a decade, PMI was tax deductible for homeowners who met eligibility requirements and itemized their deductions. Since the 2022 tax year, it's no longer possible to take deductions on new mortgage insurance payments, as the PMI deduction has expired.
Ask to cancel your PMI: If your loan has met certain conditions and your loan to original value (LTOV) ratio falls below 80%, you may submit a written request to have your mortgage servicer cancel your PMI. For more information about canceling your PMI, contact your mortgage servicer.
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.
Most lenders require that your LTV ratio be 80% or lower before they will cancel your PMI. Note: Some lenders express the percentage in reverse, requiring at least 20% equity in the property, for example.
Loans with shorter terms and larger down payments build equity significantly faster than loans with longer terms. Generally speaking, if you have a good credit score and make your monthly payments on time, you should be able to build sizable equity in your home over the course of five to 10 years.
As long as an appraisal shows you are at an 80% LTV or lower, you can stop paying PMI. Unlike FHA mortgage insurance removal, there are no caveats on things like when your loan was opened, what your initial down payment was, or your loan term. Lastly, you could also try disputing the lender's valuation of your home.
Refinancing to get rid of PMI can cut your mortgage costs by a large margin and save you money for months or years to come. In addition to dropping mortgage insurance, you could potentially lower your rate and save on interest over the life of the loan.
The Bottom Line. PMI is expensive. Unless you think you can get 20% equity in the home within a couple of years, it probably makes sense to wait until you can make a larger down payment or consider a less expensive home, which will make a 20% down payment more affordable.
The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (HPA or PMI Cancellation Act, or Act) was signed into law on July 29, 1998, became effective on July 29, 1999, and was later amended on Dec. 27, 2000, to provide technical corrections and clarification.