Refinancing to remove private mortgage insurance (PMI) can offer significant financial benefits, including lower monthly payments and reduced overall loan costs. With rising home values, low interest rates, and potentially improved credit scores, now could be an excellent time to refinance.
A borrower can request PMI be canceled when they've amassed 20 percent equity in the home and lived in it for several years. There are other ways to get rid of PMI ahead of schedule: refinancing, getting the home re-appraised (to see if it's increased in value), and paying down your principal faster.
Get an Appraisal
And no, your neighbor Phil's opinion won't count as an appraisal. 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%.
Yes, if the value of your home has increased enough to reduce your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) to 80% or less, refinancing can remove your PMI.
Refinancing to Eliminate PMI
Refinancing your home loan is a strategic option when considering ways to eliminate PMI. By securing a new loan through refinancing, homeowners can leverage any increase in their home's value to remove PMI effectively.
You're required to get PMI on a conventional loan when you're buying a house with less than a 20% down payment, or you're refinancing and you have less than 20% equity in the home. Homebuyers with a traditional 80/20 mortgage, which is a loan for 80% of the purchase price and a 20% down payment, can avoid PMI.
You can remove PMI, or private mortgage insurance, from your mortgage after you have established enough equity in your home. You will need at least 20% in equity. At that point, you can request to have it removed or wait for it to automatically drop off when you have 22% in equity.
If you think you might be close to having PMI removed based on your current home value, you'll need to pay for an appraisal, which can cost between $313 and $422 for a single-family home, according to HomeAdvisor. If you end up qualifying for PMI cancellation, that upfront cost can be worth it.
Can PMI be removed from FHA loans? No, FHA loan PMI removal is technically impossible because PMI is for conventional mortgages only. FHA loans have MIP, which usually lasts 11 years or the life of the loan. To remove MIP, you must refinance into a conventional loan once you have enough equity.
Ending PMI reduces your monthly costs. Some lenders and servicers may allow removal of PMI under their own standards. The information below describes the legal requirements that apply to mortgages for single-family principal residences that closed on or after July 29, 1999.
The mortgage insurance rate you receive will be expressed as a percentage. It may depend on factors such as your down payment and credit score. But typically it's around 0.2% to 2% of the loan amount per year. Credit Karma's PMI calculator will provide an estimate for you.
Another way to get rid of PMI is to make home improvements, such as adding a bathroom or renovating a kitchen. From there, you wait one year, then get the home appraised—hopefully for a higher value that pushes your LTV to a level where you can offload PMI.
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're buying a fixer-upper, you should keep extra cash on hand to cover the cost of sprucing up the home rather than paying off PMI. You won't break even on the extra expense of upfront PMI. Upfront PMI only makes sense if you'll be in your home long enough to recoup the cost of the premium.
You can take your name off a mortgage without refinancing your loan by selling the home, having the new owner take on a loan assumption, asking your current lender to modify the loan, or filing bankruptcy. You can also pay off the entire mortgage if you and your co-owner have the means.
Here's a caveat: To cancel based on current value, you must have owned the home for at least two years and have 75% LTV. If you've owned the home for at least five years, you can cancel at 80% LTV.
PMI is not deductible like interest, so it generally makes sense to get rid of it. It shouldn't change your property taxes significantly, just the usual annual update.
An increase in the appraised value does not necessarily lead to an increase in property taxes. Property taxes are determined by local tax rates and the assessed value of the property, rather than its appraised value.
Rising property values mean many homeowners may have enough equity in their home to refinance and reduce or remove their private mortgage insurance (PMI) or mortgage insurance premium (MIP). That could save hundreds of dollars a month. Plus, you may also benefit from a lower rate, shorter term and more.
Is mortgage insurance tax-deductible? No, private mortgage insurance isn't tax-deductible now. The mortgage insurance deduction was only available for eligible homeowners for the 2018–2021 tax years.
Determining equity is simple. Take your home's value, and then subtract all amounts that are owed on that property. The difference is the amount of equity you have.
If you prepaid your entire PMI premium, you also might be able to get a refund for part of the premiums when you refinance. Some lenders also offer PMI-free mortgages to borrowers who put less than 20% down. But these have lender-paid private mortgage insurance (LPMI), and the loans often have a higher interest rate.
The higher your LTV ratio, the higher your PMI payment. Your loan type: Because adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) carry a higher risk for lenders, your PMI might be more expensive with an ARM than with a fixed-rate loan. Your down payment amount: The closer your down payment is to 20 percent, the less your PMI.
Myth: FHA Streamline Refinance removes PMI. Reality: It may lower MIP costs but doesn't eliminate them entirely. Myth: You need 20% equity to refinance out of an FHA loan. Reality: While 20% equity removes PMI, some conventional loans allow refinancing with less equity (but will require PMI).