by Gerry Marsh
Private Mortgage Insurance is a type of insurance that the lender requires when the mortgage loan balance is greater than 80% of the value of the property. It is like any other insurance in that there is a person who pays the premiums, that is you, and a beneficiary, which is the lender. Mortgage insurance is a type of guaranty that helps protect lenders against the cost of foreclosure. It's important to understand that the primary and only real purpose for mortgage insurance is to protect your lender -- not you. There is much confusion about this that I hope to clarify.
Mortgage Insurance Defined
"Mortgage Insurance" is a term used by two distinct groups to mean two entirely different things. To lenders, the term "mortgage insurance" means Private Mortgage Insurance, or PMI. Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC) originated PMI in the 1950s to assist in getting lender approval on an loans considered too risky to be otherwise acceptable. This helped borrows qualify for higher value homes or to qualify for the home they wanted by putting less money down.
Before PMI was available you needed to have 20 percent of the purchase price as a down payment - plus, of course, enough money for the other closing costs. This requirement kept many people from qualifying for a home loan. With the advent of Private Mortgage Insurance, the down payment requirement was reduced to 10 percent and later to only 5 percent. Lenders could safely loan the higher amounts because if the borrower defaulted the mortgage insurance would pay off the loan.
Mortgage insurance was the perfect answer to help stimulate the economy because it allowed people with good credit and good earnings to get into their dream home without having to wait until they accumulate a large amount of savings.
Lenders
Lenders usually consider any mortgage that has less than 20% down as being a "high risk" mortgage. Lenders usually require private mortgage insurance on low down payment loans for protection in the event that the homeowner fails to make his or her payments. Most lenders who use private mortgage insurance make their requests through a provision known as Direct Endorsement. This which authorizes them to consider applications without submitting paperwork to HUD.
The nation's largest owners of home mortgages, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, instruct their lenders to cancel the insurance if a borrower has made payments on time, the loan has been in effect for at least 24 months, and the owner's equity is at least 20%. Most lenders today permit you to cancel the PMI after a certain time has past. Borrowers should contact their loan servicer to find out the procedure for canceling mortgage insurance when they think they have achieved 20 percent equity.
Lenders have some leeway to refuse to cancel your PMI if you are not current on your payments, if there are liens against the property or if you have an exceptional amount of debt based on your income.
The Borrower
Borrowers can expect faster loan approval, less paperwork and more variety in premium plans when their lenders choose to buy private mortgage insurance. Home purchasers who cannot make a down payment of 20% today have three ways to go: traditional borrower-pay mortgage insurance; second or "piggyback" mortgages; and lender-pay mortgage insurance. Private mortgage insurance does not give you additional homeowners insurance coverage, but it does give the bank insurance just in case you do not fulfill your obligations by not paying your mortgage payments.
In Summary
Mortgage insurance is typically required for loans with less than 20% down payment using conventional financing. It is insurance that protects your lender against non-payment should you default on your loan. If the borrower dies, the loan is not paid off. Mortgage insurance only pays off the loan if the borrow defaults. Unlike Mortgage Life Insurance, you cannot name beneficiary - it is always the lender.
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