Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
Definition of "Private mortgage insurance (PMI)"
The concept behind a Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is pretty simple: it exists to make sure the lender doesn’t lose its money.
What it does is “buy” the possible defaults of a borrower to a lender. Meaning: if the borrower doesn’t pay the premium, the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) enters in action and pays it on his/her behalf.
The PMI cost is usually included in the monthly mortgage payment in addition to the principal, homeowner’s insurance, property tax and interest, and just like them, it is a separate thing; it doesn’t build equity to your home.
Why do it?
Well, most of the time you don’t have an option; it is a requirement from the Lender that you get Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) in order to be able to borrow the money. However, it truly can be good for both parties: the lender doesn’t lose money and the borrower can get a house even if he doesn’t have the whole 20% of the home’s value to use as down payment, since lenders sometimes waive the need of it because of the safety provided by the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).
Real estate Tips:
One of the greatest insurances in the world is knowledge! Devour our Real Estate Terms and use our Real Estate Agent Directory to contact a local real estate agent when you're ready to go into the market for/with your house!
Popular Insurance Terms
Single policy on the insured's property for: two or more different kinds of property in the same location; same kind of property in two or more locations; two or more different kinds of ...
Actual morbidity experience of an insured group as compared to the expected morbidity for that group. ...
Contractual agreement between two parties in which they agree to exchange a stream of interest payments on either a fixed rate for a floating rate or a floating rate for a fixed rate. The ...
In a mercantile open-stock burglary insurance policy, the dollar amount of coverage as required by the COINSURANCE clause. This dollar amount is the MAXIMUM PROBABLE LOSS (MPL) of ...
Intentional damage or destruction of another person or business's property. Insurance can be purchased by the owner of the property to protect against this exposure. ...
In many property insurance policies, a requirement that the insured carry insurance as a percentage of the total monetary value of the insured property. If this percentage is not carried, ...
Syndicate or association of insurance companies or reinsurance companies organized to underwrite a particular risk, usually with high limits of exposure. Each member shares in premiums, ...
Legislation that changed the tax treatment concerning child-care expenses so that an employee who has incurred child-care expenses greater than $4800 and who is participating in a ...
Contract that gives the insurance company the right, not the obligation, to buy a stipulated stock or bond at a specified price (strike price) at or before the date of expiration of the ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.