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
Reinsurance term under which the reinsurer exercises its faculty or prerogative to insure a risk or reject a risk from a ceding company. ...
One of two bureaus that writes forms and files standard rates for inland marine insurance. The other is the inland marine insurance bureau. ...
Costs incurred by an insurance company other than agent commissions and taxes; that is, mainly the administrative expense of running a company. ...
Act first passed by the United States Congress in 1981 and later amended in 1986 that provides for the establishment of risk retention groups whose purpose is to sell product liability ...
Same as term Deductible: amount of loss that insured pays in a claim; includes the following types: Absolute dollar amount. Amount the insured must pay before the company will pay, up to ...
Sum that an insurance company charges a business firm to restore a property or liability insurance policy, or a bond, to its initial face value after the insurance company has paid a claim ...
Insurance company's reinsurance commissions and expense allowances divided by its adjusted surplus account. The smaller this ratio, the more financially sound the insurance company, since ...
Statute in most states under which, if no evidence exists in a common disaster (when an insured and beneficiary die within a short time of each other in an accident for which determination ...
Combination of contributions of many investors whose money is used to buy stocks, bonds, commodities, options, and/or money market funds, or precious metals such as gold, or foreign ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.