You open your mortgage documents and you see this big amount of money owed under “PITI”. But you have no clue as to what is the right PITI definition. Don’t worry; we got you!
PITI is not someone with an accent trying to say “pitty”. The correct PITI definition is of an acronym to the primary elements of many monthly mortgage payments:
- P for Principal
- I for Interest
- T for Taxes
- I for Insurance
So, Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance - or PITI – are actually the main components of what you will pay back to the lender monthly once you get a mortgage. However, not all mortgages include taxes and insurance in the payments. That doesn’t mean they will charge you a “PI”; they’ll probably just single out principal and interest.
But saying that PITI is just an aggregation to make the understanding of borrower’s expenses is not the most thorough PITI definition. The PITI assembling is as important for the lender itself, so it can determine the affordability of an individual mortgage and approve it or decline it. The lender calculates one’s PITI to determine the borrower’s risk, just like the borrower does to determine if his pockets are big enough to purchase that home.
Check our Real Estate Questions page; maybe someone else had the same doubts you have and we answered it already!
Popular Real Estate Terms
The basic definition of an acquisition loan is the kind of loan that gives a company the funds necessary to make a purchase. The type of investment depends on the company’s activity, ...
Notice of a pending suit; a public notice given to prospective purchasers and any one else considering an interest in property that the title is being legally challenged, and the outcome is ...
Used primarily by real estate corporations as a means of restructuring and reorganizing existing debts. Creditors must vote on a debt-paying plan and a judge must give approval. It provides ...
Surface level of water. ...
Initial user of real estate property, such as the first tenant in a newly constructed apartment building or office building ...
Same as term graduated lease: A rental stipulation a varying rental rate. Rental rate are determined tied to periodic appraisals or an inflation or an inflation index. The provision is more ...
In everyday discourse, a merger defines the combination of two entities, be it real estate or two companies, into a single and legit one. We should make a difference between a merger and ...
Typically, a waiver means remission or giving up on a particular claim. You can find the term waiver widely used in real life, finance, and real estate terminology. How do waivers work? A ...
Direct line of descent as from father to son. An example of a lineal hereditament would be passing of the title of real property by virtue of a will to the first-born son. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.