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    What You Need to Know About Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

    What You Need to Know About Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Whether it is your first time or your fifth, it is always important...

    • Juan Murray
    • June 20th, 2019
    • 3 min read

    What You Need to Know About Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

    Whether it is your first time or your fifth, it is always important to know all the facts when it comes to buying a home. With the large number of mortgage programs available that allow buyers to purchase homes with down payments below 20%, you can never have too much information about Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).

    What is PMI?

    Freddie Mac defines PMI as:

    “An insurance policy that protects the lender if you are unable to pay your mortgage. It’s a monthly fee, rolled into your mortgage payment, that is required for all conforming, conventional loans that have down payments less than 20%.

    Once you’ve built equity of 20% in your home, you can cancel your PMI and remove that expense from your mortgage payment.”

    As the borrower, you pay the monthly premiums for the insurance policy, and the lender is the beneficiary. Freddie Mac goes on to explain that:

    “The cost of PMI varies based on your loan-to-value ratio – the amount you owe on your mortgage compared to its value – and credit score, but you can expect to pay between $30 and $70 per month for every $100,000 borrowed.” 

    According to the National Association of Realtors, the average down payment for all buyers last year was 13%. For first-time buyers, that number dropped to 7%, while repeat buyers put down 16% (no doubt aided by the sale of their homes). For a large number of buyers last year, PMI did not stop them from buying their dream homes.

    Here’s an example of the cost of a mortgage on a $200,000 home with a 5% down payment & PMI, compared to a 20% down payment without PMI:

     

    The larger the down payment you can make, the lower your monthly housing cost will be, but Freddie Mac urges you to remember:

    “It’s no doubt an added cost, but it’s enabling you to buy now and begin building equity versus waiting 5 to 10 years to build enough savings for a 20% down payment.”

     Bottom Line 

    If you have questions about whether you should buy now or wait until you’ve saved a larger down payment, let’s get together to discuss our market’s conditions and help you make the best decision for you and your family.

     Courtesy of Simplifying the Market 

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    About the author

    Juan Murray

    (617) 721-0961
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    Juan got his start in the residential real estate market in 1994 and has never looked back. His mission is to provide excellence to his clients, and he is always looking for ways to improve the real estate experience for his clients and colleagues in the industry. Early in his real estate career, he worked as the Housing Rehabilitation Director for a national non-profit organization, Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA). His goal was to gain more knowledge of the construction and renovation of existing homes in conjunction with working with 1st-time buyers. He effectively managed over 25 residential construction project managers on the East & West coasts while implementing procedures to improve communication between contractors, property owners, and banking representatives. He also developed resources, designed processes, and organized all aspects of real estate property acquisition and renovation. Juan completed a home inspector licensing course on his way to becoming a licensed home inspector. But after completing 30 inspections as an apprentice observer, after crawling under numerous porches and “crawl spaces,” he decided it wasn’t his cup of tea. Juan has always had a sharp eye for market trends and an innate understanding of what his clients need. That’s why, as a top real estate agent in Boston, he is constantly ahead of the curve, anticipating changes in the market and helping his clients manage their real estate goals. His keen intellect, quick wit, and tireless work ethic make him an invaluable partner for anyone looking to buy or sell property in the Boston area (or via his referral partners worldwide). Although Real Estate is a large part of his life, it is not the only part. He loves hanging out with family and friends, being in the kitchen, enjoying great food, anything Apple or Cole Haan, gadgets, great cigars, F1, motorcycles, photography, and traveling (to name a few). He lives with integrity and tries not to take life too seriously.

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    Juan Real Estate Group

    Juan Real Estate Group

    769 Centre St, Suite 209, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

    769 Centre St, Suite 209, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

    Call Us:

    (978) 581.0801

    Message Us:

    [email protected]

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