Can You Get Rid Of Fha Mortgage Insurance

Do You Have To Put Down 20 Percent On A Second Home

If you have a lower credit score or higher debttoincome ratio, your mortgage lender may require at least 20% down for a second home. A down payment of 25% or higher can make it easier to qualify for a conventional loan. If you dont have a lot of cash on hand, you may be able to borrow your down payment.

Is It Possible To Eliminate Pmi On An Fha Loan Without The Need To Refinance

You can eliminate FHA mortgage insurance without the need for refinancing, but only if you secured the loan prior to June 3, 2013, or put down at least 10 percent when you bought the home.

If you received the FHA loan anywhere from January 2001 to June 3, 2013, the MIP will go away after you have at least 22 percent in home equity.

If you received the FHA loan past June 3, 2013, the MIP will be eliminated after 11 years of payments, but only if you put at least 10 percent down. The coverage lasts until you have paid off the loan if you initially put less than 10 percent down.

If your MIP wont expire on its own, you will have to refinance out of the FHA loan to eliminate its MIP. A refinance could still save you thousands of dollars even if your MIP expires in a few years, especially if you are able to pay a lower rate of interest in the process.

Lower Your Fha Mortgage Insurance Rate

Not everyone is eligible for a conventional refinance, and thats ok. There may be a way to lower your FHA mortgage insurance cost even if you cant remove it altogether.

You may have a higher rate of MIP than what is available today because these rates have decreased since 2015.

Here is a history of FHA MIP rates charged by the Federal Housing Administration:

• Prior to January 2008: 0.50% annual MIP

If you received a loan in January 2013, for instance, you could refinance into todays lower MIP and save $40 per month per $100,000 borrowed. Plus, you may save even more by getting a lower mortgage rate.

Keep in mind, though, that your new FHA loans MIP will become noncancelable. Thats because your new loan will originate after June 2013, when FHA MIP rules changed.

Read Also: Reverse Mortgage Manufactured Home

Refinance To A Conventional Loan

Many homeowners refinance to a conventional loan when they reach 20% equity. When you have a conventional loan, you dont pay MIP. Instead, your lender might require you to pay PMI but only if you have less than 20% down. You can stop paying MIP without switching to PMI by refinancing to a conventional loan once youve reached 20% equity.

To refinance to a conventional loan, you must meet your lenders minimum requirements. Conventional loan requirements are stricter than FHA loan requirements, so you might need to take some time to build a better borrower profile before you refinance. To qualify for a conventional loan, youll need at least the following:

• A higher credit score: You must have a median FICO® Score of at least 620 points. Making your credit card and loan payments on time and limiting your spending can help you increase your credit score while you build equity.

• Debt-to-income ratio: You must have a DTI ratio of 50% or less to qualify for a conventional loan. You can decrease your DTI ratio by increasing your household income or paying down your debts.

• Home equity: You should have at least 20% equity in your home before you refinance. If you refinance before you have 20% equity, youll need to pay for PMI instead of MIP. PMI is more expensive than MIP, so be sure you have the right amount of equity before you refinance. If you arent sure how much equity you currently have, contact your lender.

When And How To Cancel Fha Monthly Mortgage Insurance

If buying a home with an FHA loan, or if you have a FHA mortgage now, its important you understand WHEN you can get rid of or cancel the FHA monthly mortgage insurance premium and then know HOW to cancel the FHA mortgage insurance.

Fortunately, FHA mortgage insurance is not permanent if you secured your loan before June 3rd, 2013..so there is hope that your monthly mortgage payment will one day be significantly reduced.

Also, if you are planning to buy a home using an FHA mortgage, you may want to re-consider or at least compare buying with Conventional financing using Private Mortgage Insurance . A much better alternative.

Update1/31/2013 ==> FHA just announced that borrowers who secure FHA financing after June 3, 2013 will be stuck with their monthly paid mortgage insurance premium forever. Read the changes MIP is changing again!

click here ==> FHA vs Conventional Loan Comparison & Rate Quote

Read Also: 70000 Mortgage Over 30 Years

*revision To The Annual Mip Premium As Per Mortgagee Letter 2015

There will be no change in Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums for all case numbers assigned on or after January 26th, 2015 for the following:

There will be the following reduction in premiums in Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums for all case numbers assigned on or after January 26th, 2015 for the following:

How To Cancel Early

The first step to cancellation is to call your lender. Your lender will probably request that you send a written request for cancellation, and will give you an address to which you can send it. To cancel early, you must be current on your mortgage payments and you must have no recent missed payments.

Danielle Pennington, loan officer with the Wolcott, Connecticut office of BestWay Mortgage Corp., said that it is possible to cancel early, too, hit the 80 percent mark earlier simply by paying additional money toward your mortgage’s principal balance each month.

This will get you to that 80 percent mark in fewer months.

“It’s amazing how quickly even an extra $50 a month can lower the balance of your loan and, therefore, increase the equity you have,” Pennington said.

Now that you know how PMI works, you’ll be in a better position to understand what it takes to lower the monthly PMI payments. The better your credit score and the bigger the downpayment for the mortgage, the better your equity will be.

Don’t Miss: 10 Year Treasury Yield Mortgage Rates

To Get Rid Of Fha Mortgage Insurance: Check Your Loan Balance

You can request the cancellation of your FHA mortgage insurance when you meet certain requirements.

If you bought a house with an FHA loan some years back, you may be eligible to cancel your FHA PMI today. This option is attractive because it wont require you to get a new mortgage. If your loan balance is 78% of your original purchase price, and youve been paying FHA PMI for 5 years, your lender or service must cancel your mortgage insurance today by law.

While a low mortgage balance is a sure-fire way to cancel FHA mortgage insurance, it can take a while to get there. On a 30-year fixed FHA loan, it will take you about ten years to pay your loan down to 78% of the original purchase price. If youre not quite there, continue making payments for a few more years, or make a one-time principal payment.

Borrowers who have hit the magical 78% loan-to-value ratio can potentially start saving hundreds on their monthly payments and keep their existing FHA loan and interest rate intact.

Automatic Fha Mortgage Insurance Removal

If you received your FHA loan before June 3, 2013, you were eligible for MIP cancelation after five years.

But you must have 22% equity in the property, and you must have made all payments on time.

For homeowners with FHA loans issued on or after June 3, 2013, you must refinance into a conventional loan and have a current loantovalue ratio of 80% or lower.

Loantovalue ratio is another way to measure your home equity.

If you owed $160,000 on your home thats valued at $200,000, your LTV would be 80% because the loan balance is 80% of the homes value .

An LTV of 80% means you have 20% home equity which should be enough to refinance into a conventional loan with no PMI.

Also Check: Recast Mortgage Chase

Qualifying For A Refinance

If you took an FHA loan to buy your home, chances are you didnt qualify for conventional financing. FHA loans have less strict guidelines, which helps you get the financing you need. FHA loans typically require:

• 580 credit score

• Stable employment
• Stable income

As you can see, you need a better credit score and a lower debt ratio. Since youll need to keep the FHA loan until you owe less than 80% of the homes value, youll have time to work on improving your credit and decreasing your debts.

What Does Fha Loan Mortgage Insurance Cost

The upfront mortgage insurance premium is 1.75% of the loan amount, or $1,750 for every $100,000 borrowed.

The annual premium rate is based on your loan amount and down payment. Those factors also determine how long youll owe MIP.

Most FHA borrowers put down less than 10% and will pay annual MIP between 0.80% and 0.85%. But those who put down 10% or more will only pay annual MIP for 11 years, after which the MIP requirement ends.

Annual MIP is divided into 1/12th payments that are included in your monthly mortgage installments.

MIP rates for a 30-year FHA loan

FHA guidelines allow you to roll the upfront MIP into your loan. If you choose this option, your total loan amount would be $196,378.

Upfront MIP can also be included in your closing costs. You can pay those from your savings, or from closing cost assistance funds if you qualify for a state or local assistance program.

You can look up homebuying assistance programs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs website, and by Googling closing cost assistance programs in .

Recommended Reading: Chase Recast Calculator

Alternatives To Fhas Mip

When the FHA increased its MIP in the mid-2000s, the FHA loan became a less attractive option. The January 2015 MIP reduction could make FHA-insured loans more competitive, but that still doesnt mean the FHA loan will be the best or cheapest choice for every borrower.

Some low-down payment loans, other than the FHA loan, allow borrowers to cancel their mortgage insurance after theyve built up a certain amount of equity in their home. Homeowners can build equity through mortgage repayment, value appreciation or both.

In some cases, borrowers must request mortgage insurance cancellation. In other cases, the lender is required to cancel the insurance. The cancellation rules can be complicated, but borrowers have an opportunity to get rid of mortgage insurance at some point. With an FHA loan, it is more difficult for borrowers to stop paying for mortgage insurance.

This restriction can make an FHA loan more expensive than the other options, especially if the borrower keeps the loan for many years. If the borrower sells the home or refinances within a few years, the MIP cancellation requirements are not as material.

Borrowers who have an FHA loan may be able to stop paying for mortgage insurance once certain conditions are met.

As of June 2013, borrowers who have less than 10 percent equity must pay MIP for the life of their loan. Borrowers who have 10 percent equity or more must pay MIP for the full term of their loan or 11 years, whichever occurs first.

Two Ways To Reduce Fha Mip

• More down payment
• Shorter loan term

Remember the 2 charts above showing how much the monthly FHA mortgage insurance costs? Did you notice that higher down payments reduce the PMI? On the 20 30 year terms, putting down 5% or more reduces the PMI rate by .05%. Its not a lot, but it is a saving. On a 10 15 year term, a 10% down payment reduces the PMI by .25%.

The next option is shortening the loan term to 15 years or less. Also, notice in the second chart that the PMI rates decrease dramatically for these shorter terms. Although, to reach these lower mortgage insurance rates, a higher down payment and shorter-term may make the loan less affordable for many borrowers. Thats why most FHA buyers choose the lower 3.5% down payment and a 30-year term.

Read Also: Chase Recast

Types Of Mortgage Insurance

Although several loan programs have mortgage insurance, the requirements are not all the same.

FHA loans: FHA loans have an upfront and annual mortgage insurance premium . The annual MIP is adjusted every year based on your remaining loan balance.

Conventional loans: Borrowers who put down less than 20% on a conventional loan pay annual private mortgage insurance .

USDA loans: Like FHA loans, USDA loans have an upfront and annual mortgage insurance requirement.

VA loans: There is no annual mortgage insurance requirement on VA loans, but there is an upfront funding fee, which is charged as a percentage of the loan.

Mortgage insurance doesnt just benefit lenders. It allows borrowers who can afford a monthly mortgage payment but cant save up the traditional 20% down payment to purchase a home.

How Can I Avoid Pmi With 10 Down

Sometimes called a piggyback loan, an 80-10-10 loan lets you buy a home with two loans that cover 90% of the home price. One loan covers 80% of the home price, and the other loan covers a 10% down payment. Combined with your savings for a 10% down payment, this type of loan can help you avoid PMI.

Also Check: Can You Get A Reverse Mortgage On A Condo

How To Remove Conventional Private Mortgage Insurance

You have more options to cancel mortgage insurance if you have a conventional loan with private mortgage insurance .

You can simply wait for your PMI coverage to drop off. Because of the Homeowners Protection Act of 1989, lenders must cancel conventional PMI when you reach a 78% loantovalue ratio.

Many home buyers opt for a conventional loan because PMI drops while FHA MIP does not go away on its own unless you put down 10% or more.

Keep in mind most mortgage lenders base the 78% LTV on their last appraised value and not the original value at the time of purchase.

If your property value has gone up substantially, contact your current loan servicer and check its requirements to cancel early.

The servicer may require a new appraisal, or rely on its own internal valuation tools to determine your homes uptodate value.

You can also cancel conventional PMI with a refinance.

The appraisal for your refinance loan serves as proof of current value. If your loan amount is 80% or less of your current value, you do not incur new PMI costs.

Understanding The Federal Housing Administration Loan

As of 2022, if you have a credit score of at least 580, you can borrow up to 96.5 percent of a homes value with an FHA loan. That implies only a 3.5 percent down payment is necessary.

You can still acquire an FHA loan if your credit score is between 500 and 579 as long as you have a 10% down payment.

The down payment on an FHA loan can come from savings, a financial gift from a family member, or a down payment assistance award.

You May Like: Can I Get A Reverse Mortgage On A Condo

Terms Greater Than 15 Years

Heres what you can expect to pay if you have a loan term for longer than 15 years. The most common example of these types of loans is the 30-year term. Lets say you:

• Borrow less than or equal to $625,500 for your home purchase and you have a down payment of 5% or more. Youll pay 0.80% each year. On a $150,000 home loan, thats $1,200 per year or $100 per month.

• Borrow less than or equal to $625,500 for your home purchase and you have a down payment of less than 5%. Youll pay 0.85% each year. On a $150,000 home loan, thats $1,275 per year or $106.25 per month.

• Borrow more than $625,500 for your home purchase and you have a down payment of 5% or more. Youll pay 1% each year. On a $700,000 home loan, thats $7,000 per year, or about $583.33 per month.

• Borrow more than $625,500 for your home purchase and you have a down payment of less than 5%. Youll pay 1.05% each year. On a $700,000 home loan, thats $7,350 per year, or about $612.50 per month.

Take the first step toward the right mortgage.

Apply online for expert recommendations with real interest rates and payments.