If you’re relying on equity gains to cancel PMI, telling your lender about the recent sales and property value increases in your neighborhood won’t move the needle. You’ll need some stronger data for this argument, most likely a professional appraisal or a broker price opinion (BPO), depending on what state you live in.
Does the lender require a third-party appraiser? Most appraisers for mortgage-related matters will need to be provided by an appraisal management company (AMC) independent of the lender and borrower. So check whether you need to arrange the appraisal or BPO through your mortgage servicer, rather than hire out your own valuation. You could go through the trouble and expense of obtaining an appraisal, only to have to pay for another one.
Will you still save money post-appraisal? If you’re mere months away from hitting 20% equity to automatically remove PMI, you might think twice about kicking off this process. An appraisal on average will cost a homeowner between $450-$550. The cost of an appraisal might exceed the PMI you’d need to pay to get to 80% LTV. Continue lendo “Why do I have to wait to cancel PMI?”