If Mortgage Insurance was required for your loan at closing, you might be wondering how long you will need to continue paying this extra expense. The short answer: it depends. Options to remove the mortgage insurance requirement from a loan vary based on factors such as investor, loan type, payment history, property type, age of the loan, and Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio.
As your mortgage partner for life, we’re here to help you navigate mortgage insurance requirements for your loan. Below, we walk through general eligibility guidelines for cancelling mortgage insurance and, for eligible loans, the process for submitting a request to Customer Care. We are eager to serve you, so please contact us with additional questions.
No, not all loans are eligible. Government-backed loans including FHA, USDA (RHS) and VA loans do not allow mortgage insurance cancellation. It is required for the life of the loan.
If you have a conventional loan, you may be eligible to remove the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) requirement if you have been paying your monthly mortgage payments on schedule and your mortgage has reached the required loan balance. Please continue reading to learn about other eligibility requirements that may apply to your conventional loan.
Automatic termination: If you are not behind on any payments, your PMI will automatically terminate when the principal balance of the loan is scheduled to reach 78% of the original property value.
If your loan is not current when the principal balance of the loan is scheduled to reach 78% of the original property value, PMI will automatically terminate on the first of the month following the date on which your loan becomes current.
Request early PMI cancellation: You may be able to cancel your PMI before your loan satisfies the requirements for automatic termination.
To qualify, any loan must meet the following basic criteria:
Original Value:
You may request cancellation based on the original value of the property based on one of the following:
You may be eligible when your principal balance reaches 80% of the original property value – meaning either the contract sales price or appraised value of your home at closing, whichever is lower (or, if you have refinanced, the appraised value at the time you refinanced).
Your original amortization schedule shows the date on which the principal balance is first scheduled to reach 80% of the original property value—log into your account and go to My Loan to see the amortization schedule. Alternatively, you may choose to make one or more additional payments to your principle to achieve the 80% LTV requirement ahead of schedule.
Current Value:
Depending on the owner of your mortgage loan and any applicable state laws, your loan may satisfy the LTV requirement at any time based on the current value of your property – see table below.
In all cases, the LTV must be verified by a property valuation based on an inspection of both the interior and exterior of the property. Customer Care will provide you with the estimated cost of the appraisal, collect the amount from you, and order the appraisal on a mutually agreeable date.
Eligibility based on current property value:
Estimated property values presented on the internet are only estimates and are not accepted as a replacement for an appraisal that is specific to your property. If your loan is less than two years old, it is required that 1) substantial improvements made to the property have increased the property value and 2) an appraisal supports the increase in property value that has resulted from the improvements.
Substantial improvements increase the value of the property and typically include renovations that substantially improve marketability and extend the useful life of the property. Generally, substantial improvements add livable square footage such as a bedroom or bathroom. Improvements that upgrade existing functionality but do not add livable square footage may not be considered substantial improvements—for example, new countertops, tile or carpet, adding solar panels, adding a pool, etc. In addition, the improvements must conform to local zoning and building codes, and the valuation must state the specific nature, extent and cost of the improvements and their effect on current market value.
In accordance with the Homeowners Protection Act, we will cancel PMI after receiving a request from a borrower, and when all cancellation requirements have been met.
As a first step, please contact us to initiate your request. Depending on the owner of your mortgage loan, we may be able to receive your request verbally (by phone). If required by the owner of your loan, we will ask you to send a request to us by email or mail to: PO Box 4638, Englewood, CO 80155. Please include your loan number with your request.
After you submit your request to cancel PMI, we’ll send you a packet of information detailing the eligibility criteria, process, and other pertinent information.
Next, here’s what will happen:
We adhere to the Homeowners Protection Act (HPA), state laws, and investor requirements.
If your loan is eligible, PMI cancellation may be requested at as soon as your Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio reaches 80% of the original value, even if your loan is less than two years old. Note, original value means the lesser of the original appraisal value or purchase price.
Depending on the owner of your mortgage loan and applicable state laws, you may be eligible to request PMI cancellation based on the current value of your property. If your mortgage loan qualifies for cancellation based on the current value, the following additional requirements must be met:
In all cases the LTV must be verified by a property valuation, which may be based on an inspection of both the interior and exterior of the property. Customer Care will provide you with the estimated cost of the valuation, collect the amount from you, and order the valuation.
* Substantial improvements increase the property value and typically include renovations that substantially improve marketability and extend the useful life of the property. Generally, substantial improvements add livable square footage such as a bedroom or bathroom. Improvements that upgrade existing functionality but do not add livable square footage may not be considered substantial improvements—for example, new countertops, tile or carpet, adding solar panels, adding a pool, etc. In addition, the improvements must conform to local zoning and building codes, and the valuation must state the specific nature, extent and cost of the improvements and their effect on current market value.
You can contact us and we will advise the amount necessary. Typically, the principal must be reduced to 80% of the original value of the property, meaning the sale price when you purchased the property or the appraised value at the time of purchase—whichever is lower.
Typically, principal reduction payments are made via a certified check or wire. If the principal reduction payment is $25,000 or less, we can also accept an electronic payment. If you choose wire funds, please call us to request the banking information for the wire. If you choose to mail a check, we recommend sending with a tracking number. Our mailing address is below:
Attn: Cashiering10800 E Geddes Ave, Suite 100Englewood CO 80112
Once your request to cancel PMI is approved, and once we receive your principal reduction payment to lower the LTV to 80% (if applicable), PMI will be removed within five business days.
If we need to order an appraisal, the timeline is dependent on how quickly the appraisal is scheduled and on how quickly we receive the appraisal results. Appraisals may take up to 60 days to be completed. Once we receive the results, the process to review the results and update your account takes five business days.