I am finishing a series on LPMI loans. If you’ve missed any of them, here is a quick recap for you:
LPMI loans, or Lender Paid Mortgage Insurance, are loan programs that allow a borrower to not make a monthly mortgage insurance payment on the loan. The “catch” is the borrower agrees to a higher interest rate instead.
If deciding which one to do by going with the lowest payment, it is normally going to be the LPMI loan. That said, LPMI loans make less sense when making a larger down payment and/or having an average or below average credit score. So how to make the decision?
Answer this question – How long do you plan to stay in the home?
The shorter the time frame of staying in the home, the more it makes sense to go with the LPMI option. Why? It takes around 4 years for the monthly mortgage insurance to fall off when making a 15% down payment. Closer to 9 or so years when making a 5% down payment.
– If the plan is to stay in the home for only 5 years, then the LPMI loan would probably be the way to go.
– If the plan is to stay in the home for the next 10+ years, then the monthly mortgage insurance loan would probably be the way to go. Why? Once the monthly mortgage insurance payment falls off, the interest rate will be lower compared to the LPMI loan. When using the LPMI loan, you’ll always have the higher rate.
After completing this series, here are the combinations to consider when deciding between using the LPMI loan or a traditional loan with monthly mortgage insurance.
– Consider LPMI when the plan is to stay in the home for a shorter time period, you have excellent credit, and the down payment will be 5%.
– Consider a traditional loan with monthly mortgage insurance when staying in the home for a longer period of time, and/or you have average or below average credit, and/or making a larger down payment.
Clear as muddy water?
If unclear, no worries. That is why I am here. If buying a home in Georgia, contact me today. We can talk about the ins-and-outs of LPMI loans and see what works best for you.
