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Article: Private mortgage insurance. (includes related articles on information disclosed by private insurance companies and on claims through private mortgage insurance)
- Article from:
- Federal Reserve Bulletin
- Article date:
- October 1, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Before extending a mortgage, lenders typically require borrowers to make a sizable down payment to reduce both the risk of default on the loan and the amount they stand to lose if a foreclosure is necessary. Moreover, borrowers often pay significant closing costs. Together, the down payment and closing costs can be substantial relative to the borrower's savings, particularly for first-time homebuyers and households with lower incomes.
Mortgage lenders usually require a down payment of at least 20 percent of the appraised value of a home. But they will accept smaller down payments if repayment of the mortgage is backed by a type of insurance, paid for by the ...