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Cap A consumer safeguard limiting adjustments to ARM interest rate or mortgage payment's. | |
Deferred Interest When a mortgage is written with a monthly payment that is less than required to satisfy the note rate, the unpaid interest is deferred by adding it to the loan balance. | |
Index rate An index is a widely used published interest rate that lenders use to set the interest rate on loans. 10-year U.S. Treasury securities are often used for 30-year fixed-rate loans. ARM loans are commonly based upon the, one-, three-, and five-year U.S. Treasury security yields; the monthly average interest rate on loans closed by savings and loan institutions; or the monthly average costs-of-funds incurred by savings and loans. Lenders adjust the interest rate up or down on an adjustable rate mortgage by measuring the difference between a current index rate to the ARM interest rate, and adding a margin. | |
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) In the event that you do not have a 20 percent down payment, lenders will allow a smaller down payment - as low as 3 percent in some cases. With down payments below 20%, borrowers are usually required to carry private mortgage insurance depending on your loan's structure. Private Mortgage Insurance, is paid on all non-government-insured loans and whose equity is less than 20%. When you have accumulated 20% in equity, your lender may waive PMI at your request. FHA and VA loans have different insurance and guidelines; see Mortgage Insurance Premium for FHA loans. | |