What is Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)?
Lenders' Mortgage Insurance is insurance that protects the lender from financial loss if you’re not able to make your repayments and default on the loan.
You’ll need to pay LMI if you borrow more than 80% of a property’s value (i.e. if you have less than a 20% deposit).
Factors that affect how much LMI include:
- The size of the loan - the bigger your loan, the higher the LMI
- Your deposit amount - the smaller the deposit, the higher the cost of LMI
- The purpose of the loan – investors can pay as much as 20% more for LMI than owner occupiers
- Your employment status – how much you earn and whether your work is full time or casual
- The insurer - premiums differ between insurers
LMI can cost you thousands of dollars, however there are ways to avoid paying LMI or reducing how much you pay including:
- Ensuring your deposit is 20% or more
- Having a guarantor on your loan (Tiimely Own home loans don't offer guarantor loans, however our in-house broker service can assist you in finding a suitable guarantor loan), and
- Applying for the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme